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wow... i was starting to think i was the only one who'd gained that much weight!! i'm glad i'm not the only one. i'm 1 day overdue, and i feel the same as you, only i'm dilated to 3 cm. but i still don't feel labor is close. i can only hope...

soco25--I learned in my birthing class that lower back pain can be a sign of labor. Also diarreah can be a sign (your body is cleaning itself out, getting ready for labor). You should see if the back pain is regular or not, maybe even time it to see if it comes and goes and possibly has a pattern. I have heard that contractions can feel like menstrual cramps, or like diarreah cramps--can wrap around to the lower back and there might also be some pressure in the pelvis in between contractions. I have also heard people who had back pain only. Another thing I learned in class was not to get too excited if you think something is happening--adrenaline can slow or stop labor. So I guess try to relax. (I know it's hard).
I woudn't worry about how much you're dilated---if you aren't very dilated it doesn't mean labor won't start soon! I am 39 weeks and at my 36 week check the dr. said I was ~1-1/2 cm dilated and 0% effaced. I asked him not to check me again for a couple of weeks becuase I am taking the tree hugger approach to childbirth--but I expect I will only be able to hold him off for another week. He will probably want to check me around 40 weeks. We will see if I can hold him off then too.
GOOD LUCK!!! I hope you don't have to be induced!!! Hopefully you won't be able to respond to this posting becuase you will be in labor/having your baby!!

toot- no you are definately not the only one. just when i think the weight is going to cease, i've gained more. and i'm not overeating or doing anything out of the ordinary. quite a few people have told me that they've gained a ton of weight as well with their pregnancies and then lost it quickly. i can only hope that we are that lucky!!!! keep us posted on your progress... you aren't alone!!!

lavender- i'm hoping that this is the start of something. i have had the back pain alot lately, but like i said, it's definately been more prominent today. thanks for the advice. i'm going to probably start timing it just to see if there is any regularity to it. i've never heard that about the adrenaline making labor go away so that's good to know. the last thing i want is to be thisclose and then have it go away!!! i've decided to spend the rest of the night propped up on the couch with some good chic flicks, italian ice, and enjoy some last minute quiet time with the hubby and the dog til the baby comes! Hopefully that will help distract me- yeah right!! It is sorta weird though knowing that in 48 hours they COULD be inducing.... When do you go back to the doctors? Good luck to you as well! Is this your first?

soco--this is my first. I went to the dr. this morning--so far so good. I am 39 weeks and measuring 39 cm. I measured 39 cm last week too, so he said if I still measure 39 cm next week he will do an ultrasound. I managed to stave off another cervical check--but he will do one next week for sure. He mentioned that he won't let me go past 41 weeks--that kind of sucks. I don't want to be induced. I just want things to happen naturally. I hope to go into labor before the issue comes up. Watching movies is an EXCELLENT way to relax and keep distracted from labor. Remember not to get too excited until contractions are at least 60s long and 10 minutes apart for at least 1 hour. Then you will know it's real. good luck!

Two days ago I had contractions that were five minutes OR LESS apart for more than two hours and then they stopped. And I was feeling them in my back and radiating down my legs. So, unfortunately, it's very difficult to determine whether they're real.

so i went to the doctors today and i'm still not favorable.. cervix is still long, not ripe, barely fingertip dilated, etc. 7:30 am on Tuesday I go in to be induced. While I was getting my non stress test though I did have 3 contractions during the 20 minutes without even knowing it!!!

Soco, sorry that things aren't going better. You still have a couple days though. I know that some women aren't dilated/effaced at all when they start labor so it could still happen by it's self. It sucks that nothing came of the other day but I have to agree w/ cindernar, it can be really hard to tell sometimes. I've had BH's since 16.5 weeks. At 17w's I ended up in the ER as I had more then 10 in 1 hr. Everything was fine and here I am at 38 w's. Then a week and a half ago I had hard/painful contractions every 5 minutes for over 15 hrs. They never got closser together or harder then they started out as (they started out being hard enough to hurt in my back and make me nausious). I went to L&D and they sent me home w/ something to help me sleep (after so many hr's of 5 min contractiosn I was completly exhausted, but to uncomfortable to be able sleep on my own). Then 2 days ago I had about 9-10hr's of very uncomfortable contractions, 5 -10 minutes appart. I was just continplating getting my dh out of work and they suddenly eased up to 3-4 and hr. I had my doc appointment yesterday and I'm about 3cm dilated, so I guess the contractions are doing something for me, but even w/ all of them I have yet to actually go into "labor." So, while I understand how frestrating it must be for you to not be effaced or dilated much, even w/ those things and contractions, the baby still doesn't always come when you think it will. I hope you get lucky and don't have to be induced, but if you do just remember that either way you'll be holding your little baby soon. Good luck.