Oh man, every 9th month, I’m practically wanting to take up jump rope to encourage the kiddo, It’s time! I’m huge. I’m tired. I’m tired of the healthy diet. I want to sleep on my chest instead of my side.  Come on kid get into position now!  It never works but I feel it just the same every time.

Frankly, there’s not much I like about pregnancy. I tolerate it, and little more. As soon as the baby is full-term, I’m more than happy to have it out and in my arms. This will be my first time experiencing a third-trimester summer. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it. That said, I’ll take the discomfort of the third trimester over the nausea of the first trimester any day!

I was ready about 32 weeks with mine. I’m small in my torso and have big babies and about that time I couldn’t breathe without wetting myself or pee without losing my breath. I also have a genetic condition that makes me high risk and requires I inject myself with blood thinners daily. By 32 weeks, I am out of room in my abdomen area and can’t see the tops of my legs anymore. Oh and my husband refuses to inject me in the back of my arm…it starts to get tedious, but I want them to come out at term, not too early! I’m just ready to be done with the ugly parts of pregnancy!

I’m currently 2 days past my EDD and have been on bedrest for about a month now. I would be very glad to have this baby in my arms rather than my womb and I started thinking how nice it would be to be the only one in my body a few weeks ago. As much as I am anxiously awaiting my son’s birth though, if he needs more time I’m happy to oblige (at least for a few more days). I’m also so glad that my doctor hasn’t pushed to induce me yet. That was a real possibility because of high blood pressure, but so far so good, we’re just waiting.

With Baby#1 it was about 38 weeks. Baby #2, right about 36 weeks.

With my twin boys, I felt miserable WAY earlier, since I was so darn big. I told my husband that no matter what I said, I really didn’t want to be induced.

One of the books I read by Dr Barbara Luke likened keeping your babies inside to a football game. The longer you keep your babies inside, it’s like a touchdown. The bigger the score, chances for complications go down. It also decreases the likelihood of your babies being in the NICU.

I’m there now! I’m 36w4d right now, and I’m ready to be done. Like everyone else, I know that it’s better for the baby to stay inside for a little while longer, but I’ve been fantasizing about not being pregnant for a couple of weeks now.

When we were expecting our first baby last year, my husband could not stand the anticipation and was hoping our little one would arrive sometime after 37 weeks.  I, on the other hand, was perfectly content to let our son take his time.  For one thing, I knew that babies gain a lot of weight in the last few weeks of gestation, and I wanted him to be as strong and healthy as possible before making his way out into the world; and secondly, I was still very much enjoying my pregnancy.  I didn’t “show” much at all until around 5 months, so at 9 months I was enjoying being obviously pregnant.  However, I never experienced the extremely swollen hands and feet that some women do, and I had a lot of “nesting” energy, so that helped immensely.  I’m curious to see whether I feel the same when we have a second, third, etc.

My last five have all been c-sections so I always know the day they are going to be born- and I am more than happy to have them stay put until that day. I agree that it’s so much easier to care for them in the womb….but then of course they are all wonderful, sweet bundles of happiness once they arrive.

With my first pregnancy I was trying to keep my baby in as long as possible because I figured he was easier to care for inside of me. (He was 11 days early.) With my second, I wanted to be done SO much because my hips hurt for the last couple months. (He was a day late.) In the long run, I was happy he was born a bit late because he wasn’t born on or between Christmas and New Years and that would just be a pain when it comes to planning birthday parties.

For me, the end of pregnancy really isn’t all that bad. I don’t get big and don’t have bad veins etc….now at about 8 weeks when I am extremely sick and am barely able to hold my head up without vomiting? I am definitely done and counting the days until 20 weeks (which is when my nausea usually abates).

I am kinda in the same boat where I think pregnancy is easier than the newborn phase so don’t mind them in there a little longer. 1st-was happy pregnant and not ready-born day before due date, 2nd don’t know why but I was mentally and physically drained.  Was so ready for her to come-she was about a week past due date.  3rd-happy and not ready but did think she was coming 2 weeks before she came. I had to fight the anxiety of getting induced.  She came about 2 weeks past her due date. 4th was happy pregnant and sick with a cough and he surprised us by coming 2 weeks early!  Easiest labor and he was fine just ready to come out I guess.

