Intense prodromal labour

[anxiousupnorth]

Just wondering if anyone has has been/is going through this at the moment? I’m 40+6 with my second; wouldn’t mind being over but literally every night for the last week and a half at about 8pm the contractions start. Real, painful, breathe-through-them contractions every ten minutes until about 6am, at which point…they stop.

I’m honestly running out of steam with them. Had a sweep on Wednesday afternoon and the midwife said ‘I can’t believe you’re not in labour’ when she examined me. Had contractions every 5 mins that night but hospital said not to come in until they were 4 mins apart and sure enough, gone again at 6am.

Apologies for what is essentially a scream into the void but if anyone has any magical tips for coping I would LOVE to hear them.

Might not be much help, but I had intense contractions like this for a whole day, never getting any less than 5 minutes apart, until my waters broke when getting ready for bed and it all accelerated from there.
Thought Id been in false labour all day. But I remember reading a lot of women who go through that slow start, stopping and starting, often give birth within a week.
My point is it will probably happen very soon, maybe focus on different sitting and standing positions to encourage baby to move down while you are having the contractions.
Also relax as much as you can, its easier said than done but I'm a firm believer than stress will cause the body to hold on to baby.
Hope it all goes smoothly for you

I had this and my actual labour that followed was brilliant. Have you got a TENS machine?

Do you have a birthing ball? I would bounce around on that a lot to see if it helps to get things moving. I remember being in prodromal labour one night and the birthing ball really accelerated things...although it then stopped again!

Thank you - yes, sent my husband and son out for a TENS machine after the third night - holding onto the fact that a few people have said the actual labour was speedy after so long faffing around!

I do and can basically speed things up by bouncing on it - but again leads nowhere in the end so probably need to preserve energy a bit! Thank you though

I can sympathise OP.

DC2 is nearly 5 I had similar. DC1 was an EMCS and I was tryong for a VBAC. Contractions started on my due date, and continued for 7 days. They were all day, everyday varying for 45 mins apart to 5 mins apart. I had a TENS machine and was falling asleep with the boost button still active. I was exhausted but never got past 3cm. On day 7 DH and I went to Maternity at the hospital and I begged for a c section.

I had the same the DD2 from 37 weeks until she was born at 40 weeks.

I had this every day for about 2.5 weeks before he finally made an appearance. Tens machine was my friend. Also did yoga every day and early labour acupuncture once I was term.

I also had this for seven days before giving birth. You have my sympathy.

This is awful for me just now. I got kept in hospital on Sunday night and told I was in early Labour. Fast forward 24 hours and nothing progressed so sent home.. I was 36+ 5. I'm still contracting and starting to just feel generally unwell. Wish someone could tell me how long this will go on for. Doc said she could touch babies head on Sunday and I was 2cm but I could still go for hours, days or weeks 🤷🏼‍♀️🤦‍♀️ x

I'm sorry for those of you going through this. Thought I'd very belatedly pop back to say - my waters started leaking the day after I posted this thread, and I went into full blown labour about 28 hours later. Baby was born 4 hours later, and the midwives said all the contractions beforehand had definitely been doing things (and it was nothing at all like my first incredibly long, intervention-filled birth)

I don't know if that's helpful to say or not but for what it's worth I essentially found the days on end of prodromal labour harder to go through than the real thing!

Aw good on you for popping back, that's really good to hear and I did wonder if all these "pointless" contractions as I call them actually have a benefit to them later in Labour. Hope your keeping well and put it all behind you lol x