I cant believe its been a year!!

[JJchiknshak]

We live in a pretty tiny house, so I think we will be pretty ok with just having one.

(unless I'm having twins... YIPE!)

I have an ultrasound tomorrow, so I'll find out what's going on then.

Did you have a difficult time with your last one?

 

[gpamela3499]

Neither my 5 yo son nor my current pregnancy has been a real problem. I was under a lot of stress with my 5 yo but except for diabetes nothing not normal, with this pregnancy not even diabetes. Actually it has been pretty good.
(We changed the family diet and now avoid meat. I don't want to say vegetarian as we BBQ at picnics and sometimes eat out and eat eat meat at friends house but I rarely buy meat and we feel better than ever.)

I am more tired and my feet have swelled more this time, but gosh I am 44. I originally thought I was in menopause because of the tiredness and tender breasts.

The baby is very healthy also which is the big concern for me as the chances of Downs syndrome increase dramtically with maternal age, at 44 my chances were 1 in 35.

.

 

[ebwy]

as long as the baby is healthy, the rest doesn't matter so much.

I have a question -
I've been told to go to hospital at the first sign of labour.
well, fair enough, as labour is something it would be dangerous for me to experience

but how do I tell the difference between early stages of labour and just a slightly dodgy tummy from eating so much fruit?
It may sound like a silly question, but I really don't know.

And I'm having braxton hicks contractions every day now anyway so I can't even tell because of the squeeze feeling.

 

[KellyHM]

Quote:
I can't help you b/c I'm a first timer too, but I'd like to know the answer as well. I'm also having braxton hicks on and off...I'm assuming I'll know when it's the real thing, but how?

 

[ebwy]

I'm told it feels like something squeezing your uterus from top to bottom, like someone trying to squeeze the last bit of sauce out of a sachet...

but I dunno :-s

everything I've read gives a list of symptoms that could easily be an upset tummy!

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
I have 3 kids and I'm pregnant with my 4th.

My labors always started as a backache and progress to contractions. My contractions felt like a painful squeezing all the way around my tummy, not just top to bottom. They'll get more intense and come faster with time. Getting up and walking will often stop false labor but increase real labor. Do you get a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions? They feel like that, but they hurt some.

The day before I go into labor I go into a cleaning frenzy (nesting, I guess) and usually by that night the contractions start.

 

[ebwy]

"getting up and walking" - well I can manage a waddle but getting up out of bed this morning required 4 attempts at it!

seriously though... that's more helpful than most of what I've read or been told, so thank you

I get a few braxton-hicks a day, I suppose. Enough to make me think for a second, but not enough to make me start phoning for an ambulance or a taxi
backache - I've had that constantly for a week or so anyway!

 

[Birdgirl]

I have my next ultrasound on the 21st! yay!!!! I love to see them, always brings tears to my eyes

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

Quote:
for most people......if you are in real labor, you will know it. It is a pain you have never felt before. Your contractions will be regular and get closer together. If you think it is false labor, drink water, take a warm bath, then lay on your left side for 1 hour. See what happens. If you are in labor the pains will get worse, if not the contractions will start to go away and lighten.

 

[ebwy]

thanks