Think I'm in pre-labour. How long does this bit last?

[Canilla]

Firstly I'd like to apologise for posting in AIBU for traffic. I'm exhausted and in pain and just need lots of advice/experience to help me understand and manage my expectations.

Since about 11pm last night I have been experiencing period like pains, quite intense, lasting about a minute every 10 or so minutes. A couple have been 3 mins apart, a couple 12/13 etc. Average is about 10.

I'm convinced this is the start of something. The midwife I spoke to wasn't that helpful and just told me when they're 3 minutes apart to come in. I understand this but felt rushed off the phone when I needed calming down and a bit of reassurance.

Does this sound like pre-labour? Could this go on for days? Any experience of this?

I'm 37+6 and due to be induced tomorrow. So nervous and not sure what's going on!

If you have time go for a brisk walk before you go to the hospital. Exercise is well known to help progress early labour and if you can get it going properly you might be able to avoid induction (and all the increased potential for further interventions that comes with it)

My early labour began at about 10pm on the Sunday. I went in on the Tuesday morning (only as I leaked some water my contractions never got to the magic "3 minutes apart and lasting at least 40 seconds") and had baby just after midnight going into the Wednesday.

I often wonder how long they would have left me? The contractions were painful enough that I couldn't sleep or eat so I was exhausted and dehydrated and low on energy when I went in. Thankfully I managed a natural delivery (15 hours after labouring in hospital as well as the 30+ hours I'd laboured at home)

The good news is baby 2 came much, much, much faster

Why are you being induced OP? I had GD with number 3 and if I'd gone into spontaneous labour then they'd have had me come in to monitor me?

@Crunchymum They've determined I have placental insufficiency. High PI through umbilical cord. Growth has significantly tailed. Oligohydramnios as well. Scary stuff ☹️

I had this for 3 days but not for 10 hours.

Mine would totally stop and start.

Even if you end up being induced, everything that is happening right now is helping. Every pain and cramp will be helping more and hopefully mean less intervention when the induction happens.
Were you able to sleep in the last 10 hours?

Thanks @ThirdChildFourthPile - not much. Probably a couple of hours. I just spoke to the midwife and she said this can go on for weeks!

And they don't want you to come I at least to be monitored?

Ring again and speak to someone else. Jist to make sure they don't need you in with all you have goinf on.

@Crunchymum nope she said she's happy for me to stay home.

Mine lasted 2hrs then went into a full blown 12hr labour.

How long is a piece of string basically OP. Different for everyone.

With DD1 I was straight in labour. DD2 I was in pre labour for days on and off contractions from 36+ 4they broke my waters at 37 3 in the end due to risk of placenta abruption from pervious labour

I would go for a walk and then phone them to say you're coming in for monitoring as they're progressing in strength and closer together (even if they're not). They cannot refuse you. Stand your ground. Lie through your teeth if you have to.

i just spoke to the midwife and she said this could go on for weeks
I'm surprised you didn't reach through the phone a throttle her!

OP, she's probably right. But that isn't going to happen with you. You're being induced tomorrow and everything that happens now will help toward that.

Mine was super fast, I do t think I even had pre labour, I kept saying the contractions app on my iPad wasn't working 
I went five hours door to door, just made it to the birthing suite in time

Did they not say what to do if you went into labour before the induction OP?
If safe with all that going on with baby, I'd be doing as much as possible to get things moving along more quickly and negate the need for induction. Walk, bounce on ball but also get oxytocin flowing so rest, watch something funny, bath and candles, eat favourite foods etc. Good luck!

Ooh exciting!
If you can go to bed, get some rest. It’s possible this will go on for days and walking about for hours now will just exhaust you.

It's went on for 2 weeks for me. Then I had a fairly quick labour. Good luck op.

I was in early labour for a whole bloody week with contractions being as close as one minute apart for a while before completely stopping for an hour or so and then starting up again

@Bambamber you must've been exhausted!

If I don't go in to labour naturally by tomorrow I suspect they will want to induce me (or keep me in for monitoring if this progresses?) - hopefully at least if I do need an induction it'll be more likely to go well because of this :)

I started pre labour at 1am and went into hospital at 7pm. I was surprised how much it hurt and couldn’t believe the midwife saying it wasn’t actual labour! I would really try and sleep as much as possible before things really start as you need every minute you can. Hot baths really do help. I bet you won’t even need an induction, good luck!

Crunchymum - I agree, I remember them telling me ‘you’ll be happier at home, just wait until you’re in that much pain you can’t speak!’ Op, so what’s best for you, when it gets intense, get yourself to hospital and stay there.

I wonder if this is the beginning and it progresses fairly quickly they'll let me skip the induction! That would be amazing...

wouldn't hope for that really OP. The best thing now is to get baby out asap - I'd be in there asking for the drip and pessary now. Good luck

@lubeybooby really? Surely if it happens in the next couple of days an induction is unnecessary! Why would I want to be attached to a drip when maybe not necessary? That seems counterproductive, of course unless I don't progress by tomorrow evening.

I'd get much sleep as possible OP, it could be a while. Mine lasted from Thursday night to early Monday morning. The nurse gave me a diamorphine injection on the Saturday morning which helped me sleep for a much needed 3 hours, so ask your midwife if that's possible. Congratulations, your baby is nearly here!

Canilla if you're in full blown labour they wouldn't put you on a drip. I think what the PP meant was that if you're still at this point and having contractions 10 minutes apart and able to type/talk through them, they will continue with the induction regardless.

For the very reason that you could go on like this for weeks.

Oh @ThirdChildFourthPile sure that's fair enough! I'm with you now. I would fully expect that if not progressing!