Let me just preface to say that this is the first time I am doing this!

17th May 2007 (Thursday)
We have now proceeded to weekly check ups. At the last visit, the dr told me that the little one was in a very good position - head down & facing inwards. (A baby that presents himself "sunny side up" can cause untold hours of back labour - ouch! So I thank God for His grace & mercy!). Today, he tells me causally that baby has actually engaged. I was thrilled til I remembered that for "grand multi-paras" (ladies who birth more than 3 babies) the baby can engage and disengage til one births! All due to being more elastic.

But  it did give me hope that I may, just may birth soon! Wow! I have gone post date with the last 2 so was not holding my breath for an on-time, much less an early baby! Dh says I have no faith  and I must say that I do agree with him on this.  But honestly having been hyped up to believe that later babies will come earlier and then having to wait & wait for the last 2, I tell you, it is no fun!!! Talk about developing patience!!!

But what got my hope high was that after dinner, I started to pass very soft stools. Now I am a very regular person  and I had already gone in the morning so this was extra. Then nothing! Argh!

One great side benefit of baby having engaged is that my back no longer hurts! Obviously the nerve/s she had been pressing on has been relieved. This was great! I could actually move faster and move without wincing!

I also discussed my Birth Plan with my dr. That put my mind at ease coz then I have a signed Birth Plan to wave at the nurses should I go into labour now!

18th May 2007 (Friday) - Officially 38 Weeks!
No sign of any contractions. But went to the loo 3x! Hmm....then started feeling nauseous. Am I having food poisoning? Or am I starting labour???

Surfed net - never had nausea before labour before. According to certain websites, the hormones that trigger diarrhoea can trigger nausea too! So theoretically, I could be in labour. Yay!

I was also losing the appetite to eat. And feeling extremely sleepy and tired even though I hadn't done much today.

Then....nothing! Sigh.

I should have known, right? After I am not having any noticeable Braxton Hicks contractions (BH). And it is only 38 weeks..............

19th May 2007 (Saturday)
The cot has been set up - finally. The mattress sunned. The sheets laid. The bag is packed. I even washed the sofa bed covers and sheets! I am ready.  

And so we wait...

20th May 2007 (Sunday)
And wait...

Went to the loo 3x in a row. But no contractions. What is happening?

21st May 2007 (Monday)
2:30am Woken up need to pee. Tried to go back to sleep but can't. Started to feel contractions. Dozed off.

3:30am Woken up by 5yr old whining about stuffy nose. Dh tended to him but I started to feel more contractions. Timed them for want of things to do at 3 in the morning!  There was a pattern - a contraction at every 15minutes!

This went on for 2hrs and then nothing!!! Sigh....Another false alarm.

22nd May 2007 (Tuesday)
Definitely not in labour. Sleep at night is not good. Waking up every 2hrs to pee - just a teeny weeny bit. Sigh. Sometimes I wonder why we can't be allowed to "stock up" on sleep the days leading up to birth! Afterall, we will be waking up every 2 - 3hrs once the baby is born!

Had some distraction this morning. It is dd#1's 7th birthday. Brought her to the Seletar Farm, as per her request. Not much to see nowadays save a few bunnies. Got feasted by mozzies though. Not a good idea in view of dengue period!

The heat has led to me having no appetite for breakfast nor lunch. Dd has requested an Italian dinner for tonight. Oh boy! Just the thought of Italian food and its accompanying smell is enough to make me nauseous!  Let's hope I keep the food down!

Came home and in a sudden burst of energy, changed everybody's bedlinen. Washed everything that can be washed.

Now we wait...................................

Today's BH were pretty intense. They can stop me in my tracks. But, no discernable pattern...yet.

I think the little one is waiting for daddy to finish teaching his last course tomorrow night before she makes her appearance.

I must remember that her EDD is 1st June. And I have not birthed before 39weeks. Then I won't be feeling so antsy!

23rd May 2007 (Wednesday)
Went for my weekly check up. Everything's ok. I mentioned that I have been feeling much stronger BH and pressure on the groin area. The dr said that he won't be surprised if I was already 3 - 4cm dilated! Thankfully, he didn't do a VE to confirm it! That's what I like about him - non-invasive!

So we make another appointment to see him next week.  But he seems to think I would deliver before 7th June. He's going on a week's leave then, you see.  I hope so, I certainly hope so!

24th May 2007 (Thursday)
Had a tummy upset after eating steak that was more rare than medium! Not good to get a upset tummy near your EDD! It convulses you terribly.

We had to rush down to JL to make use of some vouchers to buy newborn diapers and a pram. The pram was a great buy!

25th May 2007 (Friday) - 39 weeks!
But - nope, no signs of going into labour. Lots of BH the whole day but everytime I spot a pattern, it disappears on me.

Getting physically more tired. A missionary friend just told me that she went 18 days over her EDD with her 4th child! Arrrrggghhh!!! Lord have mercy! Lol!

26th May & 27th May 2007 (Sat & Sun)
Still here waiting.....Went to the Book Fair, hoping that all that walking around could bring on labour. But nope. baby is snug & happy in there. ALL I got out of it was 2 books or was it 3? and painful, swollen feet!

28th May 2007 (Mon)
More waiting. Don't you just hate people asking you when you are going to birth??? Like I know??? And when you tell them - oh! anytime now, they exclaim surprise that you are still traipsing around town!

And people touching your belly!!! Hey! It's called molestation!

30th May 2007 (Wednesday)
Had a check up at the clinic. Dr confidently proclaims that I will birth this weekend - I certainly hope so! We teased him, saying that we practice stoning false prophets!  He said that the baby's head had engaged - now where have I heard that before! 

Had lots of BH, including another 2hr-every 10 min contractions false alarm. I really thought I was going into labour coz the contractions were really hard and it was accompanied by the feeling of bearing down.

Although frustrating for it to not progress, I take heart knowing that all that bearing down and contractions are slowly but surely dilating and effacing (softening) my cervix. I know, I know - it is soon.

I quote my previous dr who compared birthing to the second coming of Christ : we know and even see all the signs but we do not know when He is coming. So I know and see all the signs pointing to me birthing soon, but I sure wish I knew when! It makes it all the more bearable!

31st May 2007 (Thursday)
Almost 40 weeks! And still waiting. Tomorrow is D-Day. Will she or will she not make her grand entrance on the dot? It'll be cute if she did coz then it'll make 3 of us having birthdays on the 1st of the month! And of course, it'll put me out of the misery of waiting!

Some Notes :

Braxton Hicks - These are practice contractions for the body. BH has no pattern to them and it goes away when you change positions (Eg. from standing to sitting or vice versa). Real labour contractions move along with a fixed pattern. Eg. they come on every 10minutes and last 1 minute long and then will progress to either shorter intervals between contractions - every 5min instead of 10min or each contraction will last longer - 2min vs 1 min.

Signs of Labour - There are many websites and books that outline for you the various signs of labour so I won't repeat them here. Google "Signs of Labour" and read them yourself. Diarhhoea or the passing of soft stools is one of them as your body clears itself out to make way for the baby to move through the birth canal. It also removes the need for an enema - all part of God's design!  

Posted by Angie

I'm really hoping it happened today! I can't wait to hear about #6!

Posted by MamaLim

It's 40 weeks and 1 day and we are still here. Had 2hrs of contractions 5min apart. And it all petered out.