For those of you who have given birth before

[Sunkissed19]

How in the H-E-L-L did you guy's make it through the final "2WW" of pregnancy? I have 17 days to go and i am SO miserable...i don't know how im gonna make it through tomorrow ..let alone 17 days!! I need some words of wisdom, what did you guy's do to distract yourselves? Keep in mind im on bed rest...ive read everything and anything in the house with print on it (including the cookbooks) ive watched 5 seasons of a tv show, done an entire book of crossword puzzles and have played enough computer games to satisfy a 13 year old boy. I cant go shopping, i cant do chores, i cant bounce on a birthing ball, i cant sleep because i cant get comfortable....im in pain because of contractions (that i cant get to be not irregular because i cant get out of bed to help them along!) and im not supposed to do anything to raise my blood pressure (even watching really intense movies is supposedly a bad idea) So obviously BD'ing is out the window.

Dont get me wrong ladies...i want my little boy to enter this world as healthy as he can possibly be and when HE is ready ...i just cant handle the waiting...its agonizing! especially the not knowing when its gonna happen and all i do is lay in bed all day and think about him! I didnt even get to do any of the fun last minute shopping because im stuck in bed :( i wrote a list and my mom and gramma went and got everything off of it. I have everything i need and we're all ready (minus some last minute touches on the nursery) but im just sad that all i get to do is sit here and it seems everytime i go to the doctors something else happens...a new complication...i just dont know how much more i can take.

I will take any and allllll suggestions! i just feel like im stuck in limbo and i'll never get to meet my boy :(

[Sunkissed19]

Trust me, id be way more interested in getting his nursery finished and going shopping then having him right now if i wasnt stuck on bedrest!! I dont have his nursery organized yet so i dont want him here until its done but since im stuck in bed and cant complete it myself anyway then id rather just have him here!! i wanted everything all perfect and organized and beautiful and have the house in order before he arrived and i planned on using all 40 weeks to do it...that was a bad idea...i shoulda got things finished sooner because now im on bed rest with a full plate of chores that i have to pawn off on other people...fun stuff like shopping that i wanted to do myself! :(

[faye83]

LOL I think I'm the only one here who wsn't in a hurry to have my baby... not cause I didnt want her but only cause I didnt think I was ready yet (meaning I thought I needed to buy more clothes etc etc)

[cherylsangel]

I really like the idea of knitting a baby blanket! that could be lots of fun and take up time! You could add your own little touches and it would be one of a kind, just for your special little guy!

[mom2ariana]

i like the scrap book idea. start one for pregnancy. have DH pick up one for you so you can get started...
you can put anything like ultrasound pictures, belly pictures, appointment reminder cards, anything from the babyshower, etc...and fill it out. i think its something that would be really fun to go through with your baby when its older. write down how you feel, symtpoms you've had, bumps in the road you've come to, the excitment you've felt, etc..
im sorry you're on bedrest! i'm sure it's no fun!! im not on bedrest but i stay at home a lot and i know how it can get boring!! just try to take it one day at a time, and stop looking ahead at 16 days!! just think about today, and it'll go by faster!! your in my prayers!! :)

[Limonada]

LOL!!  Yes...that may happen!!  Trust me, though:  you will have time for scrapbooking, eventually....even after he's here :-)  Gil is 11 weeks old and "usually" sleeps for about 5 hours during the day between his 2 naps....so I often use that time for meal prep, cleaning, scrapbooking, etc.  I still have pages that I want to do for Daniel from a year or so ago - you can always save up things up and tackle it when you do have time :-)

[Sunkissed19]

Wow, thanks ladies...you women are always such a helpful bunch :)

Ashelen- i cant wait until i do this again so i can tell other miserable first timers to "sleep..sleep...sleep" hahaha we all know what a bunch of bs that is!! jp, its awesome advice...just easier said than done! luv ya!

Joy- Cute ideas! ill have to see if i can get a chick flick marathon going and i should address birth announcement envelopes....unfortunately im horribly untalented when it comes to crocheting or knitting or sewing lol but thats a nice thought! id probably just end up poking my eyes out with the hooks instead :p

blueeyedtabbycat- i friggin know right!!! lol trust me im gonna have quite the conversation with the OB on thursday...either let me out of bed so i can prepare for my baby or induce me! i'll be 38 weeks on thursday so he better listen unless he wants some swollen pregnant foot in his mouth!!