My twin boys just turned six months yesterday and the last 6 months flew by like a few seconds unlike the pregnancy.  I felt full-term around five months and I had difficulty breathing or sleeping the whole time.  I couldn’t wait for the boys to be born just so I could take a huge lung full of air!!  I knew that they would be difficult to care for once born, but my twin pregnancy was difficult.  I loved when I could run up the stairs again. 
You are doing great Arwen.  You don’t sound like the complainer I was!

I’m in the camp of “they’re easier to care for on the inside”. I haven’t felt too terribly bad physically at the end of my pregnancies. My last one was 10 days late and I think I was partly not wanting him to come out—it was Christmas time and I really didn’t want to be in the hospital for the holiday! I ended up going into active labor on Christmas night and had him early the 26th. The only thing I could do without by the end is the comments by everyone I see. “Haven’t you had that baby yet?” “You’re huge!” “There’s no way you’ll make it to your due date!” So… I myself don’t mind the baby hanging around inside as long as he wants, but by the very end I pretty much become a hermit!

We had our baby (finally!) two weeks ago.  She was 2 days “overdue”, but I actually went into labor on her due date.  That being said, with this pregnancy, I was ready to be done right around 38 weeks.  With my other two I didn’t reach that point until the day I went into labor.  I think this time had to do with how much more uncomfortable I was.

I just had my first child at the end of January 2011.  I was really feeling the push to have him around 36 weeks. I agree with the previous poster, it was definitely frustrating when everyone kept saying “you’re STILL pregnant,” etc.  BUT, the main reason I was so impatient was that I wanted my baby in my arms!!  Being my first pregnancy, I didn’t have other children to care for and all I could do was focus on him in my womb.
Being pregnant is NOT easy though and 9 months is a really long time.  But it’s all worth it   By the last trimester, pregnancy felt like a lifestyle change for me.  I still catch myself rubbing my belly and I am 10 weeks postpartum!!

Great question Arwen-hang in there!!!

While it’s true that it’s easier to care for the baby when he or she is still inside, I’m one of those people who would rather get the pregnancy over as soon as possible. I’m just not a patient pregnant person.  I do, however, think the first trimester nausea is the worst of it all.

I’m 32 weeks now, and am starting to feel ready! First baby was born at 38 weeks, second came just as I turned 37 weeks. I’m just afraid of being overconfident that this one will be early as well! LOL!

Plus, each time, my hubby has had a dream about each baby’s birth within a week of each being born. I may just wait for that.

Congratulations to all you mamas out there!

A woman at my parish was pregnant with twins last year.  She was well into her forties (this was her second pregnancy), and didn’t even start showing till she was well into her second trimester.  She made it to 39 weeks, and she didn’t look any bigger than if she had been carrying a singleton.  She said that the whole pregnancy was so easy that she often forgot she was pregnant!  And she never had to be on any type of activity restriction, never had any complication such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes that you would expect in a woman her age carrying twins.  It was amazing.  (Granted, her twins here fraternal so they weren’t as high risk, but still…)  She would definitely say that they were easier to take care of in the womb than out!

Right now! (lol) I’m 37 weeks with #2, and feeling very ready to be done. I’m excited to get to hold my little princess, and since this pregnancy has been more difficult for me than the last, I’ve been counting down the days until “full-term.”

My first was born at 38 weeks, and I felt pretty ready to be done by then, as well. It’s not that I don’t enjoy pregnancy—I really do—but as I start to feel cumbersome, I get very eager for the next part.

I want done at about 5-6 weeks when the nausea’s insane and I just don’t understand why humans need to have such a long gestation. It’s because I’m not thinking clearly of course; I do want to be pregnant, it’s just that the reasons for wanting it to be so get hazy in the midst of vomit. Thankfully though, it’s a short lived feeling. Second trimester hits and I’m good.
I was 7 days early with my first and had prepared myself to go late (as first times moms always do, they say). With my second, I was 12 weeks early and had just moved cross country one month prior, so I was keeping busy with other things (finding a house) and didn’t notice the pregnancy too much. I think I actually could have used another 2 weeks. So I haven’t made it yet to the camp of mothers wishing and hoping for labor to hit. I am sure that day will someday come.

