Forum The birth

rummaging

5 replies

jamadi
Hey mamas!
I'm now 38 weeks and 4 days pregnant, and things are starting to rumble. The baby has fully dropped, and for the past two days, I haven't been able to fit into my jeans anymore because my belly is hanging. I'd had some Braxton Hicks contractions in my belly and back before, but since today, I've really been feeling menstrual-like pain in my back. It's only getting worse. Could this mean labor is starting? They're planning to strip my membranes this coming Friday. I hope the little one shows up sooner!

Replies

  1. N. Coppola #2

    Hey Jamadi,
    That sounds like you're having contractions!
    Maybe it's a good idea to keep an eye on the minutes, to see how many minutes apart each contraction is.
    Let us know when it's time.

    If it's for today, good luck with your delivery!

    Good luck!

  2. jamadi started this #3

    I hope I can sleep for a few more hours. It’s gotten a bit later, unfortunately I hope it continues.

  3. N. Coppola #4

    Did you call the midwife in the meantime?
    I had a lot of false labor during my pregnancy, so at first it was a bit of a search to see if they were real contractions! But at 38 weeks and also 4 days like you, the contractions felt different. Mine started at 5 am, and I thought I'd wait a bit more because it was probably another false alarm! Around 7 am I took a warm shower, and afterwards they continued. I got ready and notified the midwife that I was coming (haha, eventually they knew exactly who I was, with all those false alarms). By 9 am I had arrived at the hospital with 4 cm dilation...
    But those contractions weren't strong enough. After 10 hours they told me they were going to break my water because it had been going on for too long and also because my contractions weren't strong enough! I didn't feel any pain, only from the moment my water broke...

    I wish you an easy and smooth delivery, don't think about the worst, you might end up with a beautiful little miracle in your arms.

  4. jamadi started this #5

    Hahaah, so relatable! I’ve got a membrane stripping card too, and I go a few times a week. Yeah, the midwife says it’s starting, but it’s mostly false contractions. It’s not consistent enough yet for that peak, and things seem to be slowing down a bit. I already mentioned on my check-up yesterday that I had some tummy pain, etc. Since they were going to strip my membranes on Friday, I also told them I’d had back pain for a few nights—like cramps. Now it’s happening again, like someone is slowly pulling up a blanket, for example, and it pulls along with my belly. I also have constant hard bellies, but my little man was still very active.

  5. N. Coppola #6

    Hey Jamadi,

    Hang in there for a bit longer, heheh. I also had a lot of trouble with hard contractions, and my son was very active, and he still is now, actually. I'd call him a real worm...

    I'm going to update my due date anyway. My son was born at 39 weeks and 4 days, so a week later, and 4 days before the estimated due date. And the most beautiful gift a woman can wish for is your first Jamadi?

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