Someone please read regarding contractions

[howcanitell]

I posted this morning about having contractions - they started at 2am was every twenty mins for about 3 hours and then just stopped. Came back mid morning but only white light, all day since been varying in intensity, some really painful and strong and other quite weak and quick. I went to get checked in advice of my midwife and had quite an abrupt midwife who seemed to decide before examining me that I probably wasn't in labour as I wouldn't be able to talk.
She said I was not dilated, she could get one finger in because id already had a child, but that my cervix was forward. I am in latent labour.
I've been losing my plug since Monday, pink and red mucus.
Since leaving the
hospital I'm having contractions every 7 mins on average lasting around 50 seconds. They seem to get worse when I move around. I've had two strong cocodamol and still in pain.

Do I go back ?? How can I not be dilating yet be having such frequent and strong contractions ??

Oh and I was told earlier there is no cut off for dilation and c sections they would still do it even if I was 10cm

Could OP go camp in A&E?
I know it's maternal choice, not querying OP's choice, just that it sound like OP's body is happy to go with vaginal birth, so why not go with that?

Because I don't want to.

Please don’t go to a&e, they can’t help you and it certainly won’t help you with your discomfort and pain.

I appreciate what the midwife has said to you, you aren’t at risk of a rupture and are not having an ELCS because you have a risk of vaginal birth (assuming they aren’t concerned about your babies size), however I don’t think there is any harm you being on labour ward until it is the “right” time for you to have a c/s, particularly as you are obviously concerned and a little distressed.

A&E is NOT where you want to be if you're labouring.

If you're not happy call back and say you want assessing again, and you want to speak to the doctor about your elcs. You may have to wait if the med team are in theatre and you're not in active labour.

This happened with my 2nd, I was booked in for an ElCS due to a traumatic first birth, the hospital were trying to encourage me to labour and see how things went but booked a section for 40+6 as I refused induction. I went into labour the morning of the section, pretty irregular but painful, arrived and was 'only 2cm' dilated and encouraged to wait and see how things went, and delivered baby naturally 2hours later. Follow your gut and stand up for yourself, if you want the elcs ring and say you're coming in incase labour progresses too quickly and you then 'can't' have it. They may make you go to antenatal ward rather than labour though x

@Lj8893 oh I won't be going to A&E lol definitely not ! I've calmed down a little
Now. I've spoken to a different midwife since and she was a lot nicer and explained the 4cm thing again and especially the fact it's nighttime so it's staffing. She said ideally 3 contractions in ten mins and then to come in.

Contractions have slowed, again ! I'm going to rest and try and sleep abit more tonight. Fingers crossed things do progress. Thanks so much for everyone's advice it's really helped I was really stressing earlier, I don't think the lack of sleep is helping ! My brains been scattered all day today

I’m glad you are feeling a little calmer.

hopefully you can get some sleep and things will all die down till the morning, and that you have your baby in your arms soon!

I didn’t start dilating until I was having 4 contractions in 10 minutes with all 3 of mine. I stayed between 1-3cm until they properly ramped up and I felt like I was dying. They lasted around 2 minutes long so there was barely a break from them. Maybe that’s what your midwife means with ‘you wouldn’t be able to talk if you were in labour’?

with my last baby I was having on/off contractions for 10 days. During that time I didn’t go longer than 15 minutes without a contraction, most were around every 8-10 mins. Some were mild and some were what I thought was ‘strong’ until I was in active labour and I realised the earlier contractions weren’t strong at all 🫢 just Braxton Hicks which are usually stronger and more regular with subsequent babies. I lost bits of my plug during that time and I was examined twice - my cervix hadn’t budged. I ended up being overdue and induced.

I'm just worried I'll suddenly progress and they'll be like it's too late for the section ! I just need to trust my gut and go back when I think it's time !

Yep I remember how bad they get 😩 I was only 3cm with my son and literally thought my insides were going to fall out lol when I got to about 7-8cm that's when I seriously considered chucking myself out of the window 😳

I'm not an expert and maybe I'm being dense, but if you're an ELCS shouldn't they be getting you in as soon as possible seeing as you've now gone into labour? (Unless theatre is already full with emergency sections of course)
Best of luck anyhow OP!

LOL I swear I had an out of body experience during the end stage. I thought fuck this and left my body 😂 (was more likely the gas & air 🤣).

how far along are you? Some trusts do like you to be as close to your due date as possible or at-least over 38 weeks before an elective.

With my daughter I went from
2cm-7cm very quickly (although she ended up as an emcs) and subsequent babies can happen much more quickly.

In your situation, I'd be turning up at the hospital, regardless of what they say.

Best of luck!

We're 45 minutes drive from a hospital is probably why I think camping in a warm place near/at the actual hospital is reasonable if labour might accelerate suddenly.

They seem to be coming every ten mins now and getting more painful

I hope you're doing ok and baba arrives safely if they're not already here

She is here. A little beauty, she's just perfect !!
Arrived via "emergency" c section last night.
I called the Mau back up around midnight and told them I was coming in to be checked. I was having massive contractions every 10 mins and the midwife said well make sure you can get back home because we'll be sending you home. You're still in latent labour etc
Was 2cm when I got there so obviously had progressed since the first check. Then two hours later I was 5cm and was taken to delivery suite and within 30 mins I was in theatre.
Just goes to show you know your own body ! By the time I was being prepped for theatre I couldn't function when I had a contraction !

Oh congratulations!!! You've done amazingly 🥰

Congratulations!

Congratulations ❤️❤️❤️

Huge congratulations OP

Congratulations 🎉

Congratulations 🥰
I'm still confused why they left you labour so long though when you were down for a csection though, seems a bit unfair 🤷‍♀️

can't comment on timings, but I thought I read that mother experiencing some time of labour was good for infant, even for C-sec babies, something to do with maternal hormones priming the baby for breathing & life outside the womb.