Surely I'm having too nice a time for this to be labor??

[WombOfOnesOwn]

Woke up at 9 AM with contractions every 6-8 minutes, 45 seconds each, for about 5-6 hours. Then they decreased in frequency and duration and strength a bit, so I ate a little and took a nap. When I woke up, they were still slowed down, so I took a walk until I didn't feel like walking any more, and recently they've ramped up to lasting just about a minute, 3-5 minutes apart.

So that sounds like labor...except...

I'm having kind of a great time? I'm usually quite prone to anxiety, and always have a "background radiation" level of anxious thoughts. Not today it's like I can't even think of being afraid, it doesn't "work." It's almost like feeling blissfully post-coital. The contractions are uncomfortable, but I wouldn't describe them as pain, exactly and they feel somehow satisfying and productive when they're at their strongest.

I'm still able to talk and joke through contractions. So this isn't real labor, right? Too much fun. I wonder how long I can expect it to continue like this...

I enjoyed two of my labours, they were absolutely fine. Contractions were intense but in between I was chatting, joking etc. Labour doesn't have to be horrendous to be labour! Have you called your midwife?

Yes, they seem to think it's probably the real thing but to wait until it's 1-minute long contractions 3 minutes or less apart for an hour. Huh. I don't know what I expected ... but it wasn't this ...

It's not all horror stories. My first labour me and dh went for a walk around a lake, then played boggle in hospital, then felt nice and drunk on gas & air.

Midwife took it off me when I laughed that my nose had gone numb during pushing

Right until after the birth hopefully. Can't help as two inductions mean I wouldn't recognise natural labour, but wanted to wish you luck

I loved both of my labours, I was fortunate. Enjoy it, it may get harder but it's totally worth it

I really enjoyed the early stages of labour, went for walks, went out for breakfast (!). The rest of it was less enjoyable but it wasn't a horrendous experience and I feel really nostalgic about it when I look back. Enjoy yourself, and congratulations!

I think 1 minute apart leaving it too late to get to the hospital. I waited till thet were 2 mins apart and i just made it in hospital to deliver it was a 15-20 min drive deoending in traffic. When i say made it witg one they had to tear my trousers off baby just popped out. So dont wait for 1 min apart contractions 2 mins is crazy enough. Ithe contractiobs dhould feel really strong by then. Im surprised no pain at all? Time it with stopwatch on your phone.

My fourth was like this. All day I was calm, chatting, joking away. Sometime around 4pm I had the sudden urge to go for a walk. Which we did. I even climbed a style! The contractions intensified but weren't unbearable.

I called the labour ward and the midwife actually said "you don't sound as if you're in labour?" I replied that it was my fourth and I thought I knew what I was doing. I was 8cm when I got there.

Good luck

They don't all have to be horrendous. My last baby was an induction and it was a right laugh compared to the previous 2 spontaneous labours.

Just don't leave it too late to go in to be examined just in case.

I am an anxious person. When I was having Dd 13 years ago I was terrified of going into labour.
When it actually happened I was as calm as can be. Just went with every contraction was still laughing and joking right up to pushing.
In fact the midwife didn't think I was progressing because I was still so calm so she examined me and found me almost fully dilated.
It was put on my notes for next time to be aware of this and it was the same then too.

When I had ds2 (my third) at home on a different area I did speak to the midwife about this because I was worried I'd call and they wouldn't believe I was in labour. The first midwife that came out didn't and actually said "really" when my own midwife examined me and said yep fully there when you feel like pushing go for it.

It's really not all horror stories.

Had a couple hours' nap, woke back up, contractions have slowed a little again. It may be a stop and start sort of thing, apparently!

How are you getting on now? It's frustrating when it's sop start but it all hopefully doing something.

Baby overnight?

Still stalled. Guess he wasn't ready to arrive yet ...

When are or were you due? The last bit is boring and frustrating. I'm not very patient I hated the last few weeks.
Hopefully not long now. It's all your body getting good there.

Ended up with a c-section after over 2 days of labor during which baby, trying to disentangle from cord, turned tilted breech and passed meconium. Section went brilliantly, no pain after, recovering so well.

Sounds like you had a bit of a stressful time! Glad the section went well and you're recovering well.

Congratulations!!

I was eating fish and chips when labour started and told everyone there that it couldn't be labour as I was stuffing my face at the same time as the contractions. How could I eat so much if I was having a baby? Had my daughter 12 hours later.

I had a lovely day in labour wih my dd. I made a banana bread. Read my book. I was in my own for 12 hours of it until dh got home. Then he had dinner and we went to the hospital. It got significantly harder at that point and there were some issues with the pushing stage but up until then I couldn't believe it was really IT.

And the gas and air at the hospital was fab and I too had it taken off me because I was over indulging a little think that's when it went downhill for me!

Argh so sorry for not reading the whole thread. Glad all ok now though