Am I in labour???

[NatalieJane]

I know it has been done 1000 times before, but if nothing else I just want something to do with myself while my body decides what it is going to do.

I felt fine all day, got to about about 5 o'clock-ish, and very suddenly started to feel sick, didn't want to eat dinner but DH made me eat some toast which perked me up a bit, have been having fairly mild but intense contractions (can you have mild and intense at the same time?!!) with a tiny bit of back pain, coming every 8-10 minutes or so. The contractions aren't painful, but just really tight, and the baby has dropped really low.

Anyone who has followed the last 5 weeks with me, this is completely different to every contraction I have had before!

I actually feel really silly posting this, in case it turns out to be nothing, but I am bored and can't concentrate on the telly, so thought it would at least take some time up.

I've no idea what is going to happen with the midwife now. When I rang yesterday to cancel yesterdays appointment, I just cancelled it with the receptionist, then the midwife rang back after to ask if I could go in today, and said if I couldn't make it then I was to ring and cancel, and someone would come to the house. So this morning I have rang and cancelled and yet no one has rang about coming out, but, the midwives are only based in our town on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, I know they will be in the next town by now.

I don't think I am ever supposed to get this bloody sweep!

And I know he will be OK downstairs, he has been down here on his own most of this morning because I have had a bath and cleaned the bathroom, I know he is OK, but I didn't know if it looked 'bad' to the midwife? I suppose it just seems a bit sorded in a weird kind of way!!

nooooo! not at all....you musnt worry about htat!

NJ, it would be alot more odd for you to have your DS watching! I'm sure that the midwife will expect you to leave him on his own at the age of four..like you say, you're only upstairs, not nipping out to the surgery!

And it is apparently all very quick?

C

I don't know how quick it is, I've never had one done before, but I can't see it taking that long...?

Well it doesn't look like it will be today anyway, I think she'd have rung by now if she was going to come. If I hear nothing for the rest of today, I'll just ring the surgery tomorrow and make a new appointment for next week I suppose.

Two mins tops, she may have to rummage to find your cervix if it's round the back but still wont take long. Takes longer to put the bloomin gloves on!

rummage !!

i will eat my louladoula badge if NJ doesn't have an anterior cervix by now! its; probably made a bid for freedom anyway ! bored of waiting!! LOL!!

Well they have just turned up out of the blue, everything is fine, BP has crept back up a bit, but hardly surprising with whats gone on recently! No sweep, she said she didn't want to do it away from the surgery incase I needed emergency help (???? what could go that wrong? I have the baby??!!!) I think TBH she was in a rush and just wanted to get out asap, when I asked if they wanted a drink she answered for both of them saying no.

Oh well, another appointment booked for next week...

a sweep can sometimes break the waters...also, she was probably not on call for a home birth and din;t want to stay! glad i don;lt have to eat my badge though !

No, she is off on holiday tomorrow she said, I didn't think of it that way.

I wouldn't have minded if she'd have had to call someone else though!!! LOL

And I'd have let you off the badge thing, I don't know that much about cervix's but if you would expect mine to be doing something, it probably isn't doing it, going off everything else!

Sorry you didn't get your sweep. Maybe she forgot her broom. Or maybe she's worried that with your history anything could set you off.

There is probably no cervix to feel lulu, fully effaced, totally thinned out, only the baby's head and maybe some hair!! Wouldnt that be funny, she could just shout ofgs just push NJ and you will have your baby......

You never know.....

i actually wouldn;t be at all suprised!

LG&T - dilating & effacing..simultaneous or no? dilates as it effaces, or effaces first....? is full dilation judges by fingerspan internally or how much of the baby is visible, IFYSWIM....

Yeah I had breakfast (it's so cute you call it brekkie) I still feel like crap though. It's been a crap morning.

NJ, you should check yourself out with a mirror, maybe rummage around on your on in there.

Mostly effacing goes on first, then dilation but you can have a dilated cervix that is not fully effaced. It just depends, first time is alot of softening and effacing first of the cervix. Hence the long pre labour. Second and subsequent babies get to cheat a little as you are usually 1-2 cm to start with. Now ive had 5 im probably sat at 5cm permanantly

Dilatation is the space between the cervix that you can stretch your fingers between (not all your fingers, lol). I only have little hands and i could just stretch my fingers wide enough to get to 10cm. Mostly then you should have your fingers out the way though....!

so , if women is wanting to push..would you check or let her push

would you look to see if baby visible etc...

just fascinated......

tell me more....if you can be bothered...!

MKG why are feeling bad?

Oh I have come down with a terrible cold, and other crap that happens in life. Dh and I had a stupid fight this morning, my mom called and said that my nephew is in the hospital, an ds being all adorable, let me sleep in while he jumped in his jumperoo and watched sesame street decided to do a massive poo that got everywhere. I couldn't give him a bath because our dishes are in the bathtub, because our countertops are being replaced, and the dishwasher isn't hooked up, so I plopped him in the shower which scared him to death.

So I'm tired and I don't feel good.

((((hug)))))) how horrid....hopefully tomorrow will be a better day..can anyone come and give you a hand tomorrow with DS?

No my ds is easy. I pretty much put him on the floor to crawl an he goes to town. He was born with the ability to entertain himself. I'm listening to his monitor right now, and he hasn't fallen asleep for his nap, but he's talking to his winnie the pooh animal, this has lasted about 45 minutes.

Hi guys...well...have had a nap and been for a long walk, the backache is in full swing and have been having contractions pretty much all afternoon, just in very varying strengths. Looks like its going to be another long night.

On the plus side, the replacement birth pool has arrived so now I get to deflate the current one and pump up the new one and hopefully, no floods!

Tens machine is doing a good job so far, I've got the setting on quite low and I'm loving the boost button! Hope it keeps up the good work.

Apart from that, nothing doing...the day has gone SOOO quickly and I seem to have the most enormous appetite - DH is a bit shocked...he's normally at work so doesn't see how much I put away !

Anyway, will keep plodding and trying to rest and stay mobile and maybe both me and Debbsy will produce something soon!

Cal

sounds like a lovely LO MKG...least you get a rest....x

Cal- all sounds positive...keep it going and bounce on a gym ball if you have one!

sounds like all goiung the right way....xkeep us posted..x