What’s going down
I feel like every post from now on could start like the following…
“Still waiting! So ready and so excited. Any day now!”
That would get old pretty quickly.
So instead.. let me tell you about a dream I had the other night.
(38 weeks! Belly has definitely dropped a little lower.. drop it low, drop it drop it drop it low)
My dreams have been pretty vivid throughout the entire pregnancy –half of which I credit to hormones and the other half to our Tempurpedic because when I crash on that thing, I crash hard- and before bed I was inspecting my bellybutton, which has gone from innie, to totally level (the alien no-bellybutton phenomenon) and is now looking like it might want to pop out into an outie. We shall see…
Anyway,
we went to sleep, and I had a dream that I was having severe, intense contractions. In my dream, I looked down to see my baby’s head be born… out of my bellybutton.
The baby looked up at me (the same face I’ve been seeing in all of my dreams), and I rubbed her head and was talking to her. I walked around with her head sticking out and decided to call the midwife, who said the longer the baby could stay in, the better. They were going to have to figure out a way to get the baby back in if she didn’t do so on her own.
So I looked down and said “Ok, baby, you have to finish growing, so go back in until you’re ready.”
She looked up at me and sluuuuuurp. Went right back in my belly. Via bellybutton.
I can’t even make this stuff up.
More notable events from the week:
– I was on the schedule to teach Zumba on Saturday and had to ask to be switched to something else. It made me really sad but there was no way. Flipping over in bed has become an Olympic event, let alone teaching an hour-long intense booty-shaking class.
– Awkward: we were walking through Target and I had a contraction, so I stopped for a second to catch my breath. Tom, who was carrying an enormous frozen turkey to buy for the turkey drive, pressed the turkey against my back for a second to relieve the pain. I can’t even imagine how funny it must have looked to see a preg, with her husband in a flight suit, pressing a frozen turkey against her back. The cold actually felt really, really good, so I’m going to load up on cold compresses to take to the hospital.
– It’s gotten to the point where it feels like I’m going to be pregnant forever, and I’m cool with that. It just seems like that’s how things are now. The interesting thing is that Tom feels the same way. We were talking about it the other night and it’s hard to believe the finish line (or starting line, rather) is just around the corner. We know that one day, labor will be begin and the baby will be born, but it doesn’t feel like it’s really going to happen, especially since we have no idea when.
Moms out there, what was your first sign that labor was on the way? Any interesting/unconventional ones? I’ve been feeling kinda flu-ish (but not totally sick) for the past week or so, which I’m hoping has to do with impending labor instead of the winter sickies.
What’s the most bizarre dream you’ve had lately?
85 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I’ve had some crazy dreams too! 🙂 Completely insane dreams, but they just seems so real at the time. lol I’ve dreamt of changing the baby’s diaper, but still needing to let the baby grow so I had to somehow get the baby back into my tummy and sure enough seconds later the baby was in my belly again WITH A DIAPER on. LOL Then I thought to myself “what happens when he needs a diaper change?!” 😛 hahaha
hahaha! this made me laugh so hard
What a crazy dream!
That is such a funny dream about the belly button delivery. 🙂
ahhhh… I’m so excited for you guys!! Can’t wait for her to arrive.
Hahah!!! I love hearing dreams because I totally believe there are some underlying things behind them. The Life Coach in me wants to just say I believe it was a way for you to communicate with the little dollface to let her know you’re ready and she just needs a bit more growing. You could have had a whole convo with her via your dream….really, what is a dream?! Crazy, right?!
Oh boy, I’m all juiced up on homeopathic remedies and since taking them have had some effed up dreams….like my man choosing to date his sister over me. THat was last night…so embarrassed to even tell him 😉 LOL
xxoo
Oh my goodness! Dreams have been vivid and odd. Nice that your baby did what you told her to in your dreams. I have had dreams where people abandon babies at my house with a note attached “Please find her/him a good home.” and I scream in my dreams “These are NOT kittens!” So random.
I just had my baby last Wednesday. For the week or so prior I felt achy and sore, thought I was getting the flu or a cold. I didn’t attribute much to going into labor because I didn’t want to count my chickens before they hatch. I have been having contractions for weeks on end but nothing consistent. But sure enough, I do think the sore/achy feeling was a sign of labor and telling me to REST NOW because baby is on its way!
