Double Peaks to Contractions?

[AliceinRealityLand]

Did anyone else have this in labour? After about 5cm many of my contractions had double peaks to them, so a contraction would start, build up, peak, start to go again and then peak even stronger than the first, then go quickly? I did progress fairly quickly from 5cm to fully and did get a strong urge to push during the peaks of the contractions as soon as the double peaks started.

Did anyone else get this? Is there anything I can do to stop it happening next time as some of my contractions were probably over 2 minutes long. Also when I had my pushing urges I kept getting told not to push but I couldn't stop myself, it was just happening. Next time I'm thinking if I want to push I might just go for it?

[Aloha31]

I did too, though don't want to complain as perhaps they helped my quite quick labour! Just under six hours with dc1. I was induced by the drip though, so maybe that was part of it.

[susiesheep2]

Ive heard of them with people who have been induced with oxytocin drip, if thats the case with you its apparently its because the hormone is not delivered in waves, but more constant, so they don't build up and peak as obviously.

[Jazzyjo]

AliceinRealityLand - I had a really similar experience to what you describe with my second labour - fast progression from 5cm until the birth, and long contractions with double peaks. Sorry not to have any suggestions as to how to avoid it, I've read that it's not unusual to have double peaks with subsequent labours and agree with Aloha31 that it probably has the upside of making for a quicker labour. Why were you being told not to go with your pushing urges? The urge to bear down felt completely unavoidable to me, and the midwife was encouraging me to just go with what my body needed to do, which meant that despite all that was involved in coping with the contractions my baby boy was born with no sense of active pushing on my part!

[sunndydays]

I had double peaks one I felt and the front and one in my back. Midwife said it was because dd was back to back. I was induced with the synto drip.

Was your dc back to back? Because that can give you the urge to push when your body isn't ready midwife had to keep telling me not to push which is easier said than done!

[StiffyByng]

I had double contractions in my latent labour stage, which the midwife said can be a sign of a turning baby.

I also pushed as soon as I felt the urge. The midwife observed. My second stage was officially 45 minutes but I'm sure I started pushing far earlier.

[BionicEmu]

I had double peaks to my contractions. I wasn't being induced, no drip, and they didn't realise my "tightenings" were labour contractions until I was 7cm dilated, even though I was on the monitor (premature labour at 33 weeks, waters hadn't gone yet, but doc then accidentally broke them when checking my cervix at 7cm). DS was born 40 minutes after they realised I was 7cm, so a fairly quick birth. I was pushing from about 10 minutes after they told me I was 7cm - MW couldn't believe I had the urge to push, but fully supported me when I said I couldn't stop.

Also, I really struggled telling when I was having a contraction, as I said to the midwife "it just hurts all the bloody time, it never goes away!" So I just pushed pretty much constantly, resulting in some rather nasty tears from a 5lb baby!

So, it seems that on the plus side double peaks are a quick labour, but on the down side it's flipping painful?!