'latent' stop start labour....:(

[rudbekia]

so - saturday i start to get contractions..not BH as too long and too painful! became more regular so popped along to MLU where i was checked and they told me i was fully 'effaced' and 1-2cms dilated. decided to go home as, despite regularity of contractions preferred to be there.

11pm thing kick up a gear and i'm in a lot of pain, contractions significantly longer. Cue another trip to MLU, another internal and told my cervix felt 'funny'....call to main hospital and transferred for assessment.

2am get told my 'outer os' is dilating nicely but my 'inner os' is tight shut. prob something to do with a cone biopsy/leep proceedure a year ago. CS suggested. cue panic from me - contractions stop! decide to go home despite them wanting to keep me in. got a little sleep.

sunday - fine until 10am when contractions start again. i refuse to call anyone and just keep doing stuff round the house. by 1pm they are coming thick and fast to the point where there seems no break between them. carry on like this for 45mins and DH insists on calling MLU and they tell me to come straight in. decide i am in 'active' labour. fully effaced cervix (still), 2cms dilation and baby's head also fully engaged (can't palpate at all........) on gas and air which helps, contractions still coming on fast and getting even longer and more painful!

VE four hrs later and nothing had changed. nothing. MW very negative about this - calls main hospital again. suggest pethidine to let me sleep. so pissed off i go home again where contractions die down.

now in complete limbo with lost of discomfort and no idea what my body is up to...sigh.

[PeasPlease]

Congratulations. What a fab Christmas pressie!

[TruthSweet]

Congratulations on Baby Rudbekia! Top tip for sore bits is warm water in a jug poured over your bits when you wee - stops the wee stinging

[rudbekia]

baby rudbekia arrived this morning at 12.15am...after a 10hr labour (from 'established' at 4cm dilation so wont count the 8 odd hrs before ) - looked like it was going to be gas and air and birth pool, but an extended second stage led to transfer to main hospital. baby too low down for a cs so one ventouse and episiotomy (and pain and pushing later) she finally made an appearance. 8lbs 6oz with a big head which got stuck!!! we are both doing well if somewhat sore down below x

[perfectstorm]

I had a 3 day latent stage as well. If it's any comfort, after my waters broke I had 4 hours of easy labour and never needed more than a water pool and gas and air - I was told a long latent phase can make for an easier labour.

DS was very low down by day 3, and peeing became agony. I found if I got on all fours over a tupperware box it stopped hurting to pee - it was the weight of the baby crushing the urethra that caused it. That's my big tip for v long labours, to be honest. (If you've had the same problem you'll know what I mean - was worse than the contractions!)

[MissTFied]

Good luck Rudbekia - I will be looking out for your good news soon.

Hope all goes well.

[rudbekia]

nothing happening here - at least things have settled down a bit! am now 40+5 with a sweep tomorrow...midwife was going to do one last week but decided i was too early. the accu gave me a day of contractions which led to diddly squat! oh well, here's hoping things don't drag on too much longer - am huge and still getting bigger, and have a bab that squishes my bladder at the same time as kicking my ribs - not comfortable!

[PeasPlease]

Any baby news yet :)

I do hope you are not still suffering.

[rudbekia]

long walk (well, waddle....) to town and back including a nice big hill. decided to book an acupuncture session - used it before pregnancy for other health bits and pieces and found it really effective, so will see if it can maybe move things on a bit.

[TruthSweet]

Get a small ball if you are on the petite side, I'm 5'8" with 33" legs so got a 75cm ball which was a good size for me.

Just make sure you get the valve for inflating with the ball, we had a comedy few hours when I was in labour with DD2 as we'd bought the ball but not tried to inflate it then realised the valve you need to blow it up wasn't in the packaging. Cue mad dash to shop by DH & FIL. Could have done with out that TBH.

Hope the walk to town sets things off for good

[rudbekia]

ooo! don't have an exercise ball - just one of things i haven't got round to getting. in town tomorrow so might bob into argos and pick one up, sounds good x

[TruthSweet]

I used a king sized duvet folded over 3 times to nest on (and sometimes a single too!). Very luxurious when all your joints ache.

Can't recall if you said you have a birth ball? I found a exercise ball (so cheap and can get on high st!) really useful, in fact that's where my waters went with DD3, I did lots of vigorous bouncing and when I stood up to change position, waters popped!

I found it very useful for bouncing on to ease contractions, rocking hips on (going round and round in a little circle), putting my feet up on when sitting down, leaning over with knees on cushions whilst DH/Doula rubbed my back . I think we paid about £20 for one from Argos and worth every penny.

[rudbekia]

hey TruthSweet!

thanks for the labour vibes! when things are bad i resort to a bath/hot shower and the odd paracetamol at night when it tends to be worst. can't do co-codamol as makes me soooooooooooooo sick.

the nest - done and done! a decent V pillow, extras for between my kness and round the bump. it does relieve a lot - like the idea of an extra duvet tho!

xx

[TruthSweet]

Sorry to hear that baby hasn't yet put in an appearance. Have some more good labour vibes to keep going.

