I don't suppose one can tell/guess where in labour one is by the frequency of contractions, right?

[Tortoiseonthehalfshell]

I mean, every 5 minutes could be 'latent' first stage or getting closer to transition, depending on the person and labour?

It's 4.30am here. Don't want to bother waking anyone if it's going to be hours and hours and hours and hours.

Ooh ooh live labour thread!

Every 5 mins sounds like you're dilating nicely, possibly time to head to hospital. My NCT lady said every 3-4 minutes is current guidelines for going in, but it used to be every 10 so if I were you I'd get cracking! Good luck!

Depends on which baby it is, with a first I'd say wait until they are every 2-3 mins and painful enough to need pain relief, with 2nd or more I'd say get to the hospital now, lol.

Is it your first (or your first non-induced)? I am the cautionary tale - across two labours my contractions got intense but never regular, and DD2 was born before the ambulance could even get to my planned homebirth. So I always say focus on intensity as well as spacing!

Mine were irregular - every 6, 7, 12, 5, 8 etc minutes, and not that painful. Went to the hospital to get checked, expecting to be sent home, and found out I was 8cm!

Prob best to ring them, just in case.

Mine were every five minutes for 15 hours, from the very start to being 9cm dilated, only when my waters were broken did they get closer together.

You can go from 2cm to 10 cm dilated just like that, especially if it isn't your first, so no you can't really tell. And with my first I had very strong contractions that remained 3 minutes apart right up to the start of the second stage so that was nothing to go on either.

I think it's how they feel that matters. If you're wondering about bothering to wake anyone I would suggest you've a while to go. With the caveat about 2 to 10cm mentioned above.

Good luck!

Nope, not always how they feel either. When I was in labour with no.4 I could have sworn I was only 3-4cm going by the pain level, it was at nasty period pain just about to go into established labour level, very easy to cope with. Only went to the hospital because I was feeling slightly pushy at the end of each contraction which had happened with no.3 at 6cm and I'd started pushing prematurely so I wanted to be checked... No.4 arrived 7 mins after we got there and the pain never got anymore intense, I kids you not, next to painless. Was brill

My contractions with my first never got closer together than 7 minutes. Through transition and pushing they were 10 mins apart. My homebirth midwife refused to believe I was in labour and wouldn't come out to us- my daughter was almost born in the car as we took ourselves to hospital. Trust your body, if it feels like things are happening they probably are.

Mine were 5 minutes apart all flipping day.

Apparently though there is a purple line that grows up your bum crack as labour progresses. Don't know if that's any use to you?

Ah, just seen you posted on Monday so I'm guessing you're currently snuggled up with your new-born.