I haven’t had a baby, but I also hear of a lot of pregnant friends saying, “really?! I’m getting sick now?!” Only to deliver within the next week or so. I agree with the rest now theory!
Your family posts make me so happy! Hey what was the very first symptom you had of being preggers?
sore hips! they hurt like crazy
I don’t feel so alone about the strange dreams! I’ve been having such vivid dreams since I got pregnant, it’s crazy! And I love the Turkey story. Hubby and I might have to remember that in 6 months! 🙂
My latest crazy dream was that a Conductor I work with as his orchestra assistant took me out to lunch and then we went to dinner with his family. Considering that I don’t talk to this conductor about anything but work… Weird dream.
Or the scary dream when I was about 7 weeks pregnant where I had the baby at a church and kept handing her (we don’t know gender yet, but in the dream was definitely a she) off to whoever wanted to hold the baby so that I could go off and do my own thing in a distinctly teenager-y way… That one was so weird because my behaviour was SO far from my normal behaviour!
It must be hard just waiting, because it literally could happen at ANY time. But you have your family and hubby near by so you will be in good hands!
Well you already know that I was in denial that I was in labor until the last hour hah. But I think when I started puking and pooping after each contraction I realized “holy shit, maybe my mom is right and we should head to the hospital” haha. Can you imagine if I had waited a few minutes? I would hav had him at home or in the car. Thank god that didn’t happen. I have a feeling your experience will be much smoother though. You’re very well informed and seem like you know what you’re doing. Can’t wait till it happens for you, I fall in love with my baby more and more everyday, it’s amazing! Especially when they reach 6 weeks and start sleeping through the night lol.
One of my cousins was in denial right to the point where she reached down and felt a head. She had been listening to horror stories of labour being agonising and you’d be screaming out for drugs, and she wasn’t feeling like that, so assumed she wasn’t in full labour yet. I would wish that sort of labour on everyone. Fingers crossed that’s how it goes for Gina, just kind of ‘oh, look at that.. a baby’.
I lost my mucous plug about two weeks before. But the night I went into labor and the few days before I had been cleaning and baking a lot. Other than that I had no strange feeling things were going to start. I even blogged that night saying that I felt I’d be pregnant forever! Baby boy was born on his due date!
I have 3 daughters and once I got to about 36-37 weeks with each, I felt I was going to be pregnant forever. With my first, I was induced at 7 days over. I was a raging bi$ch, I was just so frustrated and ready to meet my baby. The induction didnt work, I was induced again at 10 days over, and had her within 8 hours of induction. So nope, no signs of labor, since I was induced. Second daughter: water broke in the middle of the afternoon without signs of labor. Had to go to the hospital and start Pitocin since labor showed no signs of starting. So nope, no signs. Number three: woke up in the middle of the night with strong contractions. No signs of labor before going to bed. Daughter number three was born on Mothers Day, swoon.
I am so happy for you guys and hang in there. I know how it feels when you are ready to be done and meet your baby. Be sure to pamper yourself: manicure, pedicure, haircut, anything girlie and relaxing that makes the days pass by.
Ah! Love the dream. 🙂 I’m so excited for you!!!!!
Most bizarre dream I’ve had lately: I essentially went back in time to the moment in high school when Bobby and I first declared we “liked” each other. Only difference was that instead of being in a high school setting we were somehow on a top-secret mission to rescue a stolen car. I also remember that sweet potato fries were somehow involved in the dream. RANDOM. Haha – fortunately it still had a happy ending!
I didn’t read the other comments, so sorry if this is a repeat. Kinda gross, I lost my mucus plug the night before I went into labor. I actually had her probably 24 hours later, exactly, Ive hear people say they feel flu like symptoms. And I had the most incredible urge to nest. I set my whole dining room table up for thanksgiving even though I was due around then. I went into labor that night.
I don’t have any children but I can recall my mom telling me that she could see my face everywhere, in the window at the restaurant, in her dreams, at the store (it must have been a floating head?), before I was born. She said I looked exactly like she had pictured me when she first held me. Can’t wait to see if your little one looks like you imagined.
