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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask how your labour started?

79 replies

Greywalls12 · 03/04/2019 18:51

Apologies, shamelessly posting for traffic!
I'm 38+6, and no idea if I'm in labour or just having painful braxton hicks!
Had bloody show yesterday morning and watery discharge this morning but I don't think it's my waters and there wasn't a lot of it at all and it's not really carried on throughout the day.
I had awful backache overnight and kept waking up every hour due to it, with some pain in my lower abdomen as well.
Baby feels super low but my stomach hasn't dropped.
I've been having back ache with stomach pains all day that comes and goes but I haven't timed them until recently and the pain's definitely got worse.
But they're quite irregular, and my midwife and in my antenatal classes have all said they would be regular if it is contractions and they've ranged between 6-12 mins in the past hour and a half, which makes me think it isn't labour!
They're not getting better with rest, walking or bouncing on my ball but I can talk through them. They're lasting between 50-60 seconds each and the last 3 have been 7 mins apart. I'm also hydrated and weeing loads!
I'm going to call triage if it carries on, but I want to stay at home for as long as possible if it is the real deal.

So can you please give me your start of labour stories and give me any tips to help with the pain!

OP posts:

Original poster

Greywalls12 · 04/04/2019 06:57

Well it wasn't labour, only 1cm dilated but they gave me a sweep and they seem pretty sure that I'm having the baby today!
I've taken painkillers and going to have a hot bath.
Was crying through the contractions they're so painful, no idea how I'm going to cope with this

OP posts:

TeddyIsaHe · 04/04/2019 07:11

You will cope, honest! Just think, every contraction is one less until you see your baby. You just have to get through each one and you’re that much closer to giving birth.

It is fucking horrible though!y contractions with dd were vile. They sent me home from hospital too the first time as I was also only 1cm. 3 hours or so later I went back as I couldn’t cope and was thankfully 3cm so they kept me in. Had an epidural a couple of hours later and dd was born the next day.

Good luck! Try and rest if you can, which I know is hard when you’re in pain.

Yogagirl123 · 04/04/2019 07:11

You will be fine OP, don’t worry, your body will take over when the time comes. And you will finally get to meet your lovely little baby. It’s so worth it.

TeddybearBaby · 04/04/2019 07:13

Good luck! You can do this! Could you go for a walk, get on one of those big bouncy balls? Those things worked well for me or I enjoyed jumping up and down like I’d stubbed my toe. I just couldn’t sit still and relax like other people seem to be able to...... we’re all different! Don’t lose heart about the cm thing. I was none and terrified cos I was in so much pain. Was fully dilated when I got back x

Middlrm · 04/04/2019 11:50

Do you have a birthing ball? That helped me bounced in that with tens machine eased pain a bit x x honestly get one! Good luck 😉 x

Walkerbean16 · 04/04/2019 17:11

How are you doing OP? Been thinking about you all day! Hope things are progressing for you :)

Original poster

Greywalls12 · 04/04/2019 17:50

They were pretty much non-existent this morning, only a couple an hour after I had a bath. The bath was absolute bliss! And i managed to grab a couple hours kip!
They've kicked up a bit now and got quite painful again and had some bloody discharge so hopefully things are moving in the right direction!
I've not been timing them though, just trying to distract myself!
Bought a TENS machine which I think is actually making the contractions worse??
Also TMI but it really feels like I need to have my bowels open when I'm contracting. No idea if it is actually my bowels or not, can't seem to go i don't have the feeling between contractions
Really want another bath but don't want to slow things down if thing's are progressing!

OP posts:

Original poster

Greywalls12 · 04/04/2019 18:06

Thanks for the encouragement and thoughts, they're much needed!

OP posts:

splodge12 · 04/04/2019 18:06

The needing to poo feeling could mean you are further along than you think! When I was nearing the end I felt the urge to poo and push, mildly at first, and the pushing sensation got more intense. Good luck!

hellosis · 04/04/2019 19:08

So exciting well done OP!
Have another bath, it will help you relax which will only sped things along! X

Februaryblooms · 04/04/2019 19:15

You've got this

I second the bath.

Being in water was so relaxing for me, dont worry about it slowing things down because it sounds as though you're well on your way!

