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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Your experiences of false / pre labour please...

16 replies

Cheria · 08/03/2011 08:35

Hi
Am at just under 39 weeks and went to Doc's yesterday for a regular fetal monitoring session. I have been having BH on and off for quite a while but was surprised to see yesterday that they were regular every few minutes and quite strong (80/90 on the fetal monitor, out of 100 of whatever it is they measure).

The Doc did an internal and said the cervix is still closed, it could be another week or two, and that I am lucky that at least they aren't painful.. They continued all day yesterday and in the evening, but today I have had none. I guess if they had been painful I'd have gone to hospital to be sent home again.

I have another appointment next Monday if nothing happens beforehand.

I'm not worried, just interested as to what experiences others have had with this. How long did this so called false labour go on for? Thanks ladies for your input.

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TheChewyToffeeMum · 08/03/2011 08:41

Hi - I had Braxton Hicks like this with both my pregnancies for about a week before my babies were born. I too had a CTG at one point which looked like I was labouring but with no pain or cervix dilatation.

FWIW I went on to have an elective section at 39wks for breech with DC1. DC2 was born at 38 weeks - I had a long latent stage (29hrs of painful contractions before 3cm dilation).

Original poster

Cheria · 08/03/2011 08:46

CTG - thanks - I wasn't sire of the word in English (I'm doing this abroad). They did say it looked from that that I was in real labour.

Another thing, I was told that it is a good thing as it canmean that the cervix takes a while to be prepared so makes things easier when real labour comes along. Though it looks like from your experience that isn't necessarily the case.

Oh well..

I was booked for a C Section this week as the baby was breech but turned at 37 weeks...

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Crawling · 08/03/2011 09:27

I had two weeks before DD, they were painful but irregular, by the time they got to the point where I would go in they would just stop. I wouldnt go in when I was in labor as I thought they would just stop again, DP dragged me in when there was no break and DD delivered a hour later.

CalmInsomniac · 08/03/2011 09:49

Same as PP, I had 2 weeks of stop start contractions, about 10 - 15 mins apart up to 2-3 minutes at some points. It must have been doing something because when labour did kick off (13 days overdue) it only took 8 hours start to finish (quite quick for a 1st baby). I was lucky with the prelabour contractions because they always stopped at night so I was still able to sleep.

Original poster

Cheria · 08/03/2011 10:00

I am a little worried I won't know when the false labour turns into true labour...

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marylou242 · 08/03/2011 14:10

I got 'tightenings' (not braxton hicks, not proper contractions either) for about 5 or 6 days before I went into proper labour, they were about every 10-15 minutes. 5 days before I had a MW appointment. She was going to do a sweep as I was a week late by this point, but my cervix was completely close and still too far back.

You're lucky that they aren't keeping you awake. Mine did and I was knackered! The day before DS was born, I decided enough was enough and went along for another sweep. This time I was 3 cms. Over the next four hours I got to 5 cms and DS was born 6 hours later. Hope things get started for you soon.

Original poster

Cheria · 08/03/2011 16:55

Yes that must be awful - my Doc regaled me with horror stories of women having painful ones for weeks - so I do consider myself lucky as I want to sleep as much as I can before the baby is born! Yesterday was every few minutes, today I have just had a few, and they stopped overnight.

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japhrimel · 08/03/2011 17:05

Fwiw the numbers mean nothing as they depend on what that machine has been set to - it's the relative strength on the chart that matters and pattern of the ctx.

I had 6 days of early/false labour with 2.5 days of continuous "proper" ctx (couldn't talk or move at all through those other than rock/pant!) but that was with a failed induction - we went for CS in the end as all those ctx didn't dilate me at all.

Original poster

Cheria · 08/03/2011 17:46

Poor you japhrimel - that sounds horrible. My mum was induced three times and didn't have a labour lasting for more than 6 hours from start to finish each time - she was induced due to it being VBAC.

I don't know how she lucked out like that when everyone on here seems to have had a horrid time with inductions.

Don't know about the numbers - 10 days before I had the odd contraction on the same machine but nothing over 40... 10 days before that it was nothing over 20.. so I can use my pretty graphs to compare.

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japhrimel · 08/03/2011 18:01

You can use the graphs to compare the pattern of ctx, but unless you know the baseline set-up was the same each time, you can't compare nummbers.

Original poster

Cheria · 08/03/2011 18:25

Thanks for the info - I'll ask the Doc next time if it is always set up to the same reading. You've got me curious now.

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Original poster

Cheria · 15/03/2011 09:03

I went back yesterday - still getting the massive contractions - has been over a week now and can't sleep... Dr did a sweep yesterday, ow. I thought yesterday evening it might have worked but I'm still sat here at home this morning... the conctractions aren't painful exactly, just uncomfortable.

Have to go back on Thursday - he said he might give me a pessary then if things aren't progressing. Oh, by yesterday had finally got to fingertip dilation (am translating from the notes he put in my file in French, so am not 100% sure that it the right term).

I'll be 40 weeks on Thurs, so not overdue, but this pre labour is exhausting me...

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Petalouda · 15/03/2011 09:42

Thanks for the question OP, and for all the replies.

I'm 38+4 and had 4hrs of quite intense BH's last night. V regular at 10min intervals. But all stopped by 1ish.

So it looks like this could be expected for the next 3 weeks!

Like Cheria, i'm slightly concerned I won't know when it turns into real labour!

noeyedear · 15/03/2011 11:13

Does everyone have pre labour? I did have pre labour with DS1 for a couple of weeks before ( I think if you move about and it doesn't stop, then it's real labour!) but this time, I haven't had anything close and I'm overdue. Hope this doesn't mean I have ages to go!

Original poster

Cheria · 15/03/2011 11:51

Noeyedear - everyone does have pre-labour, in that the cervix softens and dilates - but not everyone has weeks of contractions! Maybe as this is your second you won't get it? I don't know.

For some it justs lasts a few hours and forms parts of usual labour I guess. Some don't feel it at all. That's how my doctor explained it to me - I have been asking round my friends and no-one has had this so I guess we are in the minority.

Petalouda - mine stop when I lie on my left side, if that helps;

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elliejjtiny · 15/03/2011 12:20

I had 3.5 weeks of prelabour with ds1, 4 days with ds2 and 1 day with ds3. I didn't think I would know when proper labour started either but real labour is much more intense.

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