I felt fluish the week before going into labor. At 38 weeks 2 days my water just broke while I was laying in bed. No contractions or anything. You could be oh so close!!!
I scheduled an induction a couple days after my due date (I had cholestasis and was insanely itchy and miserable) and said to my husband “now that we have this scheduled, I’m going to go into labor that day”. And I did! I was having contractions five minutes apart when I checked into the hospital for my induction. We still had to proceed with the induction since my daughter decided to take her sweet time coming out, but I was happy that at least we knew for sure that she was ready to be born.
I love love love the vision of you in Target with a cold frozen turkey pressed on your back. That is classic. I always wonder about preggars water breaking…it could happen anywhere right? And it has to happen in random places all the time…right? You look amazing!
thank you, friend!
yep, it could happen anywhere!
With my first, I lost my mucous plug around 361/2 weeks. Then went to the bath room one day (@ 37 weeks) and when I stood up, I thought I peed on myself. My water had broke, but it wasn’t a big gush, just a small dribble at first. I also cleaned like crazy the night before. With my second, I had been having mild contractions at 38 weeks and had the doctor check me at my routine weekly exam. I was 6cm so he sent me straight to the hospital. I also had a glass of wine the night before each one. Dr said I could, so I guess the wine relaxed my body!
i hope the midwives tell me that… a glass of wine would be amazing 😉
Oh my god. The term “mucous plug” makes me never want to be pregnant!!
isn’t it horrifying?
from what i hear though, it isn’t too terrible
Lol, I googled it to be sure I lost it. Talk about horrifying, lol! It’s really not too bad. Just don’t google.
You’re right. Don’t google. Especially when eating breakfast. ack. Freaking curiosity.
i just googled. you’re right.
My water broke at work, no dramatic gushing, just felt like a balloon full of water was popped inside! I had no clue that day that would be the day, because I felt the same as any other day. Contractions didn’t start till hours later, and 12 hrs later I ended up in an emergency c-section. I can’t wait to hear your birth story!!!
I never had any signs of labor 🙁 I would have mild contractions occasionally no big deal, and then at 41 weeks I had to be induced (with a 3cm cervix)! With our second child he was breech so I had scheduled a c section for May 1, and on April 29th I woke up in labor, contractions every 5 minutes labor but they lasted from 2 AM until 6 PM when I had my surgery!
are you wearing lulu pants?? they look great and so do you!! almost there!! i’ve never been pregnant but my sis was induced (4 days over) and my sis in law had c section… 🙂
yup! thank you 🙂 i’m very grateful that lulu stretches so well
Mucus plug! That’s all I gotta say. I started losing it 3 days before labor I think. And no, it’s really not that gross.
I love your vivid dreams! I wish I had dreams like that! I’m so excited for you to get to meet your baby girl soon!
I think we are due date twins! (Jan 5) and I feel the same way about being pregnant forever, yet having it just around the corner. So strange. My dreams have been revolving around work lately (really weird stuff, like I’m trying to find my laptop at the secondhand clothing store around the corner but I realize I’m half an hour late for work already – what kind of meaning can I draw from that?). I’ve been achy at night but no contractions/signs yet. The Target scene sounds hilarious – it was sweet of your husband to help you out like that!
I Had the runs sorry (TMI) right before both of my children. I never lost my mucus plug for either though.
It is so crazy that the lil baby has 100% control over this whole thing! The Target/Turkey flight suit scenario was a hilarious story. LOL.
First signs of labor for me were at about 25 weeks. Horrible *intense* Braxton Hicks…that I then had until 38w1d when I gave birth. The beauty of having contractions for months basically was that when I finally did go into real labor is that things were already effaced, well dilated, and really fast. I knew it was real when I sat up in bed one night after being asleep for just a few hours and the contractions were just…different than they had been. As in, I couldn’t believe they were so intense. We lingered around the house for another few hours and went to the hosp. When I checked in, I was 5cm. A few hours later, I had a baby in my arms 🙂
My first sign was bloody show- and began to lose my mucus plug. And sure enough, she came when a low pressure front came through and it rained for the first time in months AND there was a full moon. Both of my parents (divroced) went on and on about how cattle give birth during a full moon or bad weather.. and it was true! Argh! (And we were a week late- or “on time” depending on how you look at it). 🙂
And I dreamt I had my baby and didn’t want anyone to know yet so i was hiding her so only I could play with her. So bizarre!
