irregular contractions - second baby

[Poppytime]

Been having contractions for past 5 hours - ranging from every 6-10 minutes, lasting about a minute. Painful, like very bad period pain, but currently just about manageable. Hospital don't want to see me until they are every 4-5 minutes for past hour, lasting about a minute (I thought it might be earlier as midwife originally said that when I last saw her as second baby). I've been timing them and sometimes they are every 5/6 mins, they they go back to 7,8 etc - anyone experienced the same with a second baby? I'm worried things aren't progressing and I will be stuck like this all day or worse, it tails off everyone kept telling me how this labour will be so much quicker and also a friend recently left it too late and had to deliver her baby alone on the living room floor

[goblinhat]

My contractions for second birth were very irregular, all the way up to actual delivery, timings were all over the place, even at the pushing stage.
I would take yourself off to hospital for a check on progress.

[RNBrie]

Yep I'd go in and get checked too. If things are going backwards it could be nothing but I'd want to get it checked out. Good luck and congrats

[Poppytime]

Thanks for the quick replies! Just had a bath - contractions still around, some more painful than others - seems more manageable than the first time..but then my waters broke and I was almost straight into them every 3 mins, also feel bit more in control than 1st time when was panicking a bit - can that make a difference to pain threshold? Likely these are just the beginning and there is much worse to come! I had an epidural last time after about 9 hours of labour...ill call midwives again soon then or should I just get DH to drive me in?

[RNBrie]

How are you OP? Hopefully the baby is here now...!!??

[Poppytime]

Baby arrived a couple of hours ago! A boy just under 6lbs. So it did progress after all! Thanks for your replies :)