Please help - latent phase dragging on

[Darksideofthemoon88]

It's been at least 26 hours now and I'm fed up. I was seen in hospital twice yesterday, about nine hours apart, and I'd made no progress at all from 3cm dilated and 100% effaced. The midwives have 'reassured' me that things should be fairly quick once they get going properly as DD's head is extremely low down. The problem is, my contractions aren't regular at all and seem to be very much affected by what I'm doing: we've tried going out for a walk, and that really gets them going: both times, by the time we've got back, they've been painful and lasting 1-2mins with only a 45 second gap inbetween. When I'm just in the house and not moving so much, they steady off and lose their regularity.

I got woken up by them somewhere between 0200 and 0230 this morning, and they kept me awake for three hours until I took some codeine to allow me to sleep - absolutely knackered after yesterday. Since I've been up - only an hour or so tbf, they've been roughly every 5mins, but not bad at all; the background cramp is worse. I dunno what to do! It's exhausting and I just want things to get going and get my baby here I'm worried about being too tired to push if this keeps on going. Can anyone help? Is there any way of speeding up the contractions?

Sorry not much help
this part is horrible
Bumping with hope that someone with more info comes along soon x

Try and stay on your feet if you can, or have you got a ball you can bounce on? Hang in there - the tiredness won't improve unfortunately. I was awake for about four days straight with DD, occasional hour here and there, but you do get through it somehow!

Hope you don't have to wait much longer xx

Ps. Should have said, the last 48 hours was post-natal!

I was told a warm/hot bath gets it going - my latent phase was ridiculous - on and off for 3 days and then I got in the bath after much cajoling, (didn't want to take off my clothes as it was too much fuss and I was huugggee), I then was in hospital an hour after, gave birth 8 hrs later.

Birthing balls are good too. Loved my birthing ball.

Grrr I don't have a bath Haven't got one I can 'borrow' either. Bugger.

Aww dark side, surely there is somewhere?
Get down the hospital, insist on staying to use there bath. They have baths in most rooms.

A shower might do it, but make sure your OH is in there to support/ direct shower spray etc keep an eye on you.

I don't have a bath where I currently live, when I have another I will be at my parents house mooing away in their bathroom. Or at the hospital.

Mine was 3 days too. Miserable. More walking and stairs if you have them. I was able to rest during the quiet stages, got a couple of hours of sleep here and there. Good luck, not long to go now!!!

My latent phase was 6 days. It's not so bad, as long as your waters don't break you can just let it happen when it happens. Your baby may just be trying to get into the right position, so walking and anything that moves your hips a lot helps. But do get a tens machine if you can - mine was invaluable and allowed me to sleep (I kept it on for most of that time!)

Oh good grief, whereisshe I can cope with the pain, and frankly I'd rather have it than not, but I really want things to get moving. Baby is apparently in the perfect position and so far down she shocked both of the hospital midwives so god only knows why things aren't moving any quicker.

Thanks for the luck everyone Plan for today is walking, housework, pilates, and, if that all fails, the gym - went yesterday morning after contractions had started and it seemed to help things a bit. Fingers crossed.

Good luck!

The baby might have head to the side though. If so they wouldn't really be able to tell with palpating. It's better just to let it happen in it's own time, if you get frustrated you'll slow down your oxytocin release and hence your labour. Easier said than done I know!

Oh you poor thing I remember it well!
The only thing that works was having my waters broken!
Ds2 was delivered 3 hours later!
Good luck x

I spent a lot of time on all fours, rocking using the ball. That might help?

Good luck! I'm the same - about 24 hours now with irregular contractions but they aren't too bad. Am off for reflexology now, then heading home for a bath to get this baby moving faster!

Hope things have moved on for you and that both you and baby are ok x

Still waiting! Contractions have got a lot worse pain-wise, but sadly no closer together (which is what the hospital have told me I need to wait for). Waters also still intact. Sigh.

Oh no! Are you able to rest and get any sleep at all?

You're going really well to get so far on so little rest! Standing or kneeling pelvic tilts really helped get my labour going. It's the baby's head pressing on your cervix that fuels your next contraction. Gravity helps, so does rotating your pelvis a bit whilst you're having a contraction. And deep breathing to keep lots of oxygen going to your contracting muscles. Best of luck, it'll be here soon!

Yes, breathing definitely helps. I was like an old locomotive with my contractions

A long latent phase generally helps things go quicker later on too, so it isn't wasted. My latent phase may have been 6 days but my (first) labour was 10 hours.

Good luck!