STOP START LABOUR!!!

[Franglomum]

Very annoying - I have spent the past 2 nights awake with contractions coming between every 6 - 12 mins. Each time the session lasts for about 5 hours and then they go off! I have then spent the days with very painful contractions but at various times of the day with no pattern!! Has anybody else had this? This is child number 3 and I remember a similar experience with number 1 but had hoped this one would have been quicker! Oh well!

frang Im having something similar! Started Friday night lasted all day Saturday. Had a few hrs break last night and had them all day today. They are always under 1 min and vary in time apart from 5 mins to 20- although the past few hrs they've been about every 5-10 mins! But no pattern whatsoever and they're just not getting longer. Sounds to me like latent labour. I just hope it turns into proper labour soon. The contractions are sometimes mild but sometimes stop and hold your breath painful!

Its my EDD today with DC1, so I don't really know what to expect!

Me too ladies. All night last night and all day today off and on. I'm scared to move because each time I try to do something different they tail off... which has sort of thrown me a bit. I'm all ready for them ramping back up tonight though - feels like it's been building up for a long time.

DC1 for me too Collie so not sure what to expect other than it might not be quick. I'm 40+4 and poor DP was so excited when he woke up this morning and I said contractions were coming every 10 mins - he has sat with his coat on most of today 'ready to go when you are sweetie'

Good labour vibes to you both x

Really feel for you. I had the same experience with dc3. Apparetly they can be the tricky ones!
Had a stop start labour for 2 weeks, every night, contractions so bad I had to pant, even ended up in labour room one night, for a couple of hours, then everything ground to a halt. So frustrating!
In consolation when things finally got properly going, all over in 2 hours and a great birth.
Won't be long ladies, hang in there.

I had similar with DC3 - kept getting excited only for things to stop. However, I actually enjoyed her birth and have really good memories of it (must have been the Diazepam!)

Yes, I've had it with all of mine - so draining, both physically and mentally for me. I'm quite happy to be "overdue" with DC4, except now I've had this on and off again for about a fortnight.

Also this makes me more moody. Tried to explain it to the midwife a few days ago, that I'd been up all night with it, and she actually said in a serious voice "all night and still no baby?". I wanted shout "Obviously" while DH admitted later that he wanted to say "No, baby's upstairs, that's a pillow under her shirt...".

Do you know baby's position, as stop-start labour can be a sign of a posterior or other non-ideally positioned baby? But subsequent babies do not engage in the same way as the first or early ones so could just be how it is. Possibly gettting into some favuorable positions could help encourage things along?

Had this with DC3, midwives not impressed as it was a homebirth and DC2 was born 90mins from phoning the MW so they were super alert.
Their advice in the end was one leg up on the staircase (too tiring walking up and down - you need your energy) for two minutes then swap legs. Really lean in (there's probably a posh stretching term for this but yeah...) how the midwife explained it to me was the baby's head needs to put enough pressure on the cervix to release the hormones that trigger proper labour. HTH

Can I join in? I've been having this for over 2 weeks now. This is DC3 as well and I've been convinced he'll be arriving every day for a fortnight. Had my show over 2 weeks ago. Had lots of contractions, sometimes regular, sometimes not, sometimes painful, sometimes not.... tomorrow is my induction date, I'll be 41 weeks and here ( i'm on the continent) that is as far as they let you go. I can't believe it and am so disappointed it hasn't happened naturally. Ah well, I suppose you can't control these things and I'll just have to go with it and see what happens. Hope it all works out in the end for the rest of you...

Jumping in the band wagon! Am not as far as some of you, 38+2 but have been stop starting for about a week now reeeaaallly thought it might be kicking off last night as they were 4 mins apart very intense pain and 2 clear outs for 3 hours then they slowed to 10mins and stopped grrrr
It is just so draining isn't it!? Thankfully OH isn't working at the mo so is able to help out with DD who is 2 so I get a bit of rest in the day.
Hoping we all get established soon good luck ladies, will be on all fours scrubbing today.....again

Hi all!!!! Just pooping in to update. My latent labour progressed to labour during Sunday night. Our baby boy was born at home on Monday at 3.17pm!! He's just perfect! Good luck to everyone!!!!

Congratulations collieandpup, great news enjoy and welcome little one x

hello ladies, well after all the waiting my contractions ramped up big style so i went to the birthing centre around 1am Monday only to be told cervix closed and posterior. Gutted. Was allowed a warm bath to help with contractions but was sent home at 4am.

Walked back in the house, waters went in spectacular fashion followed by overwhelming pushing sensations. Went immediately back to hospital - 9.5cm dilated on arrival at 5.20am. Baby Poppy born at 8.20am in the birthing pool with absolutely no pain relief. Wow! Amazing, if not slightly intense experience but it's amazing what the body is capable of. Am in awe of my new baby daughter.

Good luck everyone. It will happen xx

Congratulations dawnywoo! Amazing that you were that dilated so quick hope mine happens like that!!