irregular contractions - second baby

[Poppytime]

Been having contractions for past 5 hours - ranging from every 6-10 minutes, lasting about a minute. Painful, like very bad period pain, but currently just about manageable. Hospital don't want to see me until they are every 4-5 minutes for past hour, lasting about a minute (I thought it might be earlier as midwife originally said that when I last saw her as second baby). I've been timing them and sometimes they are every 5/6 mins, they they go back to 7,8 etc - anyone experienced the same with a second baby? I'm worried things aren't progressing and I will be stuck like this all day or worse, it tails off everyone kept telling me how this labour will be so much quicker and also a friend recently left it too late and had to deliver her baby alone on the living room floor

My contractions for second birth were very irregular, all the way up to actual delivery, timings were all over the place, even at the pushing stage.
I would take yourself off to hospital for a check on progress.

Yep I'd go in and get checked too. If things are going backwards it could be nothing but I'd want to get it checked out. Good luck and congrats

Thanks for the quick replies! Just had a bath - contractions still around, some more painful than others - seems more manageable than the first time..but then my waters broke and I was almost straight into them every 3 mins, also feel bit more in control than 1st time when was panicking a bit - can that make a difference to pain threshold? Likely these are just the beginning and there is much worse to come! I had an epidural last time after about 9 hours of labour...ill call midwives again soon then or should I just get DH to drive me in?

How are you OP? Hopefully the baby is here now...!!??

Baby arrived a couple of hours ago! A boy just under 6lbs. So it did progress after all! Thanks for your replies :)