I had gestational diabetes and was induced about a week before my original due date, so I never lost the mucous plug. I was contracting on my own, and by the time we got to the hospital for the induction, I was having contractions on my own every 4-5 minutes, and was already dilated and effaced quite a bit (made for a nicer induction, since all the preliminary stuff was done.
Those last three or four days I was just tired. All the time. My folks came to Houston and we went to an antique car show to walk around after lunch. We walked around a couple of hours, and I went back home and took an hour nap, because it just drained me. Don’t know if that was any sort of sign, but I’ve also heard other women say they were really just tired and wanted to nap a lot those last few days.
I definitely had flu-like feelings before my labor(s) started. It’s probably coming!
So happy for you Gina. You are an inspiration and show everyone that being a fit pregnant woman is possible! Do you have a plan yet for losing the baby weight, or are you going to “go with the flow”.
Praying for a safe delivery!!!
no bloody or mucous plug loss for me. my water never broke either, not until I was 9 cm! I had a 10 days of random intense contractions followed by lots of the runs and sometimes vomiting. (sorry TMI!) They would last for an hour or two, 5-20 minutes apart but then would stop once I got in the bath. Finally one week past my due date I went for a 3 mile walk in the snow, then put up my Christmas tree. The contrax didn’t stop for about 4 hours and were 3 minutes apart so I finally decided to go in! ha.
At exactly 40 weeks I woke up in the middle of the night with mild back pain that radiated to the front, but it felt like poo pains…not menstrual cramps. I timed them and sure enough they were regular and slowly got worse. 10 hours later I had my bloody show, 4 hours after that my water broke. A total of 22 hours from my first contraction, my little dude was born via emerg c-section.
The day I went into labour, I didn’t feel any different or notice any changes in me. My OB didn’t do any interal checking, but she told me “2 to 3 days” and sure enough, he came in that time frame.
I felt intense pressure, light-headed & dehydrated. I just knew I wouldn’t make it & I was right. Routine visit turned into I’ll meet you in Labor & Delivery. Good luck to you & a safe delivery!
I’m so excited for your big announcement of “labour day”! I’m 34 weeks now and haven’t had any braxton hicks yet, I’m certain my little girl is going to be late and she seems so very happy in there, rolling around. I do read your blog everyday, but just in case something happens early I wanted to wish you all the best for the birth and I hope it is the most magical experience. And I can’t wait for the details of it all, you know you have so many people cheering you on from around the world! xx
I don’t recall any warning. My water broke and labor had to be induced w/pitocin.
I do recall feeling nest-y. And also feeling like if this baby was late I’d be disappointed like a 5 year old told Christmas was late! I was soooo tired of being pregnant and huge and a vessel. I didn’t even fear delivery. I just wanted her out! I had awful heartburn and digestive upsets, though. Otherwise I might’ve enjoyed late pregnancy more and not been dying to deliver.
When I was younger, I thought babies were born out of your bellybutton. I use to think the doctor untied your bellybutton and it flapped wide open and he lifted the baby out. I wish it could be that easy.
that would be lovely 🙂
I told you in my other comment I got SUPER sick the week before Ella was born. I woke up 4am hysterically sobbing because my throat hurt so bad and I was batsh*t crazy with my hormones running wild thinking I couldn’t push or breath or do anything if I went into labor. My moms friend owns a holistic apothecary store and she brought me all these crazy remedies but nothing helped. I remembered reading the flu thing but never put 2 and 2 together. Ha. I was still a little stuffy when I went into labor and had the baby. Michael was handing my wods of tissues between pushes! Except it was more self conscious of my having snot hang out of my nose than the fact that I was stuffy haha.
Other than that…nothing else really different. I started getting contractions around noon the day before she was born. I had my non stress test that day and they were real contractions, not BH…by midnight they were uncomfortable, and my 3am I had to start bouncing on my ball. I asked the same Q on my blog when I was at your point and got a ton of interesting feedback though. Bottom line…everyone is different haha. Some had nothing and others had crazy signs
You’ve dropped a little….oh and I remember that point not being able to even get out of bed without anyone helping me. That was like the last week or 2. Ugh
You are the cutest pregnant person alive! I’ve yet to have any babies, but my mom has had eight…She never had any signs that labor was close, except (obviously) her water breaking.