Northernmum12 · 04/04/2019 19:16

Greywalls I would call the hospital and have a little chat with the midwife. I went into hospital with mild pains with my second and when checked I was 4cm dilated. In the 15 mins it took for me to get to the delivery suite I felt the overwhelming urge to go the toilet but nothing was happening. My daughter was born 10 mins later and almost in the toilet

DeadDoorpost · 04/04/2019 19:21

I'm glad you went in and got seen. Mine were irregular, got told 3 times over the phone I couldn't be that far along and needed to wait for regular ones. Finally ignored them and went in, and good job too because I was 9cm dilated.

I'm not having the same thing happen in this pregnancy. I've got a MH midwife that's going to help make sure everything runs smoothly (got anxiety about the birth because of what happened) and my midwife needs to be told (I haven't had a chance to talk to her yet about it as she's been busy with emergencies for my appointments.) I'm not close to the end yet though.

I've included screenshots of some of my times. Middle column is the length of the contraction, end one is the gap between them. By half 9 or so I started to feel like I needed to push, but didn't end up giving birth until 1:30pm. Good job as we got to the hospital at just after 12

DeadDoorpost · 04/04/2019 19:23

Contractions started at 3am by the way. 15 mins apart. They were irregular the whole time.

Desmondo2016 · 04/04/2019 19:24

A bath will not slow things down if it's the real thing!

Purplejay · 04/04/2019 19:42

I had what you described initially at 35 weeks. Went to hospital. Contractions stopped and started. I was kept in overnight (as baby would have been early) and then sent home at 2cm dilated!

2 more weeks went by with spells of regular contractions. At 37 and 5, i woke up wet. My waters had broken and continued to trickle throughout the day. I just had a dull ache. I wore a pad and sat on towels. At 4pm pains began and were 5 mins apart. I rang the hospital about 5pm and they told me to have some tea and make my way in before midnight. We set off about 6 as pains were getting more intense. By the time we arrived after a 20 min drive I knew it was really happening. At hospital I could barely walk during contractions. I was triaged where I was sick. A sign of transition apparently. I was transferred to the birthing pool and DS arrived at 10.30pm. Good job I dodn’t hang about at home!

Good luck OP. Keep us posted.

Poppins2016 · 04/04/2019 20:50

Needing to poo but nothing happening sounds more like needing to push, OP! I'd suggest calling triage again...

The TENS machine should have different settings (is it a TENS 'Mama'?). It's worth playing with in order to find the best setting - I found some helpful and some not!

Sending positive thoughts your way!

Zippetydoodahzippetyay · 04/04/2019 22:55

Thinking of you OP. Hopefully things are happening and you meet your baby soon.

Cherylshaw · 04/04/2019 22:59

With my first i had back labour which i had the whole day it was constantly sore, then it got intense pain on and off, i had no pain in the front untill i was in the hospital.

willitbe · 05/04/2019 15:44

Greywalls - hopefully you are busy snuggling a little one right now, but just wanted to further encourage you in that all this practice labour will quite possibly allow a short real labour. With my second baby, I had start / stop contractions at 1cm only for 4 days. I was kept in hospital as my home was so far away from the hospital. On day 5 they were going to send me home, I was still 1cm, they told me that I was not in labour. I ended up that day on the labour ward for only a couple of hours before giving birth..... I went from 3 to 8 cm in 20 minutes, gave birth less than an hour later. So I am hoping for a quick labour for you when you get there.

Original poster

Greywalls12 · 05/04/2019 17:32

Yes been busy snuggling my lovely newborn!
Went to L&D about half 7 last night when the pain was awful, turns out I was 5cm dilated. Contractions only really got quite painful from half 5 and they never got regular! Progressed quite quickly and he was born at 00.40 this morning!!
Went from 7cm to fully dilated in 40 minutes (right when they were putting the epidural in so i had no effect from it at all!) And baby's heart rate dropped so they wouldn't even let me have the gas and air cause I couldn't concentrate and then I pushed him out in 25 minutes!!
Really surprised with how I coped with the pain but I didn't exactly have a choice .
Glad it was quite quick and me and DH are now home with our bouncing baby boy!!
Thank you all

OP posts:

Yogagirl123 · 05/04/2019 17:49

Wonderful news, well done OP, enjoy your new baby 👶

Many congrats

N9netynine · 05/04/2019 18:18

Huge congratulations xxx

TeddybearBaby · 05/04/2019 18:21

Amazing news. Congratulations 💙

Poppins2016 · 05/04/2019 18:25

Lovely news, congratulations! Enjoy your new little boy, those newborn cuddles are wonderful.

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