Labour stopping and starting!!

[cupcake78]

Anyone else had this???
(40+3)

I have been in and out of labour now for the past 24 hours. Contractions are varying from 10 mins apart to 1 hour but not remaining regular and the strength of these contractions is changing from just normal pain to strong pains.

I have also had continual shows throughout this time. Have spoken to Midwife who has said this is very normal and can go on for days before it regulates. Any advice or experience of this??? Contractions are worse when I lie down to go try and sleep and everytime I go up and down stairs it triggers them off.

Advice please.

Sorry but it's ture - could be days or could be tonight - no way of knowing when it will kick in for real. The best advice I can give you is this:

1. Have a bath.
2. Have a nice energy filled meal.
3. Go to bed and sleep as much as you can.

Will be around later if you need a chat.

drink raspberry leaf tea with honey

nipple stim, with a breast pump if you have one

sex , as long as your waters are intact

rest and sleep when you can

you will not sleep through full blown labour

try a visualisation

sit on the birth ball to help keep pelvis open and help baby move down

this happened to me for a week before my last baby was born. Really annoying and I didn't get any sleep at all (labour kicked in every night and then stopped during the day )

The shows are a good positive sign though as this is loss from around the neck of the womb - so obviously things are happening for you. The latent phase of labour (cervix preparing up to 3cms dilated)can take a while but it's all positive stuff.

Thanks for your reply,

It goes without saying that I am shattered and not too sure if I should rest or keep moving to try and get them going abit. Only managed 3 hours broken sleep since yesterday and feeling very sore when I stand or walk.

Baby pushing down hard or me bending over seems to trigger contractions as well.

Not looking forward to the prospect of hours of strong labour after days of soreness and lack of rest.

hi cupcake, I am in the same boat with you (see the other recent 'labour stopped' thread started by Luxmum).

I am 40+6 and have been up at night for almost a week now. According to my midwife and doula this is very common. On the plus side, it apparently means that labour may be speedier once it starts because a lot of the preparatory work has already been done.

Don't have any tips other than those already on this thread (I am taking all my advice from MNET!) but thought it might help for me to commiserate...

pendulum, I don't know how your doing it I am already shattered and feeling very sore. Just want it all to hurry up. Don't want people to know when I am in labour either so having to beat them off with a stick which is not easy when they persistantly call to find out what is happening and can they come visit etc.

cupcake, please go to bed ! you won;t sleep through the real thing, and no good trying to bring it on and exhausting yourslef

bath, bed and a cup of warm milk for you right now , young lady !

is the midwife monitoring you regularly? I had a similar experience with my DD. I didn't see the midwife for 2 days as I didn't want to bother her.

When they came out to see me after 2 days of these kind of contractions, the baby's heart-rate was very high. They then told me I should have called them out before.

It's probably all fine, but if you have any concerns, don't hesitate to contact them like I did.

Any update cupcake?

(Nothing dramatic to report here.)