Correction to the above, I was 12 DAYS early with my second, big difference there.

All except my last baby ie my first nine were born at near 42 weeks! I reckon I have 10 month pregnancies! they were all between 8 & 9lbs..the last planned section at 39 weeks was not a happy experience..

I’ve never made it to a due date, but by 37 weeks, I’m always ready. My 9th month is always the hardest for me. I hit that full term 37 weeks and I’m ready to go. All four of my girls were born between 38 and 39 1/2 weeks.

I don’t have particularly difficult pregnancies, but I severly dislike being pregnant.  I love labor and delivery, I loooooove the baby (I’ve also been very blessed with pretty easy babies so far), but if the stork could just bring those babies I would be thrilled.  I just can’t make myself enjoy pregnancy, there’s nothing about it I like.  I’m 11 weeks pregnant now with my 5th, and I’m thrilled to be having another child!!!  I can’t wait for the baby to get here, but I’m dreading the next 30-32 weeks (usually pretty late…).

I was ready at about 38 weeks with all of them.  I was nauseous all the way through all of my pregnancies and all my babies were huge (smallest was 9 pounds 10 ounces), so by then I was pretty miserable.  Hang in there, Arwen.

With my first pregnancy, my twins, I was so anxious about the impending c-section that I was happy to leave them in there forever if need be.   (They were born at 34 weeks.)  I have relatively easy pregnancies, and I love being pregnant, but by 38 weeks or so, I’m so looking forward to holding those little bundles that I am just ready to meet them.  And ready to be able to pick something up off the floor without having it be an Olympic event!  But they tend to come after my due date, so I always have some waiting to do.

I’m 34 weeks with my 3rd…with my first I don’t know that i really felt I was just Done with being pregnant, with my second I just wanted to know when she’d be born so that I could make proper arrangements with my friend to watch my oldest and try to make it easy on everyone…
With this one, and it being my 3rd time being gestational diabetic…I’m so ready…I want to be able to eat some pasta again…they are being very VERY restrictive on what I can eat despite my sugar levels being so well under control that I occasionally become hypoglycemic and have low blood sugar issues…Easter Sunday will be very hard as I still won’t be finished with my own personal fasting (I’m trying to add a spiritual element to it).

I wasn’t “ready” either time. I was content to just let my girls hang out, despite being a bit uncomfortable. I don’t do well with change, so I guess it just seemed easier to keep on being pregnant than actually give birth and have a newborn in the house! I was a week overdue with the first, and a couple days early with the second. Both were big, so in the end I’m glad they came when they did instead of waiting longer.

I was overdue enough that Elizabeth was born one day before I was to report to the hospital for her to be evicted.  I think I ended up being 41 weeks and 5 days?  (They were scheduling me around a weekend, so I was to be induced slightly before 42 weeks.)  But I was fine with her remaining inside.  I had about as good of a pregnancy as you can have, so I was still comfortable, except for some wicked heartburn.  Not that I wasn’t ready for her to be born, but I wasn’t walking around shouting “get this baby out!”

I’m at 30 weeks too! For my first baby, I felt the same way you do… let him stay in there as long as he needs! For this baby, it is pretty much the same. I have fertility problems and both babies are NFP success stories! So I really don’t know if the Lord will bless me with more children or not… so I am enjoying every moment of the pregnancy!

I was two days past my due date with my son.  I had planned to work up until I had him but I went into work the day after and told my boss I had changed my mind, I was done working.  Period.  The end.  I was seriously ready to have the baby that day.  I had him the next day:)

But I will tell you, it is hilarious the look on people’s faces when they ask you when you’re due and you say, “yesterday.”  Especially men, it’s like they think they’re going to deliver the kid if something happens at that moment.  Ridiculous!

I was in the military for all three pregnancies and went into labour at work for all three.  1 week early for first, 2 weeks early for second and although I wanted to me much earlier for third, only three days earlier.  I am severely sick 24/7 from within two days of conception so I always wished for “a different way” than constant nausea and malaise.  So we adopted the next three.  Pregnancy was easier.

