To ignore the midwives and go to the hospital?

[HJE17]

I’m 39+2 weeks pregnant. The baby descended about two weeks ago and at my midwives appointment yesterday, they said the head was fully engaged and I was 20% effaced. Yesterday I think I lost my mucous plug (Sorry if TMI!) Gentle contractions started last night at 3:45am every 10 minutes or so. My contractions have now been every 5 minutes for a minute, for the last 5 hours. The problem is: They are deeply uncomfortable but not excruciatingly painful. I can still carry on with life despite them, although I’m pretty sure they aren’t Braxton Hicks as the pain crescendos then diminishes, and changing positions doesn’t help at all, nor does staying hydrated. They’re worse than period cramps, but they don’t make me wish for death (which is how I felt when labour was established with my DD!)

The midwives advised me to stay at home until I have a contraction that I can no longer talk through (or if my water breaks or there is bloody discharge).

I’m not typically one to question medical advice, but this is my second baby and I’m aware that once things start in earnest, they can go quickly. The hospital is a 30-50 minute drive away, depending on traffic. WIBU to head that way anyway? Or are the midwives right in saying that this could go on for days and I’ll be more comfortable at home? I just don’t want to end up in the local paper having delivered in a taxi by the side of the road!

Thanks all! I rang her back and expressed my concerns, and she’s happy to assess me at the clinic that is only 10 minutes away. She’s heading there anyway. Thanks for the advice!

Just wanted to add that even if you had a slow labour with your first DC, that won't necessarily be the case with your second. My DD1 was born after a 50 hour labour, my second was 3.5 hours and we only just made it to hospital in time. I was 9cm when we arrived and we only live 10 minutes from the hospital. I'd phone again and go in if you can, especially because you're quite far away from the hospital. Good luck!

I'd maybe wait until 6 if you can, to miss rush hour traffic - but aside from that.

@HJE17 that is brilliant news! Good luck 😁 hope your at least a 4 xx

Oh perfect :)

Sorry OP, cross posted! Great stuff that you're getting checked.

Disclaimer - not a medic!

I'd stay where you are for a while yet. Get to the point where you can't speak through them. I was where you are at about 6pm in the evening, went to hospital at midnight, contractions slowed right back down in the car, and DD2 arrived after a four minute second stage at 9am.

As many others have said I'd go in now. All 3 of my labours were exactly as you describe with each one I've had the instinct that I'm getting close but contractions never really ramped up like they tell you happens, I didn't know I was close to delivering until I started pushing. Luckily each time I listened to my instinct, although had never 3 at home and the midwife made it for the last push, think she took 40/50 mins to get to us. So that means from when I knew I was in active labour to delivering was that long which wouldn't give you enough time to do the journey!!

I was told to stay at home as I had mild contractions and back pain.
The only problem was it was labour, back labour.
By the time I got to the hospital I was fully dilated, and had the baby just under half an hour later.
Get yourself checked out op. That’s all I can say. I nearly gave birth in the bus lane!

argh - cross post. that's a good idea.

Good luck! Come back and tell us how you are when it's all over :)

My second labour sounds a lot like how yours is progressing.

I was in town during the day and got to the point where I realised 'this is it' rather than BHs. I then had to decide whether to go straight to the hosp (20 mins from there) or go home, collect my sister (birthing partner) who'd been minding DS1 (more than an hour round trip).

Decided on the latter. I don't really remember the journey back to hosp from home or how we found our way to the mat unit, and 40 mins later DS2 arrived.

It's a tough call. It worked out well for me because I really wanted my sister there.

I only had full on can’t breathe contractions as the baby arrived. I could talk and do things through all the others up until the crowning.

I have experience of this HJE17 and I'd say that you know your body - you know if you are in labour, and if you are concerned then go to the hospital - even if you end up sitting in the cafe.

I had a similar scenario with my ds (2nd child). I went in and they sent me home. When we got home my waters broke and ds was there ready to be born immediately. Our hospital is about 10-15 mins away - I had to kneel upright in the car because he head was pushing down and I couldn't sit. He crowned in the bus stop outside the hospital doors with me on all 4's. His medical delivery time from when we got into the delivery room is 1 minute.

Awwww good luck OP!! ❤️

I'd personally wait for the contractions to become painful before going. My first was 4 hours ish and my second was 5.5hrs because her shoulder got stuck. The second doesn't always mean a faster delivery. Good luck, hope the birth goes well for you.

Sorry cross posted with you OP.

@oh4forkssake if I'd have followed that advice every child of mine would have been born without help, only experienced that when either pushing or very close (like 5/10 minutes) to pushing. That's not meant as a dig more that it's interesting how different each woman's labour is.

If you’re up to 50 mins away without teatime traffic, I’d maybe go now anyway and get checked.

I'm 39 + 2 too! Just wanted to wish you lots of luck, it is such a dilemma, I have a 30 minutes plus journey depending on the time of day and really don't want to risk not getting there in time either.

Not going till you can't speak though the contractions sounds like awful advice. I went into labour twice with breech babies, both times I was chatting through the contractions at at about 8cm and progressing quickly. Good job I went in when contractions were 5 minutes apart last for a minute at a time. I was only 37 weeks.
Hope your check has gone well OP.

I would go chances are they will give you an internal which will top you over the edge and judge things along win win

It's interesting what people say about not being able to talk through contractions - I wonder if that's why the midwives insisted I couldn't be in active labour even though my contractions were near continuous - I could talk through them, though with a lot of interspersed moaning. They insisted I was wrong when I said I needed to push - until they finally examined me and DS's head was near crowning! He (my first) was born 30 mins later. I'm still quite resentful as it means my only pain relief for nearly the whole thing was some bloody paracetamol that I kept throwing back up.

If you think you should go in, go in.

With my second, I'd been having contractions for a week, and finally, at the end of my tether (having not slept longer than 20 mins for for that week), went in and just refused to leave.

Lucky I did, because I never dilated, and ended up with an EMCS after another 24 hours of strong, frequent contractions.

If I'd have listened to the advice to wait until it was too painful, or to go home because I wasn't dilating, I'm pretty sure it would have been a blue light job as the best case scenario.

@Sickoffamilydrama it's so interesting - and in fairness after all that DD2 was pretty much born without help (midwife was on the other side of the room and didn't take me seriously when I said she'd crowned!) which was a totally different experience to DD1 with whom I pushed for 40 minutes.

I nearly didn't post here....and you've reminded me why! You can only trust your instincts in that particular labour. Even your own past experience can be an unreliable reference point.

i think if i was you i would head that way.
With DS1 the midwives on the phone said the same but i decided to head to the hospital. When i arrived she said defo not proper labour...walking and talking normally and during contractions....checked me 6cm....less than one hour after arriving in hospital and he was in my arms and that was a first baby !
My 2nd was slightly different as it was pre term and i was already in hospital but again did the whole 6cm to birth in under 20 mins with DC2

Follow your instincts. I kept phoning the hospital as my contractions were every 3 mins... but it was early labour. They wouldn’t take me. I ended up phoning another hospital, who said to come in, and on the way there the contraction picked up to every 1 min and ended up unbearable. I dread to think what would have happened if i just stayed at home suffering. My labour picked up quickly.
Good luck!