Currently 40+3 with first baby. I posted yesterday about mucus plug coming away and I'm still getting small amounts of it each time I go to the toilet but I think it's mostly come out already there's been loads of it.
Contractions started last night around 11pm and almost straight away were about 9-10 minutes apart and gradually became more like 7-8 minutes through the night. I didn't sleep at all as they were so painful. By around 4am they were coming 5 minutes apart and I considered we might need to go to the hospital soon. Had another few hours of them coming consistently at 5 minutes apart with some more like 4 minutes. Midwife told me not to come in til they were 3 contractions every 10 minutes so I tried to lay down for a bit as I'd had no sleep and they started to slow down and eventually I fell asleep around 8am and woke every half hour or so with some less painful contractions. Managed to sleep for a few hours and then went for a walk where I probably had one or two painful contractions an hour but nothing more.
They then started up again around 2pm and went back to being every 9 minutes or so, still painful but some longer gaps between them so they are in no way regular and don't seem to be progressing.
How long can I expect contractions to keep coming and going like this? Most of the pain is in my back and doesn't change if I move around or sit/lay down etc. Any words of wisdom? Am I even in labour?