Today I am 36 weeks pregnant and things are still going great but things are also changing and happening with my body that I am noticing and (according to N) I am spending too much time worrying about. LOL.
I am all about following intuition and listening to my body’s signals which is why I am going the direction I am with labor and delivery. This means accepting and not fearing the unknown right? Part of me is there.
On the other hand, for a first time mom there is lots of stuff you haven’t experienced yet so you wonder about how it will be for you. Will I know labor has begun, what will contractions be like, how will I handle it all etc… Until I am at The Farm and in the company of my midwife I’ll also be stressing about all the unknowns.
Lets see, for starters baby has totally dropped which makes more room for my lungs and organs. With the baby dropping I’ve also noticed some new kinds of back pain. Is the back pain due to my messed up tailbone or is it muscular and a normal for a ready to pop preggo?
On my quest for information I learned that some people mistake early contractions for a backache. So, am I having contractions and should I be on the way to The Farm now???
I’ve also noticed that while standing and sometimes while sitting I get pretty lightheaded, like something is pinching off blood supply. So is that also a skeletal issue in my back or is the weight of my uterus just pressing on my vena cave or something? Should I be worried or should I just adapt and adjust?
I’ve told myself, “Talina, there are obvious signs when you are in labor, you know things like the water breaking or loosing the mucus plug.” Then on the other hand there is the fact that some women don’t have their membranes (waters) rupture at the start of labor. Also, with the mucus plug some women begin to loose theirs many weeks before labor, some will loose it just as labor is starting. So I am having a daily back and forth battle with myself over my observations. I’d like to blame the hormones.
Honestly though, how is a girl to know she is in labor for sure? I can’t be having my cervix checked everyday to see if dialation has begun and that seems like it is the only way to be 100% sure. And if someone else says “Oh, trust me you’ll just know” I am going to scream!
I always wondered with the first…. THAT is coming out of THERE?!?!
You could go to the ER or a walkin clinic to get checked for signs of labor. Backache is a good sign… plug and water is sometimes there, as you pointed out.
Also, I remember the cervix burning.
Can you call your midwife or someone at the Farm for their advice?
It’s scary being a 1st time mom and all those thoughts you are having are normal. I think every momma in the world has freaked out about all of that same stuff so It’s ok 🙂
Here’s a few tips: The back pain you are having could be braxton hicks or even real contractions. But the way you will know when it is ” time” , is to monitor and time the pains. When you go into labor they will start minutes apart and then they will become closer together. So if you are having ” pains” and they are 10 minutes apart and keep getting closer and closer for awhile, then most likely it will be time.
I lost my mucus plug like 1 month before I went into labor and he also dropped around that time too. With dialation, you can’t really think you will go into labor right away. There are some women who are dialated to 3 and 4 and still there water hasn’t broken. With Faith my water didn’t brake until like 5 or 6. So it depends. Just trust your intution and you’ll be fine.
From everything you’ve written, I think you are “tuned in” to your body well enough that you can trust your instincts and be fine.
However, it sounds like your instincts are telling you to be on the lookout!
My first was so overdue, I had almost convinced myself I would just be 9+ months pregnant for the rest of my life. I was actually surprised when I started having pains that could be timed.
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Timing is everything! And labor really friggin hurts. The uterus contracts in waves and the contractions are very powerful. You won’t mistake them for something else.
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I knew with my first, even tho I was 3 weeks early. I just knew.
I didn’t know the many forms of contractions… I started out with the basketball belly, steady 10 minutes apart for hours (12 if ya really want to know), before I ever left for the hospital. I also had back labor that worked itself around to the front basketball belly again. Then I had (don’t know what they call it) contractions that didn’t hurt near as bad except for a quarter sized spot on my lower right side. That quarter sized spot had all the pain concentrated in that one small area. I was sure something was wrong, and they assured me it was normal. Tho I’ve never had another woman tell me they had those. Yet I am sure you could find woman with another version altogether.