Losing- thanks for the sympathy, i appreciate the support! I actually already do have a pregnancy journal...my mom bought me one in the beginning of my pregnancy that has all these pages where it suggests what you write about and it counts down the days...when morning sickness began and went away..ultrasounds and everything..its super cute..theres even a section for hopes and dreams...i have really enjoyed doing it! but at this point its really hard to keep writing "positive mushy things" in there cuz im so frusterated with my situation haha!

Jacinta- Oh wow, why did ur little one end up in the NICU even though he was so overdue? my little one has even had steroid shots for his lungs and looked perfectly developed and healthy on his last ultrasound (which was monday) so im not too terribly worried about him coming out with any issues.

Honeybear- thanks for the support but you probably did jinx yourself haha!! now ur gonna end up on bed rest hating life just like me!! :p although i hope that u dont!!

Limonada and Bluegenie- A scrapbook would be fun...ill have to see if i can get someone to go out and buy me a kit...but im sure as soon as i get one my water will break or something and then ill be so busy with baby that ill never get to finish it haha!

Julianovak- i wish i could get BUSSSSY but im on bedrest! i cant do anything that will risk raising my blood pressure....thanks anyway tho lol!

Cocoa- hmmm i'll have to think more about that...im sure there could be something, maybe ill look up nursery rhymes and lullaby's so i can relearn the words so i can have something to sing to him when he gets here (its been a long time since ive sung a lot of them and i can only get through the first half of most lol!) u forget a lot from early childhood :)

Victoria- Dont even worry about it girl, you've been such a helpful support system for me this pregnancy ...u telling me to "just hang in there" is all i needed :)

Well geeze...just replying to all you ladies gave me something to do for a little while...that was helpful all on its own!! xo

[Victoria01]

I"m sorry you are so miserable. Some of the other ladies have some great suggestion. I really like the scrapbook idea. I really don't have any other suggestions, just try and hang in there, it's almost over. =)

[cocacolapanda]

Since your on bedrest is there anything you've been wanting to do and haven't had a chance to do?  Maybe you could look up new things online to learn all kinds of new things?  

I was 2 weeks late with my son and the only thing I could do was sit on a birthing ball or walk, and since you can't do either, Try getting hooked on an online game??

Good luck, I hope the next several days go fast!

[julianovak]

GET BUSYYYY!!!! lol... with anything.... I mean go for walks go to the park.... anything.... reorganize your whole house..... sounds tuff but once you get started time will fly by.....

[bluegenie2003]

I'd go for making a scrapbook as well. If you have any belly pics or things like that you can organize them into a scrapbook. Or make a scrapbook for baby about you and daddy. How you met, your wedding, things like that. They have "premade" scrapbooks at places like Walmart if you dont' want to buy all the materials that come with basically everything you'd need (except the pics of course!)  I really feel for you being on bed rest this late. I almost went crazy back in Nov. when I was on bedrest, and I wasn't NEARLY as uncomfortable then as I am now!

[Limonada]

What about starting a scrapbook?  Sort of along the lines of a journal.....

I definitely don't understand what it's like to be on bedrest because I was up and about and active right up until the minute I was induced both times.....but I can and do sympathize!!  

Hang in there...your little man will be here soon :-))

[honeybear56]

I wish that i could help. my pregnancy with my daughter was very easy and she came 11 days early. I didnt really get to that too uncomfortable stage, which i bet i will this time cause im jinxing myself by being a little cocky about my daughters pregnancy...LOL!. I hope that you're little one comes soon and its easy for you!

[Jacinta2010]

I Wont b able to help much but I was 42 weeks n 6 days befor I was finally induced n then my boy was in icu. Trust me u want that baby inside u as long as u possibly can keep him/her there
good luck

[LosingMyMindInGA]

like smjmekg said, stay a journal...only make it a journal for your son.  You do as she said, start at the beginning of your pregnancy or from when you started trying to conceive and go through the weeks and months leading up to now.  WRite your thoughts, feelings, what your hopes and dreams are for him.  The things you have bought for him or would like for him to have, sports you want him to play.  Whatever.  It will give you something to focus on.  You can even have DH write in it too if he wants.  

