Busy bee!... A time to stop running around?

babyvelasquez2015 · September 2015

this may sound silly but I have been all over the place with my doctors appts, taking the dog to th vet doing all the grocery shopping hunting for fall decorations... I am 37 wks 3 days, my question is do any of you plan on a "cutoff day" where you stop running around town by yourself?

midge519 · September 2015

I don't intend to stop doing things on my own at all. I live near family so if SO is at work and contractions start I can call a family member to come help me until he can arrive and someone would get my car where it needs to be. I hate depending on other people so I have a hard time not doing things when they need done

comland · September 2015

I am 36+3! I don't think I have a date that I plan to stop running around but I do think it will depend on how I am feeling. That being said, this morning I was running errands to pick up some items that we are running low on just in case and the thought crossed my mind - what if my water breaks in the middle of Target? I should probably at least keep a clean/dry towel in the car in case that situation should arise. I live in a relatively small town, so getting home or to the hospital from anywhere is no more than a 10-15 minute drive. You bring up a good point though, maybe I should consider no longer going to the lake with my husband, which is about 45 minutes away.

Edit: I am only 36+3, not 37+3...I guess that was wishful thinking on my part. Oops!

on_the_move · September 2015

No not really. Things are so much easier to get done with an inside baby than a newborn so I'd really like to be as prepared as possible before hand. Ideally I would love to go into labor right after a big grocery trip so we are all stocked up and ready to hang at the house for a bit. But no our lives can't stop just because I'm gestating or when we have a newborn for that matter

xpaperx · September 2015

Just listen to your body. Some days are easier than others, depending on how much sleep I get and how hot it is. I have learned not to plan on too many errands in a row. Also I try to bring snacks and lots of water in case I'm out for longer than expected.

LiveNLove44 · September 2015

I agree with others to just listen to your body. If you're in a lot of pain at the end of the day, it's a good indication that you should slow down. I was running regularly through 37 weeks with DD, and I know women who have gone past that. It just really depends on your pregnancy and your body's response to the activity! I hope you can stay feeling productive

perrysaurus · September 2015

I'm 39 weeks (in one day) and I plan to be out and about until baby shows up. I find keeping busy will help pass the time. Luckily I have everyone who can help me within a 20 minute time frame or less local & because I'm having a home birth I'm not going to far. I'm sure after another week by my due date I'll be more in the mood to lay around home, but I'm not going to limit myself.

erinboehme · September 2015

I wish. I have 4 kids at 3 schools on different schedules in different cities, so I spend a large chunk of my day in the car. Then add in grocery shopping, etc. and I certainly can't stop running around town just because I'm pregnant. I wish.

McRad · September 2015

I am 38 weeks and like another poster said, it helps to pass the time. With on again off again contractions, I find if I sit around my house playing the waiting game, it can get very frustrating.
Like many already said, listen to your body. It will tell you when to slow down. I usually have one or two really packed full days and then have to take a few lighter days due to being exhausted. But staying busy and having a few things to do during the day each day does help for time to pass. I plan to keep chuggin along as long as baby is still inside and if my water breaks inside a store (or wherever for that matter) I'll be jumping for joy cause that means it's baby time!!

jamielynne1533 · September 2015

Could not agree more with the previous comment! It's much easier to get things done with the baby inside rather than outside as a newborn. That being said.. I am 38 weeks and no plans to stop until my c-section on October 2nd.

beckles112 · September 2015

I'm only 35+5, but as of now I don't plan to slow down unless my body is screaming for it. As of now I feel fine.

BryDienta · September 2015

I and 37 weeks today and work 30 minutes from my hospital. I plan to work full time until our little man arrives. I also enjoy doing errands and such after work as I know if I go straight home I'll just take a nap and feel very unproductive! Hopefully my body can keep up with my for a few more weeks!

dchiapella · September 2015

I'm 35 weeks and plan on forcing myself to cut it out at 39 weeks when I start my leave. I have a terrible habit of overexerting and just overdoing things in general and my husband and I both felt that because of this I should take the week before the EDD off so I don't run myself into the ground and then "hey! hi baby!" and become even MORE exhausted and maybe not handle that difficult transition as well as I would like. I'm sure I'll be popping out here and there just to get out of the house, but I'm really trying to use that week to recoup before it all starts and to avoid the crazy errand running and non stop "doing" I do now.

babyvelasquez2015 · September 2015

erinboehme said:
I wish. I have 4 kids at 3 schools on different schedules in different cities, so I spend a large chunk of my day in the car. Then add in grocery shopping, etc. and I certainly can't stop running around town just because I'm pregnant. I wish.

