Good morning ladies. Still [fuming emoticon] about silly midwife and will ring the doctors surgery to get her name. I really cannot understand why she wouldn't check if I was dilated. During my last pregnancy they would quite happily check things from 'downstairs' to see all is ok. This pregnancy I've only had to take my pants off for the scan. Is this some new health and safety directive or something [joking]. I have been having contractions of one kind or another for 10 days, surely it is important to know if I am dilating or not. She only would have done it if I was contracting then and there, in front of her. As for the 'it's not natural to interfere' response, if I put my fingers in my fanny at home to see how it is all feeling, nothing peculiar or 'unnatural' happens. How odd!
Thought I was going into labour last night, the contractions were so regular, but just lacked intensity and disappeared when I moved around/went to sleep, so another anxious night passes.
blueberry - if I had her at the hospital I would ask for a different midwife. I could not trust her judgement after what she said yesterday but I think she is a community midwife.
ermintrude - I think you are right about the lack of experience/confidence etc and trying to make up for it. It really came across all wrong.
silk - you are so right about the wills. We keep meaning to do it. What is the quickest/cheapest way to do a will until we get a chance to lodge one with some lawyers. Is there a form you can print off on the Internet or something?
Ineed - I hope your sweep is working and you can be out of your pain soon.
tee - love your shortlist for names
mrsmcjnr - I know what you mean. I had croup as a child and my throat swells with stings so I shudder when I hear you describe your experience. It is terrifying and you sound so brave. Bipolar MIL - I see what you mean. My cousin is such a lovely person but her bipolar disorder makes it quite exhausting at times.
naat - I too watched the last ER and cried. My contractions came through the whole program. The childbirth scene was a bit disturbing for us pregnant ladies. I loved that Rachel Green came back. Dr Carter has such a gorgeous smile.
choccie - I hope your dh wasn't too late.
littlesarah - have a wonderful weekend - you deserve it.
hello bigcarnewmummy, bunnymother, snowwombat, laura, lynne and mspotatochip
For anyone else feeling confused about being able to tell the difference between intense Braxton-Hicks and contractions, I found this on the internet last night, which told me more than my midwife did. I am frustrated by not knowing if labour is close or if I am still two weeks out!!!
Braxton-Hicks contractions and "real" labor contractions differ only in intensity and progression. BH contractions ARE real contractions, and for some women they can feel nearly as strong as full-blown labor contractions. In women who have a very high frequency of BH contractions throughout pregnancy, it is normal for them to increase further in both frequency and intensity as birth approaches. Some women enter into a prodromal labor pattern, with labor starting and stopping repeatedly before settling in for birth. This can be frustrating, but rest assured it is definitely within the spectrum of normal, and all these contractions are toning up the uterus and may ultimately be shortening the length of the big event.
There are two key factors for telling when you are really in labor. The first is nighttime. Generally, BH and prodromal labor contractions will give you a rest at some point in the evening, allowing you to sleep. When "real" labor hits, it will wake you up, and you will not be able to sleep through a contraction (even though you may still sleep in between them at first). Second, once you enter active labor, it will require your full, undivided attention. You will not be interested in reading, watching tv, or carrying on a conversation. You will not smile and if you do, you will look dazed or "spacey." This is an important emotional signpost, and is much more reliable than length, strength, or frequency of contractions, or even dilation and effacement.
Internal exams primarily check for dilation and effacement, and occasionally the station of the baby. However, because they are done with the mother lying on her back, the station of the baby may not be the same as it is when she stands up, so this is unreliable. Also, dilation and effacement occur at different rates in different women, and are not reliable signposts for birth. Some women can be completely closed, and give birth within a few hours, while other women can walk around dilated to 4 for weeks before giving birth.
Sometimes, if the baby is in a less-than-ideal position for birth, it will set off this prodromal pattern, hoping to use the contractions to move into a better position. You can use optimal fetal positioning (OFP) techniques to assist in this adjustment. If the baby moves into a better position, the contractions may ease off a little until birth, and the birth may come sooner.