With my first two children I never really got to that “get these babies out” phase, even though they were both overdue.  With this baby, I have been ready since 32 weeks because I am having such chronic pain and discomfort.  It’s a totally different experience.  But after waiting & praying for so long to get pregnant, it’s hard to complain - pregnancy, even with all the chronic aches and pains, insomnia, heartburn, etc, is such a blessing.

Hahaha!  My son was 7 days late and I was ready at about 38 weeks for the whole pregnancy to be done.  Those last 21 days were brutal!  Everyone said my second would be earlier than the first, but at 9 days overdue there was still no baby.  Well, contractions came but they weren’t “it” yet.  I went to the hospital anyway since they were getting worse and I was MISERABLE and I still remember the midwife saying, “Well, I guess since you’re 10 days overdue there isn’t much use in sending you home… let’s induce.”  My husband said that right around the time she said the words “send you home” that my eyes were like daggers.    I was more than glad to have my little girl on the outside.  If we are every blessed with a third, I’ll just add 14 days to whatever due date they give me and try to go with the flow.

This is so timely!  I will be 38 weeks tomorrow with my third.  And by far this one has the hardest at the end, although the easiest until about 30 weeks.  My first, I was excited to have her in my arms because she was my first, she was a week early, and ended up being an emergency c-section.  My second was a scheduled c-section, and even though I was pregnant through the dog days of summer, I felt great and had a very fast recovery.  This one, I am trying for a vbac, with a C-section scheduled a week after my due date just in case.  Yesterday, I started having contractions, real contractions for several hours, got to about six minute apart, and then they stopped.  Today, nothing!  So, now I’m ready to be done.

You’ve said in your article the exact words that I said to a friend yesterday! I’m 35 weeks, getting more puffed and more tired, getting kicked more uncomfortably, my veins are a mess… but still I say the baby is much easier to look after in than out! I’m in no hurry - and I have stacks of work to do on our house before he or she arrives. I’m usually induced overdue (this is baby #5) so if he or she comes earlier than expected I’m in for a huge shock (do you think I should pack a hospital bag yet?....)

AHHH!!!  I am expecting baby #12.  With my “advanced age”, knowing that this may be my very last after a long and fruitful childbearing career, I am soaking in every minute.  Every ache and pain I am trying to enjoy as I see that this is such a precious moment in time.  I love the fact that I feel that me and this little miracle have such a unique bond that no one can break.  Once its out in the world, I compete with 12 others to love on him/her.  Enjoy this time while it lasts ladies - aches and pains included!

With my singletons I was always “done” around 37 weeks and they were all born at 37.5 weeks (water broke), go figure.

With my twins I had two frightening incidents of preterm labor and never wished away a single second of their pregnancy.  I was happy to do whatever I needed to do keep them in as long as possible.  Unfortunately despite everything my water broke at 34w6d.  Fortunately they were beautiful, healthy 5.5 lb babies despite being born early!

Best of luck Arwen.  I can’t believe you’re already 30 weeks.  I’m really enjoying sharing this journey with you.

I went in to preterm labor with both my children. It was at 30 weeks for both and I prayed to keep carrying them as their lives depended on it. Luckily, the doctor’s were able to stop the births both times and there was quite a bit of bedrest and steriods involved. Though I was ready to have them at the end, they were both still 3 weeks early. I would have liked to hold on to them both a little longer to ensure they were physically ready but they were both born healthy. Now at 14 and 15, they both still love to hear about my time being pregnant with them and I love to reminisce about it.

I am 39 & 1 today, the due date is Good Friday but due to previous history (1st baby 56 hour labour, high cavity forceps, PPH, infected retained placenta, 2nd baby section at 42 weeks) I am booked a section for Thursday 21st April. It’s my husband’s first Easter as a Catholic so both joyful and sad that we won’t be spending it together.

I fell pregnant unexpectedly when number 2 was 8 months, so I’ve found this the most physically demanding. My point was at 37 weeks. I have oedema everywhere, low iron, a UTI and am ready to pop. It’s estimated to be a 9lb baby, the head hasn’t engaged and I’m enormous hence curries and pineapple for every meal!

Dayna, you have my sympathies. Pregnancy is an absolute ordeal for me also, which is tough for a passionate pro-lifer. I do hope it passes. I almost vomited on a Vatican policeman…