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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

In denial - this cant be 'it' as just not good timing :)... how can i slooooww it down?

67 replies

Awenamanger · 24/12/2007 21:03

After over 3 weeks of tightening and been in early labour since 4.30am Friday morning and was hoping would be all done and dusted by now.... but no. Baby seems to be of the opinion that tonight might be a good time . Am running a bath to try and slow it down as really dont want to be in tonight. How the feck can i slow this down?

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lulumama · 25/12/2007 08:13

technically , established labour is 3 - 4cm, but as you cannot really tell your dilation yourself, usually when ctx are 3 minutes apart or so and lasting a minute or so..but not everyones labour is the same.

when you feel you need to go into yourself, and close your eyes, need to concentrate , don;t want to be disturbed, need quiet space, then you are usually in established labour

lenght of labour can also depend on if your baby is in a good position... e.g dilation can be slower with a back to back baby, and if your waters break early on or not.... lots of factors can have an impact, including position and if you have an epidural , for example

chocolatespiders · 25/12/2007 08:20

very best wishes, a christmasbaby how lovely
it will be the best present ds gets

lisad123 · 25/12/2007 10:42

any news? I was already atleast 4-5cm when i got in the bath, was 5-6cm when i got out and by the time they pushed me to labour ward (just down one floor in the lift) I was rwady to push! so yes, like a rocket

woo hoo a chrimbo baby

brusselbeansprouts · 25/12/2007 10:54

Hope you are ok Awen, thinking of you!!!

madChristmasmouse · 25/12/2007 12:21

Merry christmas Awen, looking at the clock I am starting to think you may have popped as you have not been on yet. Fingers crossed.

AndATigerschickInAPearTree · 25/12/2007 13:07

I promised myself I wasn't going to post at all today!
But how could I not when I saw this thread? (Serves me right for looking at all!)
Hope everything is OK Awen - fingers crossed for news soon

SantaBabyBeenAnAwfulGoodGirl · 25/12/2007 13:22

ooh maybe you have a baby good luck an way

babe xxx

Original poster
Awenamanger · 25/12/2007 15:25

Managed to get through the night. Woke throughout night and ds came in with his santra pressies at 6am. Am getting strong pains every 4 minutes now. Managed to cook xmas dinner tho. They are really stopping me in my tracks now. Not sure am going to make it to tomorrow without going in. Glad made it till now tho.

Actually tempted to call now. LOst even more jelly last night. Had lost loads already so guess that is all of show. Getting very strong pains under bump and in my bottom. Really needing my full attention when having them. So tempted ot call hospital and go in but would really disrupt everyone today especially if i am no further on. Last time on Thurs i had got to 2 cm. Anyway i can check myself how dilated i am?

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Original poster
Awenamanger · 25/12/2007 15:25

sorry friday not thursday - the days are such a blur

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Bouncingturtlewithtinsel · 25/12/2007 15:30

Routing for you Awen - IKWYM re: ringing hospital today. Think I'm in slow labour myself now!

ADDICTEDtosayingHAAAAAAAPYxmas · 25/12/2007 16:38

how long are the contractions lasting? if they are lasting as long as 60 seconds you should really think about ringing the hospital?

CharlieAndLolasMummy · 25/12/2007 16:40

Awen, what was your last labour like?

tbh, I had a very slow labour with dd (she was a "back-to-back" presentation BUT that wasn't diagnosed until I was admitted to hospital after 36 hours of great pain ). I had all those symptoms.

This might be a long shot, but is there any chance of you getting a MW out to see you? Or at least calling them and saying, "look its Christmas, I don't want to come in if I can avoid it, what do you think?".

(otoh it does sound a bit like active labour...but I take it you have your dp and plenty of clean towels there? )

madChristmasmouse · 25/12/2007 17:21

Awen if you are strongly thinking of calling the hospital you probably should!

Can't believe you are worried about disrupting people, especially at the hospital. People who get drunk and fall over are far more disruptive and yet seem to be a normal part of working in hospital over Christmas . THey will be glad to look after you .

EffiePerine · 25/12/2007 17:25

If the cx are every 4 mins, call the hospital! And good luck

brusselbeansprouts · 25/12/2007 18:27

Hope you have called them? Best of luck!!

SantaBabyBeenAnAwfulGoodGirl · 25/12/2007 19:50

im predicti ng that you will have a baby..sooner or later babe

ADDICTEDtosayingHAAAAAAAPYxmas · 25/12/2007 20:00

when i was preg the mw told me not to bother calling the hospital until contractions were 3 mins apart cos that is when you are in active labour but i only live 5 mins from the hospital.

Original poster
Awenamanger · 25/12/2007 22:04

didnt call hospital, glad too as they have spaced out a bit more to 6 min apart. Baby was back to back but believe he is down the left now. Was going really regularly and intensly till ds1 had a over tired stroppy and i got all stressed as overtired too. Seemed to slow it all right down again. Ds at his dads tomorrow morning will miss him but may give my body a good chance too iykwim. Last labour ds was back to back - 48 hours 5 cm emer section. If these cx keep coming and getg regularly closer together and unbearable will def call hospital.

Feel a pain as been going in early labour since Friday. Been having on off cx (irratble uterus) for coming up 4 weeks!

My bet is that despite all of this everything will settle down and that i end up being 42 weeks and still not delivered!

The pains however are enough to make me cry out at times.

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buzzybee · 25/12/2007 22:14

Wow Awen, very impressed you made it through the day!

Maybe you should call the hospital now to be on the safe side since all the Xmas stuff is safely out of the way? If you're having to breath through them sounds like pretty established labour even if 6 mins apart?

Good luck!!!

CharlieAndLolasMummy · 26/12/2007 06:56

Aw Awen

it DOES sound very much like my labour with dd, but I don't know how much of that was the back-to-back stuff. One thing that did happen was that the contractions were quite irregular up to about 6 cm, its only because I was booked for a hb, and had a VERY quick (1 hour) delivery with ds that I called the mw at all.

I remember being just exhausted-I had about 3 weeks of reasonably bad pain (bad enough that they did actually give me a TENS machine early).

Have a good rest. Good luck!

madChristmasmouse · 26/12/2007 17:13

Awen, this must be it surely, you have not been on all day! Here's hoping...

madmouse · 26/12/2007 21:16

Still no Awen, something is definitely happening...

NAB3wishesfor2008 · 26/12/2007 22:16

Been looking for this thread......

brusselbeansprouts · 27/12/2007 07:56

Thinking of you Awen, hope things are progressing. My first labour sounds like yours and I am getting some low level pains at 35 weeks so am watching this with a keen interest!!

Hope you will be holding your baby soon.

AndATigerschickInAPearTree · 27/12/2007 14:27

Ooh - I hope everything is going OK Awen, one way or another