Help Please! Slow labour, can't sleep and can't stop crying

[TheresALight]

Hi everyone. I'm 40+12 today and have had stop start contractions for the last 3 days. Friday they were 12-15 mins apart all evening but stopped when I went to bed. Saturday night I had a few twinges and lost the mucus plug, abd then was up from 3.30 am Sunday as I couldn't sleep through them. Managed to have 2 half hour naps Sunday morning and then took it easy all day with a walk and a meal out, by 6pm I was having contractions every 2.5 - 4 mins. Caught about an hours sleep waking up with every contraction until 1am I couldn't stand lying down any more and got up. The contractions were still 2.5 - 4 mins apart and this lasted until 4am when I got to the hospital only to find that everything had slowed down and I was only 1cm dilated so they sent me home.
The contractions are now really irregular unless I'm trying to sleep and then I'll have a contraction that wakes me up after about 5 minutes.
I don't know what to do! I'm exhausted, can't eat and have already vomited and had so many trips to the loo that there can't be anything left inside me. I can't bear the thought of having to go through another day and night without sleep and it's making me cry. As soon as I drift off I'll get a huge contraction which feels like my abdomen is going to burst but as soon as I get up, back to nothing.
I'm booked in for induction tomorrow but don't know how I'm going to get through today. I wish the hospital would drug me up so I could at least recover some energy. I don't think I can go through another day like that again

[shabbychic1]

Sending hugs theresalighy. Have you spoke to your midwife today and said you're becoming really stressed? She might be able to help. Hope your little one appears soon!

[TheresALight]

Hi Shabby, thanks for your reply. I managed to sit in a shallow bath after I posted and now realised that the 'contractions' waking me up are actually baby moving. So back to zero contractions now but knowing that the pressure is baby has meant that ve just had about 30 mins nap as I'm a bit more relaxed.

[shabbychic1]

Glad you're feeling more relaxed. I'd suggest calling your midwife still, tell her you're exhausted and see what she says.

[CestLaVie93]

You poor thing. I just wanted to let you know that don't be fobbed off with irregular contractions, if they are very painful go back into the hospital & you might be further along then you think. I had to LIE to the midwifes on the phone as I had already been in labour for 24 hours & my contractions still weren't regular, but I knew I was in established labour so I went in and I was 4cm.

It took another 14 hours for him to be born but my contractions never got regular even towards the end - they had to put me on a drip to speed them up. Nobody told me previously that irregular contractions meant you were in established labour, they just assumed it was early labour but it isn't always! They gave me gas & air straight away it was heaven

I had an epidural when I got to 7cm as I needed lots of fluids/drip so I managed to get a few hours sleep. Not sure if that's one of your plans (it wasn't one of mine but water birth was out of the question for me as my blood pressure was through the roof due to stress) but it's worth considering, you must be so exhausted.

Good luck & please let us know how you get on

[lindseyyyy]

Could u go into assessment unit @ ask for pethidine? I had that in early labour (3cm) & it allowed me to sleep in between contractions, which then slowed to 15 mins apart. Took 15 hours after that for baby to come but without that rest I'd have had an epidural. Other than gas & air I didn't have anything else & had a really good birth

[TheresALight]

Thanks everyone. I seem to be stuck with back labour now and not sure if I'm having any contractions or just pains from the sweep I had this morning.
Husband has been giving me gentle back rubs abd hot & cold compress but the relief doesn't last once he stops unfortunately.
I was hoping for a water birth too but if this carries on all afternoon without contractions then I feel like I'll be begging to bring the induction forward if only to get the painkillers sooner. Really didn't want pethedine either but looks like a good optin now!

[TheresALight]

CestLaVie93 - how did you know it was established labour?

[Mummyme87]

Sounds like baby may be in an awkward position which is causing a long latent phase and back pain. All fours with bum in the air is my suggestion. Make sure you have lots of pillows duvet etc underneath and around you for support. Hot water bottle on your lower back.

dont focus on a 4cm cervix either, it's a lot of other things that we use for classifying established labour.

Good luck with the rest of your labour x

[originalusernamefail]

Sorry OP a long latent phase is honestly a bag of shite . I had 72 & 36 hour labours with DS1 & DS2 and by the end I thought I was going mad! Not so much the pain as that was bearable it was the lack of rest and the complete refusal of MWs to accept what I was going through. I was only 40+3 when labour started with DS1 and I had contractions every 5-7 mins for three days, I was cheerfully informed by my MW that they wouldn't intervene until ' normal' induction a week away . After much nagging they gave me codeine which was enough to get me to relax and active labour began shortly after. I hope your off having a baby now, if not I found standing in the shower with water running over by bump soothing.

[CestLaVie93]

Hope you've had your baby now OP!!

I knew it was established labour as it was so friggin painful. I couldn't sleep through them & I was a wreck. I had an app on my phone & they were sometimes every 7 minutes, every 3, every 5 - basically all over the place so midwifes told me to get a bath when I phoned first but like I say I phoned back an hour later & lied (well I got my DH to). They never told me about this in antenatal classes!!

Good luck with everything

[SusanAndBinkyRideForth]

Both mine had a fucking annoying 1-2 week latent labour that kept me awake - was mostly at night. I think it was because they were awkward buggers and not in the right position. In the end I went in with dd1 and was induced due to failure to process but she was back to back and practically came out ear first with forceps and ventouse and about 20 people in the room.
With dd2 I made sure I spent hours in hands and knees and leaning over a birth ball etc to help positioning and eventually I felt her shift, and it became more like you'd expect labour to be.

[TheresALight]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. Still no baby here and contractions ate now very irregular, not sure if they are even contractions as they feel so different to last night.
I went back to hospital and was able to have an hour in the massive birthing pool followed by a 3 hour pethedine induced nap. Better than wailing around the house like I was this morning 😊
Induction is booked for tomorrow unless she arrives naturally before hand.

[FirstTimeMummy25]

Read your story and I'm thinking of you, I really feel your pain bless ya! Remind me a lot of my labour, although it was nearly 10 weeks ago just feels like yday! I was booked in for an induction but when went in for it was is established labour so happened naturally, fingers crossed that happens for you- just think of the prize you will gain at the end it's the best feeling in the world and once you have them in your arms your forget all of that! Good luck!! Let us know how you get on:)

[CestLaVie93]

Glad to hear you've had a nap. I had diamorphine (they wouldn't allow me to have an epidural at first) & it was awesome although quite embarrassing telling the midwife "this is good shit"

He/she will be in your arms very soon!

[shabbychic1]

Good luck for your induction today!

[FirstTimeMummy25]

Hope all is going well! Hopefully you now have your precious bundle cuddled up in your arms!! Enjoy! X

[winewolfhowls]

Sounds like my labour you have my sympathies I was exhausted. I too got the drip as irregular contractions. They kept me in since it was X hours since waters went so they were monitoring risk of infection.

Ice cold ribena through a straw kept me going the gas and air was no use!

Good luck!

[TheresALight]

Hi everyone. I went back into hospital at 10am Tuesday as my waters had broken and I immediately started having constant, non stop contractions. Gave birth 23 hours later. Would have been longer but I requested a c-section because I was so exhausted. Baby was fine throughout and mw said my contractions stayed very strong but my cervix was so slow to open even after going on the induction drip during the afternoon. I really had to beg for the c-section tho and dread to think how long they would have left me otherwise!

[shabbychic1]

theresalight so pleased you've had your baby! How are you feeling now? Congratulations!!

[FirstTimeMummy25]

Congratulations:)! Enjoy every minute... Best feeling in the world!!

[TheresALight]

Feeling exhausted but so happy she's here, and glad to be home now x