Early labour since Monday - please help!

[Pidgy]

I really just need someone to help me and say it will all be ok and this is 'normal' and will end one day....

Im now 40+1. Since Monday 11am I've had excruciating back pain on the right side. At about 2am I started to get what i thought were Braxton Hicks but turned more painful over the course of the day and far to frequent to be BH. I'm sure they are contractions (1st baby so all this is new to me) but could only feel them in my back on one side. V irregular and still well able to cope so tried to sleep. Very hard since back pain is constant but worsens with each contraction.

Tuesday same thing- contractions pretty much all day but again irregular. Living in bath.

Wednesday- more contractions, being sick, no appetite - beg midwives to take a look. Told I'm 2-3cm dilated at 10am but still quite a thick cervix. Given a sweep & sent home. Spend day walking about, swaying & generally trying to get things to progress as I'd been given the impression I'd probably be back later that day or evening. Contractions got to 4-6mins apart with some quite painful but others quite ok. Go back only for them to subside whilst waiting to be seen & was then told by a pretty smug midwife that there was no real change and to rest etc.

I cannot believe I now need to go through a 4th or even longer time feeling like this. So tired and emotionally drained. Sitting here crying with the back pain and the contractions have now stopped.

What can I do? Has this happened to anyone else?
They said the baby might be back to back - can this change and is this the problem and why I have the constant back ache?
I just want to meet my little baby now.
If things have now stopped will they start?

Aw pidgy, you poor thing!

They will start again. I'm no expert but mw told me stairs would help get things going. Though I guess if you'rr tired then rest is important.

Can you call the mw for advice?

Aw poor you, it is crap but it is very common. Try and eat and sleep if you can, and if you have a big bouncy ball get leant forwards over it, will be a bit less uncomfy and hopefully encourage baby to turn if it is back to back. Can you get hold of a TENs machine, and take regular paracetamol to help with the pain.

Stop/start is rubbish but it will start/start at some point! Once my waters went with my first (after about 36 hours of stop/start) it was all systems go. Ring the labour ward for advice whenever you feel you need to but if you are nearby I would ring rather than go in. I was told to ring once I was having three contractions in 10 minutes and you need to ring if your waters go so they can log the time.

Good luck! Exciting :)

ps it is TOTALLY normal and will end! Probably very soon. Chin up, there's no shame in crying about it, you're fed up of being pregnant, you're tired and it hurts. If you don't have TENs machine maybe ring the labour ward and see if your birth partner can go pick one up for you to use? I found mine really useful (my baby was back to back, ouch) while I was at home.

OP labours are often longer as the baby's head doesn't sit on the cervix optimally. Try being on all 4s as much as possible. If you have someone with you, get them to lean on your sacrum (the flat bone just above your bumcrack) with their palms one on top of the other during your contractions. Try to rest your head on the sofa or something to conserve energy. If your contractions slow, try a change of position or a walk around. Try to rest and eat regularly.

Poor you :-( I had a similar long latent phase of labour (and mine also turned out to be back to back).....it's really hard to keep your spirits up when you are so tired and fed up of waiting!
As am sure its all already been said try and keep eating and drinking to keep energy levels up and baths if they help? I also found a tens machine very useful to get me through this stage and I stomped around lots....
It WILL end very soon and you'll have your precious baby in your arms and will none of this will matter....good luck xxx

Thanks girls. X.
Makes me feel a bit better to know that this is normal.
Have been taking the painkillers they gave me (paracetamol & co-codamol) at night and reverting to just paracetamol in the day as not so keen on things passing thru to the baby.
Will try out the positions mentioned. Contractions have started again but very mild so guessing they're not doing much!
Time will tell.
X

Ps. The thought of my beautiful baby in my arms is all that's keeping me going. :-)
Aggh to these damn pregnancy hormones!

Aw Pidgy. I feel for you.

My first labour was like this. Started Saturday tea time. I went into hospital on the Monday morning. By lunch time they were pressurising me for slow progress and I ended up on the drip and then forceps. My baby was OP and it was a hard slog.

The reason I am telling you this is not to depress you, but to encourage you that you are doing exactly the right thing being at home. As soon as you walk through the door of the hospital and into a room, you are on a clock and under pressure. This is normal for a first labour. Horrid luck of the draw, but normal.

Things you can do - is the pain in your back? Try taking a look at spinning babies. I swear by inversions (ok, only a test case of one - DD2, but did the job whilst in labour) for possibly shifting the baby into a better position to kick things off properly. Don't do them on your own though! There's other stuff on there too.

Keep eating and drinking. And resting. Don't be tricked into spending the whole time upright to 'get things going' as you may use all your labour energy! Bouncing on a birth ball might help?

Also, and you may think this is a bit woo, but sod it, is your DH/DP around? If you get to this evening, try dimming the lights, closing the curtains, and cuddling up. Don't worry about whether it's helping things get going. Just sit in the dim light together, cuddle, have a massage if he can do it/you'd like it. The relaxation and hormones can apparently have a great effect.

Still no real change but frame of mind is a lot better!
Spent the day trying to relax and things really did calm down so I could get a bit of sleep. But , oh so hot! Finding it hard to sleep now, but that's a recurrent thing these past few weeks.
Just waiting & hoping it all kicks off again soon!

As a brief update and thanks to those that supported me....
My beautiful baby was born sunday morning. Sat night had 1st 'good' night sleep in a while. A few period like pains b4. Bed.

Woke at 5.30 with contractions at the front. Quite regular & powerful & no longer at the back. Called hospital who said stay at home, take paracetamol. I said 'no way!! Arrived at 7.45. 10cm at 10am. Born at 10.45am. So, have to say that although I had a long latent stage, the active stage was v quick.

Thanks for helping me get through those long days. It did help.
X

Yay, Congratulations Pidgy! Brilliant news :-) Enjoy newborn baby snuggles xxx

Yeay! Congratulations on your baby, and on making the call to overrule the hospital!

Congratulations! So lovely to hear it all went ok in the end!