Has the MW said you can take co-codamol or similar painkillers? I took a lot of paracetamols (no more than 8 a day though!) to get through my pro-dromal labour (I also used co-codamol in my first pg due to ligament pains so it can be taken when pg but please check with your Dr/MW/pharmacist as to the suitabilty in your own situtation as I don't know your med. history or what other meds you take).

They really can help you grab some much needed sleep.

Oh and try building a nest in bed. I used my body pillow and some out of season duvets to sleep on to cushion my hips/bump. That seemed to he;p loads too.

[rudbekia]

no.....sigh.......saw midwife on friday and she was VERY surprised that i was there for an antenatal appoinment (she'd given my slot to someone else!!!!)
has booked me for a sweep next friday if no movement on birthing front - she was very sympathetic about the not sleeping properly thing and general issues with pain etc. i'm just carrying on with stuff as usual and hoping...!

[PeasPlease]

Any news?

[rudbekia]

TruthSweet

you don't sound hippyish at all! i have indeed been doing just this and it really helps at 2.30am when i'm feeling tired and emotional with it all. i've even asked my DH to do the same when he gets a moment of 'head space' inbetween work etc.

and thank you for your thoughts! x

[TruthSweet]

Rudbekia - Fingers crossed for you delivering soon so easy labour thoughts heading our way.

At the risk of coming over all hippyish have you tried visualisation techniques as a way of relaxing? I imagined that the contractions were all opening up my cervix and helping bring baby closer to being born and in my arms. Very woo I know but I found it did help get me through the difficult bits.

[rudbekia]

TheBreastmilksOnMe

thanks again - the vibes and good thoughts are very much appreciated.

with regards to the position of the baby, i've looked back at my notes and there is no mention of the bab being OP - in fact i tend to get its bum sticking up into my belly. it is something i will bring up with the MW when i see her on friday. i think the back-pain is more a case of it being a slightly 'weak' area for me. i'm quite petite and small-framed, and this bab (well, bump) is huge!

xxx

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

Can I just say rudbekia after reading through your post again, it sounds like your baby may be OP, what with the stop/start and the back pain. If this is the case, ideally you should have the baby's position confirmed by a midwife then you can do a few things that will help to turn the baby if not into the anterior position then into a more favourable posterior position.

Don't bounce on a birthing ball with an OP baby as this will encourage it deeper into your pelvis when you want to give your baby the best chance of turning, so during your contractions try to keep your back parallel with the floor. Adopt the all fours position or leaning against a wall or over a table or lying on your left side.

Unfortuanatly OP labours can be prolonged and have a stop-start natuare to them so try to conserve your energy and rest as much as you can. I had an OP labour the 1st time and adopted all the unfavourable positions because I didn't know and nobody told me baby was OP. My labour was stop start, long and I had plenty of backache. Wishing you luck and good labour vibes xx

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

Glad to be of help rudbekia, I'm sure you'll have a beautiful baby in your arms very soon, when things kick off good and proper. I only wish I had known about this when I went into labour with my 1st, I was so unprepared! 32 weeks now with no2 so I'm glad I know what may happen this time and how to prepare for it! Wishing you a speedy, smooth labour and a healthy baby

[rudbekia]

thebreastmilksonme

brilliant article, really helped lift my spirits and make me feel less low, less of a fraud/failure etc than before. thank you so much! (hugs)

i've had another really rough night with two hours of pretty severe contractions which started with horrible back-pain. am on to day four of all this and its difficult to stay positive. the advice to rest up and keep the food going does seem the most sensible...am napping during the day when i can too which will hopsfully help.

i would like this to 'end' sooner rather than later, but knowing more about this situation i find myself in really does help make it easier to cope with

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

Hang on in there ladies! And take a read of this website warm-up labour it will really help you! {grin]

[TruthSweet]

tiokiko - I went into labour with DD3 on 21st Sept and she was born on 11th October. It can happen and it isn't well known and it sucks.

rudbekia - I spent lots of time on my birth ball interspersed with walking, hot showers, hot baths, sleeping on left side, all fours rocking, labour dancing and back rubs. You may find some more information if you look up pro-dromal labour (this is the US name for latent labour).

I had a easy labour with DD3 though in the end even if she wasn't born at home like planned - when the waters went they were mec. stained (old and new). This was probably due to the Sunday before DD3 was born I contracted every 3 mins for a min for about 4 hours and after the contractions stopped she was very active and wriggly. DD3 took 17 mins and I only needed g&a so all the prep work paid off.

I really hope you find a way to cope with the discomfort and pains (or that they bugger off until the 'proper' labour), and that your baby comes soon and easily.

[rudbekia]

ooo! izpie that sounds both annoying but really positive.....fingers crossed.

its 4am and i'm awake, in lots of discomfort and feeling rougher than a badger's bottom. baby feels like its trying to push its way out so my bladder/groin/bum/back and legs are all twinging - and contractions gearing up again. not holding out too much hope tho

thanks for the thoughts marjee!

[Marjee]

Good luck izpie, it sounds like you might not need that induction after all!

I hope things get moving for you soon rudbekia, this will all be so worth it when you're holding your little baby