Oh and never sit with your legs crossed. Very bad for the hips.

Hi Vee!

Ugh! I'm sorry you're dealing with that. It could be lots of things. I do cat-cow, the clam, side bridges, the pidgeon (stretching out the glutes), the psoas release (all these things are googleable) hip flexor stretches, and IT band stretches. Sitting hip-deep in a warm bath helps too. Swimming was also recommended, as it gets you a range of motion without the weight-bearing, so it can help alignment, especially scissor kicks on a kickboard.

Also just hula-hooping your hips on a ball, or while walking/standing is good for range of motion. And while you're sleeping, try putting a pillow under your belly/waist if your bed is firm, or even a folded up towel under your hip if your bed is soft so that your hip doesn't sink in so much.

This is all stuff that helps me, but so also does just getting someone to dig into my muscles and make spinal/pelvic/sacral adjustments.

HTH!

Vee here

Exciting news Elle! Did your chiropractor have any suggestions for stretches or exercises you can do on your own for the hip pain? I'm dealing with similar issues, and now even some numbness that was severe enough to make me grab for the wall walking down the hallway.

Elle here. I haven't had any cervical checks, but things are definitely shifting around and I wouldn't be surprised if I have some dilation and effacement going on.

The best indicator I've gotten about my progress has been from my amazing chiropractor, who's helped me deal with a bunch of hip pain that's come up as a result of all the ligament-loosening and stuff that comes with pregnancy.

She said that everything is really loose, and even looser between Monday and today (I was in some some miserable pain and needed to go in - she worked on my my muscles for a good 30 minutes and now I can walk again without hobbling).

I'm 38w 5d, and she said she'd be surprised if I went to 40 at this point. Of course... nobody really knows anything. But exciting!

Wow, Vee! That is exciting news! Keep us posted!

~Petunia

Vee here. I had my 36 week appointment yesterday. They did the group B strep swab and I requested an internal exam since I've been feeling different in the last few weeks. My doctor said I'm 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. She said that for most women, she would say that's normal and everything is on track, but because of my history (early and quick birth of DS #1) it's possible that I could give birth within a week! Holy crap!

Anyway, I'm trying to prepare - physically, mentally, and emotionally. DH and I are skeptical that the baby will arrive in a week, but who knows!

Good luck, LR! You are so close to the finish line! I am 3 w 1d away! I decided to bring two bags to the hospital too. maybe more than I need, but I want to be prepared. Having lots of movement too - I tell my husband the baby feels like he wants to kick his way out, especially at night!

~Petunia

LR here -

Realized I hadn't been on in a while! Can't believe I'm due in 2w 2d! We spent this past weekend getting the baby room ready! Was fun, but now I have to figure out where to put all my stuff that was in there!

We are bringing 2 bags to hospital, one for labor then one post-labor. We had to do a trial run 2 weeks ago, when my Dr thought I might have preeclampsia, so we packed our bags in a real hurry (~8 minutes) - went and got monitored for 3 hours and then got sent home.

Realized I need to get some silly magazines - like people, or something in case it's a while for labor.

We also had an ultrasound friday to check on LO since they are still monitoring for PreE. baby is head down, measuring exactly on target, and placenta is in a good spot.. so that's exciting!

Anyway, my braxton hicks have increased this week .. and my trips to the bathroom.

decided this is my last week commuting into work then i will telework next week. can't take the metro anymore, I almost got knocked over today!!

anyway, LO is moving all over the place these days, i don't know about decreased movement the last few weeks, i feel like this one is trying to push his/her way out!

glad it's cooled off some.. i definitely avoided being outside most of the week last week and this past weekend.

good luck ladies..

Vee here again. Sounds like we're all "nesting"! First time around, I just *HAD* to clean out (scrub) the fridge and lo & behold, DS arrived early about 2 weeks later. I'm definitely trying to look for these "roadsigns" now.

Definitely been breathing heavier / snoring these days. I hope it disappears shortly after delivery!

Elle - I had a little burst of energy last week too and organized linen closets. Weird! Then, I was completely fatigued and useless yesterday. I had a headache and nausea too, so I was wondering if that was a pre-labor sign (hormones going nuts). No such luck!

Vee - I like the honey tip! And, I wrote up a dog feeding and care sheet this weekend too. We have 3 dogs and may have multiple people taking care of them while we are in the hospital. So, I figured I better get the info sheet together in case this baby come a little early.

Anyone been snoring lately? Pre-pregnancy, I was a light snorer (according to my husband). But, now I wake myself up with snoring! I'm guessing it is from swelling in the mucous membranes of my nose and hoping this fun little quirk disappears after pregnancy (I am sure my husband will be happy if it goes away too!). Though, we will still have snoring dogs no matter what

~Petunia

Vee here. My due date is exactly one month from today - yikes! Over the last week it's become increasingly difficult to get a good nights sleep. I'm using a large body pillow, but still wake up from painful Braxton Hicks and sore hips. I'm trying to keep well hydrated and stretch, but other than that I don't know what else to try.

I plan on packing The Bag tonight, as well as finish up my Important Info sheet (work phone numbers, insurance info, DS #1's routine, what the dogs eat, etc). That's just me being a little crazy, but hopefully my sister, who will be taking charge of DS #1 while we're at the hospital, will find it helpful.

I got a tip from another mom this weekend who just gave birth to her 2nd. She said a shot of plain old honey while you're in labor can help boost your energy. We happened to be lunching in a place that had cute little jars of honey on the table and she said, "Stash this in your purse!"

Elle here. I'm halfway on my hospital bag. Maybe I'll finish tonight. My friend gave me some margarita-flavored Clif Shot Blocs for labor - I used to use them as fuel for marathons and other races, so I think they'll be good, psychologically if nothing else.

For the past three nights I've slept in the guest bed, away from DH, and have slept soooo much better. I think it's because the mattress is firmer (twin bed). Baby is super active during the day and pretty quiet at night, but I've been getting woken up by much stronger Braxton Hicks than I've previously felt.

I also had a crazy kick of energy this weekend - I've been going nonstop. If this isn't the pre-labor burst of energy I hope I can keep truckin for a little while longer!

Petunia just checking in again to see how everyone is doing. I have my hospital bag pack! Woo! I feel ready for this baby! Especially since I am getting increasingly uncomfortable mostly at night. I get crampy and my lower abdomen feels like a lead balloon at night. The baby gets nice and active at night, so that is a good distraction from the discomfort.

I hope everyone is doing well and hanging in there!

Petunia here - thanks for the info on snacks! I will definitely bring some. Elle - maybe bland stuff (like 1st trimester food) would be less uncomfortable coming back up - crackers, ginger ale. I was thinking about bringing protein too - nuts, protein bars.

Vee - that Refreshment Center in Reston sounds great. I will be at Fairfax - anyone know what they have there?

So funny how different practices are about food. I'm the 20 hour labor poster. I wasn't allowed to eat a thing. Only ice and water. I had to literally have a meltdown before they would even allow me apple juice about 18 hours in. And this wasn't even because of a c-section since we had no idea that was going to happen. And mind you even without the food I still vomited profusely the last few hours.