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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Why arent I dialating?

18 replies

millysimmons · 07/09/2006 20:27

HI,

I'm 39 wks with my 1st baby. Last night went to hospital as baby was breech & they said i was in early labour.Got there, babies turned so sent home. Still having contractions every 5 mins but they are beareable, getting more intense but not dialated at all. Mw said is is real labour as they have monitored it but why am I not dialting & how long before anything happens?

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3andnomore · 07/09/2006 21:00

Aww you are probably really fed up by now with the pain, but sadly early labour can, in some women take a long time...but often it will also really work for you and get your body started, so, not at all bad!
Try to relax, have a nice Bath and go with the flow, the relaxter you are the more likely you are to get into labour, as stress and anxiousness can actually sometimes prevent labour or slow it down, etc...!
How long it will take for you...I don't think anyone can answer that, as every woman will have a different experience and each pregancny is often compeltley different in the same woman!
Best of luck anyway!
BTW, do you maybe have a tens machine that might help you cope with teh pain better!

sallyrosie · 07/09/2006 21:08

Ohh - thinking of you! Perhaps the fact that the contractions are getting more intense means something is happening? Have a bath and try and get some rest. Good luck!!

lemonaid · 07/09/2006 21:10

Anything from a few hours to several days, I'm afraid. Agree on the nice bath...

LittleB · 11/09/2006 13:36

I had this for several days, I really feel for you, it was knackering, I did borrow a tens machine from the hospital which helped, and had lots of baths too (don't forget to take the TENS machine off in the bath - I almost did!) they eventually had to induce me to speed things up, but thats because my waters went to. good luck.

Original poster

millysimmons · 11/09/2006 18:02

Still going!! Had my tens mcine on all day, been for accupunture, got more booked in & reflexology tommorrow. Think the more anxious I am getting about it the more I am going to slow the progress so guessing its a case of wait & see!!!

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pupuce · 11/09/2006 18:13

Actually slow progress (as long as you can bare it) IS GOOD!
Once you get going at a regular rythm (every 3 mins) you will probably go quickly.
The trick as you seem to be aware if to "let go"... just let it all happen, don't over anaylse, do "do" things to accelerate.
You might find that taking 2 paracetamols and a lye in would help you relax and once the paracetamols have worn off things may well kick in!

Original poster

millysimmons · 11/09/2006 18:48

Thanks, will give this a try tommorrow morning. Have got to the stage where I cant answer the phone cause its my sisters asking me why things havent moved on yet!! Have stopped beating myself up a out it though.
Thanks for the encouragement

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kamsmum · 11/09/2006 18:48

It took me days to dilate. Was in real pain. Nurses kept smirking and offering paracetamol - obviously thought I was being a drama queen. Oh how I wanted to tell them to shove the Paracetamol up their arses!!!!
When my waters finally broke I went to hospital for the 4th time to be told I was 7cms dilated. Midwife said "oh, well done for getting this far all on your own!" dh says he thought I was going to punch her.

Well done you for staying so calm. I'm sure it won't be long now.

Good luck!!

pinkypig · 12/09/2006 11:15

I'm in a similar position. 39+5 today with our first and having a lot of excruciating pains both front and back. Ended up in hospital last Friday after a full night of 'contractions' to be told I was only 1cm dilated. After a further 4 days/nights of painful contractions went to the OB today to find...yes I'm still 1cm dilated...gutted but trying hard to think positively. TENS, a bath and paracetamol seem to be the standard suggestions. Good Luck!

Flamesparrow · 12/09/2006 11:24

I tend not to dilate, and then it is all over in an hour iyswim.

Not fun, especially as everyone seems convinced that nothing is happening and that you are just "not coping".

Nice baths help

Original poster

millysimmons · 12/09/2006 19:32

Glad its not just me! MW said its not abnormal but my darling mother seems convinved there is something wrong with me!!

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littleducks · 12/09/2006 19:53

I had dd in birth centre where they didnt really do internal exams, so they checked me once, 1 week of contractions, (keep being told it is the latent phase) = 3cm dilated admitted as in alot of pain at this point (mw thought i was a wimp im sure) 2.5 hours later tell dh to get midwife as im pushing, 3 hours later = dd born in her waters (i hadnt even put on nightie or unpacked that long thought over labour bag)

Cakehead · 13/09/2006 12:08

I was the same as you, Milly, but never did dilate on my own. Was given syntocin in the end to kick-start dilation and things zipped along nicely after that. The plus side was I needed very little pain relief as I was absolutely flying on endorphins after days of contractions. I found giving birth absolutely fine as I'd had days of pain and just wanted to get it all finished. Good luck!

kamsmum · 13/09/2006 12:55

hope you are ok! How's it going?

You know, before it happened to me I thought that labour would be a mad dash to hospital in car with legs firmly crossed - all over in a couple of hours.

I thought I was abnormal. This thread has really helped take the edge off a really raw memory for me. Thank you!!

Anyway, Milly, you will soon meet your baby. Don't forget to tell us what you have!!!

Original poster

millysimmons · 13/09/2006 17:21

Thanks for all your support. How long was it & how did you get the hospital to help? I am just wondering if I will be left at home plodding on!!

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SupermummyT · 13/09/2006 19:25

Milly, Just wondering how you are and if you've had baby yet?? Don't worry about anything. Everyone is different and every pregnancy and birth is different. Go with it and try to relax. I didn't dilate with my first and eventually they put me on an Oxytocin drip then it only took a further 65 mins!!! One word of advice though! Warning - if they mention the Oxytocin Drip - ask for suppositary first! My baby wasn't the only thing to emerge from that end of my body that night! Oh the shame! just cringeing at the thought. Apparently that's totally normal as well but one of the subjects few ladies are ever prepared to talk about! When you have a textbook birth (my second was) you will naturally open your bowels. Good luck. I'm excited for you and remember, everything's normal, including the emotions afterwards. You'll look back and laugh, I promise!

pupuce · 13/09/2006 21:37

You could ask to be examined..... see what they find !

kamsmum · 14/09/2006 17:31

Milly, if you are still there, my labour started on Saturday and hospital finally took me in on Wednesday. I hadn't slept a wink in all that time and was starting to feel like I was going mad.
However, once I was through those swing doors and into the labour ward it was great. Gas & air followed by epidural (all of my plans about "natural" birth were long forgotten).
Actually my labour never progressed beyond 8cms. I was VBAC, baby hadn't engaged and was in posterior position. Ended up with c/section.

My beautiful boy is now 18 weeks and he is still laid back and very content - a joy!!

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