How many days of contractions before it all really started?

[Banoffie]

hi everyone

this is my first post... hope i do this right - i am actually asking on behalf of my sis who is due in 2 weeks. it's her second child and she has a 3 year old little boy already.
she has been having 1 or 2 hours worth of contractions the they stop completely for 2 days.... is that common ? have any of you had this ? i didn't so i can't relate. and if you had this how many of this did you ahve before it all finally started.
thank you.

Where they really painful too ? I.e. yo couldn't talk and had to breath through them - I am asking out of professional curiosity !

Yes they were pupuce, painful labour pains.Stomach would tense up and I would get the "dragging" effect in legs like all the girls.
Ask away

COuuld you function or were you really stuck... I mean was it 4 weeks non stop or it kept coming and going ?

I had ds1 4 weeks early, he had to be induced as labour was established but not going fast enough.
Same happened with ds2 but he was induced 2 weeks early.
Ds3 the same but was not induced, I had him 8 days after EDD date.

non stop, always timed between five -10 minutes.

CALLING BLUEBEAR..... if you're still around......
I was lying in bed last night and remembered talking to a woman (and her hubby) at around 11ish at QCH.... I was carying a baby (pie's ) and I saw a couple and I said to them "it will be your turn soon" or something like that. And you were very sweetly looking at pie's baby - was it you ???????????
You were not contracting (well not in front of me) and fully dressed (I think)... there were not that many people around so I thought afterwards it might have been you.

Still around - don't think it was me, although have been gazing adoringly at other people's babies. I think the only comment I had was a 'good luck' and I was wearing maternity jeans and a nightie at the time (ever stylish).
Still getting niggly contractions every 2-10 mins, if I walk they get quite strong but the moment I rest they calm down to a heavy ache. Am now hoping to get some sleep and praying that they get stronger and more consistent tomorrow. Poor ds has been passed from one granny to another, and I miss him.
If it hadn't been for the monitoring at QCH I would probably be thinking that these were 'strong braxton hicks' but the medical staff seemed convinced that they were contractions. Last labour I had got to 3cm dilated without anything that I would call pain, and only asked for pain relief because I was so tired, so I am hoping that I just have a high pain threshold and that stuff is happening.

And I'm still waiting for this baby.... Still having 'contractions' every 2 to 10 minutes (depending on if I walk about or rest), painful enough to grimace and groan but not to need pain relief, lots of lower back pain (relieved by my latest fashion accessory of hot water bottle in back of jeans), and occasional floods of tears.
Can't bring myself to report back to the hospital for fear that they would keep me in and give me a section for failure to progress.
Worried about how poor baby is with all this squashing going on (movements seem okay).
Worried that this is CPD again and babe can't get fully engaged (was 2/5th last weekend).
Finding sleep very difficult due to pains waking me so getting more and more tired.
Continual messages on phone from family/friends asking if I've had baby yet.
MIL staying until monday, so have emergency childcare for ds if required, but also feel a ninny in my own home for wandering around groaning.
Pupuce - if you are around - I'm scared this will end as a c-section again, I know artificial rupture of membranes is really induction but do you know if it is really contra-indicated for VBAC?

Hi Bluebear - I really feel for you.... this must be VERY tiring... I hope you can get some sleep !

As for ARM... well I suspect that this is how they would induce you + a drip of syntocinon.... they would not give you the prosting gel (not good when trying for a VBAC)

Now... if you can avoid the ARM... ALL THE BETTER!!!!! Babies notoriously dislike this so it does increase your chances of a 2nd section.

What about trying some homeopathy... Arnica 200 and Caullophyllum 200.... seems to me like this would actually be helpful to you. 1 pill every hour and you alternate.

The other thing I would suggest is that you actually - genuinely -think about and talk to DH about is.... what is making you not start your labour ????????? I do not mean this at all in a derigatory way of course but our mental state can be so powerful! This happened to someone I know and when the question was asked.... well the answer litterally "unblocked" her.

I'll be online tonight so you can post again!