In different cities?? Ouch! What's your plan if you go into labor?

babyvelasquez2015 · September 2015

I think my biggest fear is I am out somewhere alone and I go into labor. But I've been doing all the shopping and appts and when I'm home I'm spending a lot of time decorating/cleaning/organizing.

erinboehme · September 2015

@babyvelasquez2015, I don't really have a plan. I think I'm in denial that it's going to happen soon. I have a neighbor that teaches at one of the schools and other friends that either teach at the other two or have kids who attend there, so I guess I'll be making last minute phone calls. Labor isn't necessarily a quick thing anyway, so I'll have some time. I didn't have anyone lined up to stay with my kids last time I went into labor in the middle of the night either, but with a phone call, I found someone willing to come stay with them at 4 a.m.

babykitcat · September 2015

I have no plans on stopping completely but I definitely have days where I don't do much. I have such a short torso that this baby is putting so much pressure on my bladder and pelvis that one busy day is usually followed by a much needed low key day.

vanessadeem · September 2015

I am 36 weeks pregnant and still go to the gym for an hour and half in the mornings 6 days a week and work 50 hours a week mostly on my feet in uniform. I plan to keep going until I go into labor. I want to spend as much time with my baby when he's here rather than before. I am starting to get tired again at the end of the day which sucks cause I had this big surge of energy these past 5 weeks.

cdepperschmidt · September 2015

I agree with many PP's. I plan to keep moving. I've noticed that my body actually feels best when I move a moderate amount throughout the day, but sitting at home doing nothing makes me uncomfortable. I'm plan to listen to my body, but currently it says keep going.

babyvelasquez2015 · September 2015

Sorry guys, I'm realizing I don't think my question came across too clear. I was wondering more so about being alone around town and not being "inactive" towards the end.

dparker721 · September 2015

Well, I just accepted a teaching position and started teaching 3rd grade this week. I'm 36+4. I feel slightly crazy for this but am also excited.

I live and work in a small area and we have a good bit of family and friends close by if I need them. DH works nights at the hospital (but not the one I'm going to) so I have a feeling there is a good chance that I'll go into labor when he isn't home. My parents live 2 blocks away though, so they can be there quickly if for some reason I need them.

dchiapella · September 2015

babyvelasquez2015 said:

Sorry guys, I'm realizing I don't think my question came across too clear. I was wondering more so about being alone around town and not being "inactive" towards the end.

I think a lot depends on situation. My husband has a vehicle and if I go into labor when out and about he can easily meet me there (I have to drive in the direction of the hospital to get to a place where I can do errands). If that weren't the case I would probably keep it quite local the week before and drag SO with me when he's available.

LiveNLove44 · September 2015

babyvelasquez2015 said:

Sorry guys, I'm realizing I don't think my question came across too clear. I was wondering more so about being alone around town and not being "inactive" towards the end.

This makes sense.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about the being alone when you go into labor part unless you're hours away and in the middle of a hospital-less town in the country. The odds are really good that you will be near enough to where you need to be and in plenty of time to get there. Listen to your body and talk to your provider about your thoughts, but it sounds like you will be good to go if it's just running errands around town. It's a nice way to stay distracted, too!

intheversa · September 2015

babyvelasquez2015 said:

I think my biggest fear is I am out somewhere alone and I go into labor. But I've been doing all the shopping and appts and when I'm home I'm spending a lot of time decorating/cleaning/organizing.

I get that. I'm 37 weeks pregnant. I'm still keeping the house up, running errands, having our cars worked on, and taking the dogs to the vet. But I also have people who generally know where I am and I'm close enough to the hospital that worse case scenario, I'll make it. My mom works 5 minutes from where I live, my DH is 15, and my dad is 20 minutes. They all have phones and keep them handy just in case I need help. Maybe have a support system of people that can be somewhat available if you need them. That may ease your fears a bit.

The only thing I'm struggling to do is the grocery store honestly. I've noticed that once I've been pushing the cart around for too long, but back really hurts and that's usually when I'm feeling contractions the most. So when I get home, I chill out for a bit. The same goes for anything that I'm doing where I feel over-exerted. Stay within your limits, but honestly staying active and busy until you do go into labor will help the time pass by a lot quicker.

cassiemcroy · September 2015

Once you begin labor do the contractions hurt that bad at first? I've always been told once you think you're in labor, if you can sleep through the contractions, do! So if I'm out and about I've always assumed the first contractions aren't bad and I'd be able to make it home (I'm doing a home birth) before they got bad.. But do you ladies think you wouldn't be able to drive with them? (Sorry might be a really dumb question but I've always assumed you could drive through them if you can sleep through them!)

midge519 · September 2015

cassiemcroy said:

Once you begin labor do the contractions hurt that bad at first? I've always been told once you think you're in labor, if you can sleep through the contractions, do! So if I'm out and about I've always assumed the first contractions aren't bad and I'd be able to make it home (I'm doing a home birth) before they got bad.. But do you ladies think you wouldn't be able to drive with them? (Sorry might be a really dumb question but I've always assumed you could drive through them if you can sleep through them!)

It depends on the person and the labor really. Most people I know had milk contractions for hours before they couldn't do things on their own. My first child I was ok in between for the first hour or two (6 minutes apart when they started) but I definitely couldn't have driven through them after about an hour or so. My second I couldn't have driven through them at all. Actually I couldn't even get my 2.5 year old dressed in between contractions with my second because they were so close and so strong. My labors aren't typical for most people (7.5 hours and 3.5 hours from first contraction to birth) so my view is skewed a little. But typically the ones in the beginning you'll be fine with driving yourself home or somewhere safe because they aren't super close together or that bad.

Want a personalized experience?

Busy bee!... A time to stop running around?

Re: Busy bee!... A time to stop running around?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards