bumping this again...I'm due in about the same time and I'm curious too...

The last 6 weeks are pretty much the same as the rest, except for you feel like the time is dragging till you get to meet your little miracle. I know at the doctors (I had my baby in April) around like 4 weeks to go she started talking about your pain management options (I went natural and used breathing as my focus and it was amazing, but not for everybody). Lets see what else. As far as the last 6 weeks with your body you pretty much are the same, when you go into labor I have to be honest I was induced so I am not sure if its the same as a natural labor, but your contractions come and they are usually a ways apart and gradually come closer together. I will tell you though that everyone told me when I was pushing that I would know my daughter was coming when I felt a really really bad burning sensation...SOOOOOO not true. I was pushing for a half hour before she decided to make her grand apperance and it actually felt like someone took a butcher knife and scraped it from my insides down...now dont freak out I did it naturally and it really wasnt as bad as it sounds, but I think because I wasnt expecting it, it scared the hell out of me and I thought something was wrong. But nope those last two pushes and she was born, and let me tell you once the baby is out, you just have this release of pressure and you feel SOOO much better, and when you see that little angel, you honestly forget everything you just went through. Now you can expect to have a jelly belly if you are a larger woman, and I still have a bit of mine, it will eventually go away when you work it out. I ended up losing over 20 pounds within my first 6 weeks postpartum and that was with still eating pizza and junk food! lol. As far as postpartum bleeding totally not what I exepected. From what everyone said, you would have a massacre for several weeks, totally not true (atleast in my case) I bled heavy for about two days and then literally it tapered off to practically nothing for the last few weeks and then now have my regular period and my daughter will be 7 weeks on Thursday. Also I will tell you that the pads the hospital has, I dont think they were like diapers, they are large but I am telling you they were amazing because they literallly covered your entire panties and you never had to worry about a leak and they werent big and bulky and obvious at all. I lived on those the three days I was in the hospital. Also something I was never told, if you plan to breastfeed and it did happen to me, when you breastfeed you may get really bad cramps, its your uterus shrinking and it almost feels like a contraction, but they do offer you motrin and even something a little stronger to take that pain away.
As far as the mucus plug, I lost it at 40 weeks and still didnt go into labor until I was induced at 42 weeks. I know some doctors if they think your going to go late or are overdue and wish natural labor, may sweep your membranes and that is just like an internal exam, just a bit uncomfortable and they insert two fingers and do a sweeping motion to try to detatch the bag of waters from the wall, and sometimes that works to help you go into labor on your own, however it doesnt work for everyone. I had it done 3 times and nothing! But anyway, if I can think of anything else that no one told I will be sure to post it here for you ladies, but honestly I have learned that until you experience it yourself, nothing anyone says can every fully prepare you for labor and delivery...but something that is for sure you end product is so amazing and everything that happened before doesnt even matter! Hope this helps ladies! I know its a book. :-)

Oh I also will tell you that YOU WILL BE BOMBARDED WILL BREASFEEDING INFO....take it with stride and everyone wwill tell you how to hold your baby and how to do this and that and trust me it got SOOOO overwhelming that I almost gave up, because of all the pressure and being told to do things different ways by different nurses, but honestly I got so overwhelmed I almost gave up something so special i wanted to share with my daughter, and in the hospital with all the different things people were telling me, my daughter really didnt want to nurse as much and I honestly think its because there was no routine position established in those three days, so when i got home I totally had to throw out all the advice and find what works for my daughter and I and its made all the difference, she nurses amazing now...but I just had to let go of everything everyone said and do it the way it worked for us and let me tell you breastfeeding is so amazing now...So I guess the moral is dont always listen to everyones advice the most important thing for you and your baby is to find what works for you and roll with it...you and your baby are the best ones to figure out what is comfortable for you both. Okay again i think I am done, but if I remember anything else, I will let you know :-)

Labor & delivery is soooo different for each woman & for each pregnancy! The mucous plug usually indicates that you will start cramping or contracting in the next 48 hours or so. Again, that's different for each woman. I have had 3 girls & each one was different! My first I lost my plug over a period of two days, a little at a time. My 2nd one I woke up with cramps & went pee only to find the whole big thing coming out! Gross, I know....my 3rd, I lost it & labored off & on for 4 days. Only you will know your body. You will need to pay attention to everything your body is telling you! Your OB will be available to talk anytime you need (or dr on call). Some women don't know they are in labor until their water breaks, I had it popped at 4 cm with my first, 9 cm with my 2nd & my 3rd it popped on its own when I was 8 cm. If your water breaks before you go to the dr to get checked, you will be sure! As far as the last 6 wks go...you will need to be careful not to be on your feet too much. You may feel the baby drop quickly or a little over time. Trust me...when you start having pressure/pain when on your feet alot, you will know that the baby is lower. Be sure to write down any questions you have so you can remember to ask them at your weekly appts. I often forget what I want to ask! Read magazines & your baby books on what signs to look for when in labor/false labor. You will be fine! The most important thing is to relax & just enjoy your last month of freedom :D

I never lost my mucous plug (Well I assume it happened in the hospital while I was in labour, but it didnt happen at home) and my labour started off with gental cramping and eventually intensified to regular contractions. The last six weeks, I was really tired, had horrible heart burn, had a lot of pelvic pain and pressure (I had a lot of trouble standing or walking for extended periods, which was a problem seeing how I was a manager of a clothing store) , and had a lot of trouble sleeping. If I lay on my back I left like I was being suffocated and obviously it is impossible to sleep on your stomach, so I had to sleep on my side with a body pillow. (Im sure you're already doing this.) Also, the baby would kick me awake! I ended up taking the last five weeks of my pregnancy of work which, if it's possible for you to do, is the BEST thing you can do, just so you can have a bit of you time to relax, to sleep and to do whatever you want to do because life will never be the same again!