Hi pupuce, thanks for the info on ARM.
I have spent last few days thinking hard about if there is some psychological reason for this. I am trying to be relaxed and 'talking' to the baby to work things out.
I've got Arnica but can't source any Caullophyllum in local natural health shops (difficult to go too far afield, getting funny looks as I moan and grimace )
I found that when left to myself the contractions were stronger and closer than when dMum-in-law was around. She is an angel and has been staying here to help look after ds but I feel I need space in order to labour. She is off on Monday (ds in nursery) so I hope that might help.
Have also had lots of domestic disruption (building work, ds sick and not sleeping) in the last week, but this is settled now.
Just typing this has made me feel more calm. Thanks. BB

Could you get Pie's caullophyllum ??? She doesn't need it anymore...... and she went to QC too so you are not too far off each other !

pupuce, your friend said not to use it as it may irriate me, so I never got it, and then I never needed it!!!!

I'd guess she's got a lot to deal with at the moment but it's a lovely thought!
I've got to go to bed now (am exhausted).
Thanks for the support. BB.

Oh... I thought you had it !
Now Bluebear you can get some by Tuesday.... but it might be too late
www.helios.co.uk
does next day delivery !
Maybe Neal's yard has it too ?

Oh, posts crossed, I seem prone to that! S'Okay Pie, maybe I can send dMIL into town for some tomorrow, thus killing two birds with one stone!

She loves Neal's Yard - hmmm.. plans are hatching. Must sleep now. Night all.

You can always go to Ainsworths (www.ainsworths.com) they are in New Cavendish Street (behind Oxford Street) or Nelsons on Duke Street by Selfridges, as they will CERTAINLY have the remedy. Personally I would choose Ainsworths over Nelsons as the things that I saw whe I worked at Nelsons....

You would be able to get them ASAP if central london is accessible.

But as pupuce says, maybe you won't need it!

Contractions disappeared overnight saturday
Although I would prefer my baby, I'm over the moon not to be in pain, and am making the most of sleeping and tidying up, getting ready for the next round.
Baby is now a few days overdue (going by scan EDD) but hospital are okay with me going another 9 or 10 days before they 'check out why it's not happening' (and probably book an elective section).
Thanks for the support Pie and Pupuce.

Blubear - sounds really similar to my 1st. Had a full week of contractions every 2-5 mins, got no sleep, back and forth to hossie every 2-3 days. Turns out my son was 'corded'. Sorry don't mean to freak you - he was fine, but it was a terrible time & pretty awful labour. I'm glad they have gone for you just now.

In the end I was just so tired they kept me in for a night and gave me a temazepan to help me sleep (didn't really). Finally got to 2cm and then they speeded me up.

Hope everything goes well for you.

Lazyeye, what does 'corded' mean?

Sorry - cord was round his neck. Please, please don't worry, God it was probably silly of me to post that. I think a lot of babys are born with the cord round their neck & are fine - its just in my case, they think it was hindering the contractions. Any midwives out there to help?

I'm sure you will be fine.

Thanks Lazyeye. I'm not worrying, just hadn't heard it called that before. Baby is nicely active (feels like he/she is spinning around every now and then so I suggested to dh we call it Kylie (he wasn't convinced) and I'm not worried about him/her.

Hi, Please someone help. I'm trying to figure out if I am having contractions. I was induced with DD1 and had an epidural, so don't know really what it's like to go into labour. I am at 40+7. I have been having braxton hicks - hard belly non-painful contractions for nearly 2 months, so I know what they feel like. Today, I feel like I'm having a very prolonged menstrual cramp - it has lasted approximately 1 hour. It isn't something I feel like I could time - just discomfort, more uncomfortable than the braxton hicks - just one long period cramp. Am I going into labour? I actually saw my doctor yesterday morning, and she said I was only 1 cm dilated and not progressing. Is this what contractions feel like? If so, how do you time them?

By the way, I forgot to say that my waters have not broken.

hi mistletoes, this probably won't be much help but thought I would post anyway! My labour did start with period type pains, but it wasn't continuous - each pain lasted about 20 seconds and came every 10 mins. As time went on the pains lasted longer and came more often, but I could still time them and knew they were contractions! I've only had one labour so not sure what a typical one is - I had no braxton hicks at all either! My early labour lasted about 9 hrs I think by which time I was 4cm dilated. My waters didn't break until I was in hospital (after about 9hrs). Good luck, I hope things go well for you!