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Pregnancy

Any way of speeding up contractions/latent phase? Please help.

31 replies

Darksideofthemoon88 · 05/06/2014 11:04

It's been at least 26 hours now and I'm fed up. I was seen in hospital twice yesterday, about nine hours apart, and I'd made no progress at all from 3cm dilated and 100% effaced. The midwives have 'reassured' me that things should be fairly quick once they get going properly as DD's head is extremely low down. The problem is, my contractions aren't regular at all and seem to be very much affected by what I'm doing: we've tried going out for a walk, and that really gets them going: both times, by the time we've got back, they've been painful and lasting 1-2mins with only a 45 second gap inbetween. When I'm just in the house and not moving so much, they steady off and lose their regularity.

I got woken up by them somewhere between 0200 and 0230 this morning, and they kept me awake for three hours until I took some codeine to allow me to sleep - absolutely knackered after yesterday. Since I've been up - only an hour or so tbf, they've been roughly every 5mins, but not bad at all; the background cramp is worse. I dunno what to do! It's exhausting and I just want things to get going and get my baby here Sad I'm worried about being too tired to push if this keeps on going. Can anyone help? Is there any way of speeding up the contractions?

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PenguinsHatchedAnEgg · 05/06/2014 11:18

it isn't so much being too tired to push. it is being too tired to cope with labour ime. is this your first? Can you alternate activity and rest?

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CarCiKoTab · 05/06/2014 11:24

Try and relax firstly and then maybe jump in the bath with warm water, they also say try nipple stimulation which releases oxytocin which will help move things along. Try and stay mobile not necessarily active but the gravity will help, also try up and down the stairs but don't tire yourself out.

How exciting!

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Hazchem · 05/06/2014 11:30

That sounds really similar to my labour. Really frustrating. Try to relax, warm bath is a good idea, a nice movie, snuggled up in bed with your partner, maybe a nice massage. The idea is to sort of recreate the same loving warm hormones that got the baby in there.

Good luck

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Darksideofthemoon88 · 05/06/2014 11:31

Well, yeah, that as well Penguins. I'm starting to feel like a faulty production machine here Sad I'm not scared of giving birth, but I AM scared of this going on for days. Is there any way of getting/encouraging my waters to break?

I don't have a bath, CarCiKo - though I wouldn't mind one right now! Nor do my parents (just down the road), so I'm a bit stuck Sad Going for a walk with my mam in a bit, and thought I'd try and get some housework down to keep me moving and bending over etc, but I just really need this to get going before I'm worn out!

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Darksideofthemoon88 · 05/06/2014 11:32

DP's at work, Hazchem. Happy to try that later though!

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randdom · 05/06/2014 11:32

I have no advice but am going through a similar thing. Lots of painful tightnings when I am up and mobile which become regular and then when I sit/lie down it all seems to stop. Was 2-3cm on Tuesday and am seeing the midwife again this afternoon cry I am not hugely optimistic about progress.

Sorry you are going through this too as it really really sucks!

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mrsspagbol · 05/06/2014 11:35

Aww bless you! Walk uphill - that's what broke my waters
I had meconium in them so it all went to shit after that but nevermind.

GOOD LUCK!!

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ChicaMomma · 05/06/2014 11:36

Nipple tweaking apparently! you can do it with the TENS machine.. or just manually.. think i'd go for the latter option :)
If you can face it- an orgasm is meant to work wonders.

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CarCiKoTab · 05/06/2014 11:41

Sit under the shower?

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unlucky83 · 05/06/2014 11:55

Non stop walking ...helped mine 7 mins apart for 24 hrs plus...couldn't sleep etc - woken up by every contraction .
Found myself walking round the kitchen in circles, forcing myself to keep walking through the contractions...(actually I felt like a horse in labour - if you have ever seen one walking around a stable...)
After about 30 mins? (maybe longer) they started getting closer together, then very rapid and dd born 3 hrs later...
Waters never broke until I was in labour suite and only got in there 30 mins before she was out! (Last bit so fast I went into shock - cold and shaky -couldn't hold her for fear of dropping her)
Good Luck!

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BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure · 05/06/2014 12:04

You could try walking sideways up and down the stairs (hold onto the rail though!)

