Stuck at 3cms

[GSD20]

Has anyone any clue how long is normal to be sitting at 3cm without progress?

I had a sweep yesterday and she said I was 3cms and engaged. Lots of cramping last night and lost mucus plug but now nothing at all and I’m loosing the will to live as I want this over before induction date

I’ve tried walking, bouncing, cleaning, up and down stairs and nothing works. This is DC2 and this didn’t happen with DC1.

Has anyone else been stuck in the early stages for a while? How long shall I leave it before contacting someone?!

Labour wards don’t usually take people until 4cm because 1-4cm can take a along time, sometimes 2 week. I think I was at 2cm for about a week - I was checked for lack of movement and was 2cm on a Saturday and then I gave birth the following Friday

I got stuck at 4cm permanently, had to have a c section.

Our 2nd I was checked at my final consultant app and 1cm, 5 days later I was 5cm. Admitted to ward as I had polyhdramnios and they wouldn't break waters. Next day still 5cm so they eventually agreed to break waters and he was born 2hr 19mins later with 14mins pushing. He had meconium in his waters, they shouldn't have left me so long. If I were you I wouldn't leave it too long before asking for more help progressing things.
Our 3rd's labour was given a kick up the backside with sex though, that's worth a try. Good luck

Maybe I should request a check sooner than my check on Monday!

I’ve had no contractions at all although I have had some pressure. Nothing at all is kick starting them though, it’s bizarre as my last Labour I was in agony at 4cms!

Doesn’t sound like you’re in active Labour, so I would take the 3cm as good news that you’ve got a bit of a head start. It can take days and days to get to 4cm and if you’re not contracting and there are now issues then just try and be as relaxed as possible. Maybe go for a nice meal. Enjoy your weekend.

Sometimes it’s a positioning thing so you might find leaning over a ball helps. If baby needs to turn and get into a better position on the cervix that should do the job.

Maybe she made a mistake? Hope it picks up for you anyway, how exciting!

@IamJuliaJohnson I don’t think I am either. She said at my check she was suprised I wasn’t having any pain as the waters were ready to burst and she could feel the head so I went home over the moon however not a thing has happened since!
I am due an induction next week so hopefully things can get going themselves before then.

That’s ok - it can start literally out of nowhere. Get some rest, hang out over a birthing ball and relax (as much as you can)

It took me a week to go from 0-4cm. Then one morning it was like a switch had been flipped and I was in active labour! Baby was born later that day. I agree with others, rest while you can. It could happen any time now x

Any progress overnight @GSD20?

My advice would be stop getting checked for dilation. It’ll just cause extra annoyance if things haven’t changed.

You’ll know when your body’s in active labour and if your waters haven’t broken then there isn’t really any risk to baby from just waiting for your body and the baby to do it’s thing!

Also if you’re worrying about your induction date you can always push it back.

@PanicBuyingSprouts not a thing getting really upset and disheartened now.

I’m wondering if there’s something wrong, maybe it can’t get into position or something?

I really can’t push back the induction because I’m so unwell- I would push it forward if I could but they won’t let me! I just wanted it to happen naturally before all of the intervention but it’s not

I know others have said rest and relax OP but try to do something you enjoy, have a bath, eat some chocolate and watch a funny film. Anything to get your oxytocin levels up which helps contractions, I think the more you stress about it the less likely they are to start. Good luck!

Thank you @kt12mum I will try!

The constant texts aren’t helping. No still no baby

I haven’t been checked for dilation but I’ve had 2 sweeps at which they have told me where I am. I’m back on Monday with the midwife maybe I should ask her not to bother if she does sweep again!

I thought Labour would never happen (after more than a week of prodromal Labour). We went to lunch together, had the best time, and my waters broke that evening.

The good news is if you do have to be induced you might find it’s more at the ‘natural’ end of that spectrum. Hard to say wht they will do, but breaking waters is a possibility, which might just kickstart the whole thing. Or if it’s a drip, maybe just a whiff.

I've lost mucous plug and was having (what I thought were strong!!) contractions all night last night, about 30 seconds long and roughly 2 minutes apart, increasing in intensity. (Had to use a TENS machine to manage the pain, and was physically sick a few times.)

They've totally stopped today and I'm completely fine again?! So I feel your frustration. I called the hospital and they said providing your waters haven't gone and you can find a way to manage the pain, stay home as long as you can... I'm just hoping things ramp up again tonight. Lots of rest and feel good things to boost your oxytocin!

For the record my midwife tried to give me a sweep last week and couldn't even reach my cervix! So sounds like you're in a better position than me!

Come on babies 💪🏻 hope you’re getting some sleep!

@crabette they couldn’t reach mine at all at my appointment on Monday but by Thursdays sweep it had moved so you never know. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.

No progress at all for me but I’ve spent the day giving up, walking the dog and eating chocolate Maybe I’ve just reached the acceptance stage now!

@GSD20 Fingers crossed for you too!! Hopefully we both ramp up tonight. Mine have been non existent today as well, naps, chocolate biccies, cat cuddles and rom coms!

Nothing for me again!

I’m having an absoloute panic today feeling like something isn’t right I even dreamt I was going to die. Morbid!!

Your cervix will be what’s called ‘a multips OS’. Ie. A cervix that has laboured before and it’s super common to find women’s cervix that delisted at sweeps when they’ve previously had babies, the different will be it won’t be fully effaced and still have some length to it. There is no time limit to it, your body just isn’t ready yet.

I was 4cm for days and days and then all of a sudden i went into labour and it all happened really quickly, how many days over are you?

I’m 40+3
I’m terrified.

I had a 5lb 38 week baby last time and he got stuck and I tore. How can I get this one out if it’s 3 weeks later
Im also terrified of stillbirth, isn’t everyone but the more days it’s in there the more days it could happen.

Nobody is listening to me. The midwifes don’t care and the consultant just talks about policy. I want this baby out now, I really don’t feel safe

I assume you feeling baby move GSD20? It's not that the midwives and consultants don't care, it is just that from a removed position, your anxiety is obvious and being anxious doesn't mean an actual risk.

If your baby is moving then you could safely have many days before established labour starts. Your fears are the main and only problem really.

What do you normally do to alleviate anxiety when you feel it? (I eat chocolate in the bath).

@FATEdestiny honestly I almost never feel anxious. I’ve always had a fear of going over the date. I’ve worried and worried about it through this whole pregnancy, I’ve obsessively googled statistics and I’ve asked the midwife and consultant multiple times to ensure I don’t go over but they have said it’s 41 weeks. My induction is booked for 41 but it’s not even guaranteed to be then because of lists and things.
I think it stems from having placental failure in my first child. This ones been scanned so many times and is fine but I can’t move past this and I just want it out. The more time goes on the more panicked I feel and I can’t get rid of it.

The baby is moving but it feels wedged under my ribs despite being head down. This isn’t helping matters because I’m assuming it’s bloody massive and it’s going to get stuck or something else terrible will happen. The midwife just shrugged it off when I asked her and said some babies are longer than others but it’s not her life at risk it’s mine