OK, is something happening here?

[narmada]

Hi,

I am playing the inevitable waiting game and labour-symptom-spotting and wondered if anyone would like to hold my hand and advise??!! Now 40+2, seceond baby but first was induced and so I don't have a clue what the onset of natural labour feels like.

Since this morning, I have been getting irregular period-like cramps, really low down in my pelvis.They don't last long, maybe 15-20 seconds, and aren't regular as such. Sometimes 5 minutes apart, sometimes up to 15 minutes will elapse between them. Hope this isn't too much information but I have also kept needing to empty my bowels and wee.... tiny amounts but the urge is there. No bloody show or anything.

I am thinking this is pre-labour and could go on for days??

I would usually be content to just wait to see what transpires but...if something is happening I need to alert my parents to come down as they live 3 hours away; get my husband home from work as he is one hour away and ;call the hospital as I am GBS positive and therefore need to go in earlier than would otherwise be the case.

Does anyone have any thoughts? I feel like a right prat given this is my second baby!

Yes it could go on for days (I had that on off for days with DC2). Go for a walk and try to forget about it.

Thanks ragged. What I really want is to go to sleep but I can't bloody sleep through it!

Paracetamol? Glass of wine? :)

Paracetamol downed. Might have to open the wine shortly..... a lovely combination, I think you will agree!

Could you give your parents a heads up to let them know that you might need them soon. Just in case they have anything planned.

Run yourself a nice bath and see how you feel, i had this on and off for 2 days with Ds2 but with your Dh and family being a fair distance away i wouldn't leave it too long to contact them.

Good Luck x

mmebody I may do just that ..... but I fear they will just jump in the car and then have to spend weeks in a travelodge (we don't have a spare room....why do things have to be so complicated??!!).

thanks also leesmum. We do have friends nearby who can come and look after DD1, but I am really not wanting to wake them in the middle of the night as they are all at work full-time and have kids of their own. But I think I probably won't care so much about that when the time comes!

Going to go out to the shop to get the paper....

PS mumsnet so fab, always such quick replies.

Hi there - like others have said it could be like this for a couple of days, or it could stop all together for a while. BUT I had exactly what you describe for about 12 hours throughout the day with my 2nd baby and it suddenly got more regular/intense in the early evening, and then all happened v quickly and ds was born within 2 hours! I didn't have a show until after the midwife examined me. So I would definitely alert your parents if I were you. What time does your husband usually get back?

Hope you can chill out as much as possible today - a bath and a glass of wine sounds like a good plan!

It definitely sounds like early labour and could go on for days but could last for just a few hours so be prepared. Call your parents and husband to let them know they need to be ready. Call the hospital so they can get your notes ready. Then have a nice long hot bath (I had about 8 baths during my early labour and they definitely helped, and it's supposed to help get your contractions going more regularly). Then call everyone again when things start to progress.
Try to convince your parents not to rush to you until you tell them to. My partner's parents and two sisters spent 2 days in my living room during my early labour which made me feel a bit uncomfortable and I'm sure it slowed my progress as I wasn't relaxed and felt a bit annoyed and stressed by their presence. It was literally an hour after they all left that my contractions started coming thick and fast.
If you're prepared and everyone's poised ready to go then hopefully things will go smoothly for you. Good luck!

First pregnancy or not. If so then yes could well go on for days. If not then watch out because it could all go south very quickly. My DC2 arrived within 6 hours of me getting very similar pains (no show either, and waters only went when I got in the bath to try and ease off what I thought was pre-labour!!)

If you want to move things along then try and keep upright and mobile. Walk around a lot and swing your hips whilst doing so. Walk up and down the stairs. Also do some labour visualisations and think about the baby descending. It does work.

Good Luck, keep us updated!!

Oops, jusy saw this is your second. I'd phone the labour ward at least and ask their advice. At least you'll be on their radar then. Also alert everyone else. Second births really are quicker.

I was GBS+ with my second to and the midwives were actually sceptical I'd be able to get to the hospital in time for the anti-biotics (at least 4 hours before delivery), and this turned out to be the case. I delivered at home anyway without ABs, 24 hour obs on DS, all was well.

Thanks everyone for the stirling advice.

I will be ringing the MW then....

Walked to the shops and on the way back called parents when realised had had three of these episodes during a 10 minute walk, and acknowledged that perhaps they are now rather severe for period-like pains.

Parents en route, booked into travelodge. Going to settle down with bath, wine and something tatty to read.

Dunno why but totally managed to covince myself that I was going to go massively overdue. Maybe I still will - but at the very worst Grandparents get to spend some quality time with DD1.

Will try and post an update but if I go quiet....then presume everything has just gone south very quickly.

Good look - it's all sounding very promising.

xxx

Well done you on getting the GPs into a Travelodge. Nice and close, but safely at arms reach

Wishing you speedy and safe labour

Hope everything goes ok and everyone arrives in time!! sounds like you are well and truely in Labour :)

Good Luck x

Still here, decided to potter round the house in hope of avoiding 48 hour marathon labour....

Listening to radio 4, programme about Peggy Seeger. Maybe that will bore the baby into submission and help him on his way.

Oh it sounds very promising indeed, exciting! Great that your parents are on their way, you sound like you're all set.

Good luck - please come back and let us know when your lovely baby is here!

Will do tikabilla

You could be heading for a "special" birth date
for your DC tomorrow is 20/10, 2010.....

Oh yeah, I didn't think of that! It might well still be 30/10 2010 tho... trying not to get too ahead of myself. DP was more than 2 weeks late according to MIL and has been late for everything else all his life. It wouldn't surprise me if his son was the same ...

Ok folks, more advice needed. Period pain type things now coming, ooh, about every 3 minutes, lasting about 30-40 seconds each. Not unbearable but enough to stop me talking/ walking.

Waiting for DP to get home from work. At what point do I think about going to the hozzer?

I would ring the MWs now and ask them for advice! They are the best people to help you decide, they will talk to you through your pains and assess how you are doing. Well that is what they did with me any how.

Good luck, so exciting!

Sounds promising thou.