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PenguinsHatchedAnEgg · 05/06/2014 12:10

You poor thing. Don't feel 'faulty'. It is very common, especially on a first. My first was like this.

Do you know what position the baby is in. Slight malpositions can encourage long latent stages, but unfortunately breaking waters can make it harder for the baby to turn.

You can do this.Smile

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BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure · 05/06/2014 12:12

Can you manage to get on all fours and rock your hips?

If you google Optimal Foetal Positioning you may get some good ideas. Or the NCT website!

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MrsCouchman · 05/06/2014 12:15

I had this, 64 hours start to end only 9 recorded active labour! Was unbearable! After 48 hours I was still only 4cm. I have no advice other than just try and remember it will happen soon and just try and stay comfortable xxx

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mrsspagbol · 05/06/2014 12:31

Aww bless you! Walk uphill - that's what broke my waters
I had meconium in them so it all went to shit after that but nevermind.

GOOD LUCK!!

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immortalwife · 05/06/2014 12:33

Hot bath and bouncing on a birthing ball

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Darksideofthemoon88 · 05/06/2014 12:57

Walking sideways on the stairs, bill?? Why? Confused Happy to try it, but what's the thinking?

Thanks for all the tips. Prepared to try anything right now! My mam's coming round to take me for a walk (now I sound like a labrador lol), gonna try a bit of pilates to get my hips moving and core working, and gonna get some housework done in the hope that it'll keep me moving/lifting/bending.

Baby's got her head very well down - she shocked both of the hospital midwives with how low she is, and frankly I feel like she's falling out Hmm. She's LOA - can't remember what it stands for, but basically her back's on my lhs and her feet on my upper rhs. Apparently this is the optimal position for labour - not that it's doing me much good so far.

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BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure · 05/06/2014 13:21

Good, she's in the right position! A is anterior I think.

Walking crab wise on the stairs gives your uterus the most "space" (like the all fours thing) - I imagine it's best to lead with one particular foot but I forget which.

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CarCiKoTab · 05/06/2014 14:30

Enjoy your walk, get your mum to throw you a ball Grin it all sounds very positive. Keep us updated!

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Hazchem · 05/06/2014 22:04

Pilates might not be great you want to loosen up not keep tight.

The side ways stairs is about opening up your pelvis. If you have one a a gym ball/fit ball with hip circling is good. Deep squating will probably need someone to help you up.

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Darksideofthemoon88 · 06/06/2014 10:56

Still waiting! Contractions have got a lot worse pain-wise, but sadly no closer together (which is what the hospital have told me I need to wait for). Waters also still intact. Sigh.

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unlucky83 · 06/06/2014 11:57

Was expecting Good News ... Did you get some sleep? You poor thing...
Regular contractions I would just keep not stop walking....just keep moving when you get back to the house...(like I said I was doing circuits of our small kitchen...) That was for DD2.
For my DD1 I had really bad 'Braxton hicks' for 4-5 days before - on and off... hind waters broke (and they didn't believe me!) 2 days before. Don't think wlaking would have helped.
Have you had the show? For both mine got it 2 days before DDs finally appeared...
It is going to happen - your DD can't stay in there for ever!!!

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CarCiKoTab · 06/06/2014 19:24

How is it going now?

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Darksideofthemoon88 · 06/06/2014 21:42

I really thought we were getting somewhere earlier today: went out for a two-hour walk around the woods with DP and was having 4-5 contractions in every 10mins, most of which were pretty excruciating and the best of which were more-or-less bearable. Unfortunately this dwindled away to pretty much nowt when we came back home and I dared to sit down for a bit, only to start up again when I had a nap - but not nearly so strong or frequent. Sick to death of this now - first started Tuesday night ffs!!

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Hazchem · 06/06/2014 21:44

This is beautiful piece about the days before birth inbetween

While the hospital wont say this you are actually in labour, it's slow, irregular but it is part of labour, anyone who has a long latent phase/prelabour will a test it still being labour. I found with mine that it was so much head work trying to remain positive and together. Reserve your energy, snuggle up with a box set, or listen to music that makes you feel good, have a warm bubble bath and you can have a glass of wine with it too, if your draw or paint spend some time doing that, gentle relaxing, not intellectual tasks. You are in labour and you are working to get the baby out it's just a slow build. Good luck.

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