I was absolutely miserable the last 2 weeks of my last pregnancy.  My others weren't nearly as bad.  But the last time I was in pain and miserable.  My hips hurt like a son of a gun, I was have contractions pretty bad, I was ill, I kept throwing up, couldn't eat. I wasn't dialating or anything.  I had no "complications" per se but I couldn't sleep, etc.  My doc wouldn't even consider an induction until my due date.  I was working and was going to work until I either was induced or went into labor but abotu 5 days before my due date I just was too miserable so I started my maternity leave.  I wish I had thought of doing the pregnancy journal thing.  Oh well!!  Good luck.  I know it really s-u-c-k-s right now, but before you know it your little one will be here and it will be over.

[blueeyedtabbycat]

What I dont understand is WHY you are on bed rest right now. Your are past 37 weeks, almost 38 weeks right??? I have never heard of anyone being on bedrest past 37 weeks. I understand the BP thing but they should just schedule an induction date then if its that bad. IDK, sorry im no help. Joy had a good idea though. Chick flick night!!!

[JoyRenee]

Address envelopes for birth announcements?
Make lists of things to do once you can get up and about?
Shopping/grocery lists?
Plan meals for once baby is here?
Have a Chick Flick marathon (invite some girlfriends over; pop popcorn and have them jump up in bed with you, LOL!).
Learn to crochet? Get some crochet hooks, yarn and watch some YouTube videos on how to start so you can make little one a nice blanket!
Paint your nails?
Do your makeup/spa treatment?

[Ashelen]

I cleaned and read a lot of books and watched a lot of movies and cried a lot because the pressure was so bad and the back pain and never slept and begged to be induced at least every 3 days LOL. I also walked constantly, which you obviously can't do...but I was either cleaning, reading, walking, or swimming pretty much all hours of the night.

I hope you'll be induced soon girl....not being able to walk would have driven me INSANE I was like some sort of freak I would literally go for a 20 minute walk, get back, sit down, and start feeling twitchy and get up and walk more.

here's hoping your boy comes sooner than later and saves your sanity ;). Sleep as much as you can. I always hated that advice, but as a 2nd-time-mom I'm required to give it.

[smjmekg]

That is odd. Does pre e affect the baby's size at all, I mean, I would think that they'd want to help you out by getting him out sooner rather than later...at least that's what makes sense to me. I'd definitely be asking about it too, I hope they tell you that they'll induce soon especially since you've already had the steroid shot.

[Sunkissed19]

i have minor preeclampsia so getting out of bed and risks raising my blood pressure/increasing my swelling and poses dangerous to the pre e progressing and me needing an immediate induction or emergency C-section. i wish they would just induce me so i dont have to worry about it anymore...since it is only 17 days and he has had the steroid shots because of my prior preterm labor back at 33 weeks but i guess they want me as close to 40 weeks as possible..i really have no idea why they are still making me wait around. i saw a nurse practitioner last appointment and i see an actual ob on thursday so maybe he will take pity on me and start talking about an induction in the near future...idk but im definitely gonna ask why there having me wait around to see if the pre e will progress...it seems kind of counterproductive to me!

[smjmekg]

Have you tried journal writing? Start at the beginning of your pregnancy how you felt, and work your way up to where you are now. I didn't do it with Elijah and I wish I had just for reference as to how I may feel for the next pregnancy, it's amazing how much you forget!!! Try online shopping, you don't have to buy anything but you can look at winter clothes, and look at sizes and what's out there, or baby toys, I love looking for "learning" toys. He won't be big enough to play with them for a while, but it's always good to get a head start looking. I've never been on bed rest so I can't imagine how you feel, or how bored you are...but I can to a degree. I was resting a lot after 23 weeks because I kept having preterm contractions, so I'd lay down and start poking on my belly, I could watch Elijah moving forever! If you have any baby books read them to him, if anything you're getting practice for Dr. Seuss's tongue twisters.

If it's only 17 days until your due date why do they still want you on bed rest? I was told after 36 weeks that they wouldn't stop my contractions if I was having them, I mean I know the longer they're in the better, but still...it's only 17 days early...I had a c-section at exactly 39 weeks, planned, with Elijah, he came out just fine and no steroid shots, or anything.

[nickieb85]

I really am no help here because I had my first little boy at 36.5 weeks and my last little boy at 38 weeks. I am afraid that I am going to go overdue this time but I walked a TON and cleaned like crazy... I stayed as active as I possibly could. I hope that you feel better soon and your little boy doesn't drive you too crazy. I know that you have minor pre-e and can't get up and walk or anything like that so I guess that waiting is going the only thing you can do =(