What I am trying to say is this… everyone is different. Stay calm, braxton hicks contractions can/will go away with some slow deep breathing (relax). The light headed stuff? I would suggest you eat something when that happens. Your sugar could be a bit low (I had this the whole 3 years while breast feeding). A granola bar or yogurt works wonders.
Oh, I also had a midwife. 4 doctors and 16 midwives worked together in the clinic I chose (out in Oregon, 28 years ago last week). unbeliveable Just wanted to share.
I will also give you something to think on, it is YOUR body. You have more control than you think. Mind set is amazing, use it to your advantage so you can get where you need to be to have a amazing, healthy AND happy labor and delivery.
I know its hard not to but try to not overthink everything. I am in the same boat as far as when will I know and what is that pain… its new.. I have not dropped yet but I am also seeing the changes in how she moves and how I feel. My little cousin just had her baby and after weeks of worry and stressing her self out she delivered almost a week late and only had labor for 2 1/2 hours. Listen to you body and if you feel like you need to go to the doctor then do so untill you can get to the farm. I also agree that if you call your midwife at the farm and run your concernes by her you may also feel better. Unlike you and N I am delivering like 10 minutes away, that takes alot off my mind.
Call lyour midwife – she will have many answers too!
You are in my thots and prayers
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Thank you everyone for your advice and kind words. Deep down inside I have intuition to guide me I just have been having an unusually hard time quieting the anxiety these days. I suspect in the next two weeks or so it will only worsen until I am at The Farm.
I never saw my mucus plug get out. And my midwife had to break my water. But I was so worried I would have no idea I was in labor but I knew the contractions. Everyone told me I would and they were right. 🙂 Good Luck.
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When Tater dropped, it is very possible that at times she may rest on a nerve. That can cause the back pains. When I went into labor with Taylor (she was 2 weeks late), the contractions were different. Way more intense and regular. I called everyone I knew who had a child to see if I was in labor 🙂
You’ve been in tune with your body thus far, don’t start doubting yourself now!!
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Real contractions are like a wave. You can’t talk through them, or even move through them (aside from pelvic rocking, which helped). I could feel the contractions pushing the baby down onto my cervix and everything opening up.
Braxton hicks contractions at the end can hurt and you may have to breathe through them, but they aren’t as intense.
With Isaac, I used to get dizzy and lightheaded if I sat for too long. He was squashing some of the blood vessels in my back. Laying down should help with that.
Sounds like your back pain is just normal back pain. Labour pain is different and wouldn’t leave you wondering.
One of the midwives said when I was pregnant with Amy ‘if you’re left wondering if you could possibly be in labour, then you probably aren’t there yet’.
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I havent had time to read my fav bloggers all week. : ( So im catching up now…OK…I HATED all the unsolicited advice when I was pregnant and I thought..I cant wait until this baby is here so people will stop telling me the most random shizz. But it didnt stop. They then gave unsolicited advice about the kid! Then about the second pregnancy and about that kid! And raising siblings! ANNOYING.
Ok…sorry that was my rant. I totally relate to the light headed stuff. Dont know if you remember or not but when I was was pregnant with Steven I passed out at Old Navy. I was standing in line for quite awhile and started getting really light headed. Shawn was in the stroller so I just kind of leaned on the stroller. Then I was paying and totally blacked out and woke up on the floor with people surrounding me. So not fun.
Your totally right to listen to your body. If I had done that at Old Navy it would have saved me a trip to the emergency room via ambulance. The only thing that was really a “WOW this is it moment” with Shawn was that the contractions were so regular. Because I was going to be induced that next morning I just kind of took it easy~ but I was pretty aware of my body and the contractions felt like they happening with a purpose. Do you know what I mean? Like the contractions had a mission—which I guess they did. LOL!
LOVE YOU! I cant wait to see Tater.
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I have to admit that this was the hardest part for me. The NOT KNOWING part. Every little twinge made me wonder if “this is it”. Luckily, my water broke at week 38 and made all the guesswork null and void. Happened exactly the same on the 2nd pregnancy. THANK GAWD. I’m so neurotic I’d have driven myself and Mr Hyphen insane.
I really REALLY hope you’re at the Farm when you go into labor.
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