Ha, does reaching 38 weeks (and having to give up Zumba) give you a new perspective on the woman who ran the marathon at this point in her pregnancy? Not too surprising that she was in labor by the finish line!!
OMFG. that’s all.
there’s no way i could do that right now… or ever. haha
omg, I completely laughed out loud envisioning the frozen turkey scenario at Target! Props to Tom, though, for being willing just do what it takes to keep his very pregnant wife happy… er, at least comfortable for the moment!
Bringing ice packs to the hospital is a great idea – I’ll have to add that to my packing list. I’ve had lots of bizarre baby dreams lately; in particular, I keep having dreams about the baby various hats because I’ve been obsessed with finding the right hat for her hospital photos!
Might be TMI, but have you lost your mucus plug yet? That was always a sure sign for me – labor started about 2 days later. I also had my membranes stripped with both Henry and Clara and that helped things move along!
i haven’t! i googled and i guess you can lose it when you’re actually in labor, but it’s also a sign of impending labor
I had my membranes stripped with my middle child. He was 8 days late, and OMG it hurt. I would never have that done again! lol Labor for me, with all three children, were different. Kid #1 was 7 days early and my water actually broke while I was sleeping. I never remember a contraction (all three were natural childbirth). Her labor was 7 hours and 40 minutes. Kid #2, 8 days late, I started having contractions with him and actually had to call friends to ask what one felt like because I didn’t have them with kid #1. He was born almost 9 hours later and rocking in the chair in the hospital room helped. Kid #3 was 1 day early, labor was 13 minutes long. I started feeling like I had a belly ache..just had a “funny” feeling so we headed the few blocks to the hospital (we lived on a small Army base in Germany). She was born in the observation room and I honestly do NOT remember a thing about her labor because it went so fast. My husband missed it because he was moving the car..he had parked in the emergency parking. So, labor for each woman and each pregnancy will be different….but you’ll know 🙂 And if you don’t know, it’s always better to check with your midwife if you feel like you are in labor 🙂
The first crazy dream I had with this pregnancy was about Edward Cullen and a cheeseburger. I was trying to convince him that he really wanted to eat this cheeseburger, but he had to try the sauce first to see if he wanted it on the burger. So strange. Lol!
I just had a feeling! I had a massage earlier that day (which made me forget how uncomfortable I was and it was heavenly) and my husband was watching TV and around 11 I told him you might want to go to bed, I just feel different today and we may end up having this baby tonight. Sure enough, my water broke around 4 am and we headed on into the hospital. But first I put hot rollers in my hair 🙂
So excited for you! Maybe you should take a nice, large frozen turkey with you!!
ahah maybe we should 🙂
and you just reminded me that i need a massage before this is all over.. that sounds wonderful
The night I went into labor I had to run to the bathroom like 10 times, number 1 and 2 (sorry if TMI) in a hour. It was very strange. Contractions came really fast after that.
No symptoms here. I went in to be induced at 40 weeks 5 days, and I was already having regular contractions. I had NO idea I was having them. It was so weird!
You really do look amazing. Makes me miss being preg so much!
thank you, ginger <3
Looking so pretty and ready!!! Symptoms: bm (aka food baby) and nausea…..then contractions. Good times!
I never even had Braxton Hicks contractions, so I wasn’t even sure if I was in labor. My 1st sign of labor was intense back pressure and within a few hours, pretty heaving bleeding (sorry if TMI).
no such thing as tmi on the family page 😉
I had Braxton-Hicks starting at about 5 months for both my kids so having contractions towards the end of my pregnancies didn’t really alert me that labor was around the corner. My water broke for both kids surprising us with early babies, both 5 weeks early. The oddest dream I had while pregnant: I dreampt I had 5 large, Swedish blue-eyed, blonde-haired babies that came out clothed and talking. Aside from being clothed and talking….their size and features confused me, even for a dream. I am about 5 ft tall, generally a small person, and Filipino. Swedish babies? 😀
p.s. I wish you and your hubby a quick, painless, and uncomplicated labor and delivery of your little sweetie.