Stopping and starting? So confused

[Ispy]

Should preface this by saying this is #3 for me and other 2 were straightforward labours and births, albeit late. Nevertheless I'm confused.

I'm 40+4 and should probably just try to relax but there are times during the day when I'm sure I'm starting and then it stops again. It has happened twice today. Both times it happened where I was having SEVERE pains WHILE baby was moving in both groin and back passage areas. My abdomen was also very tight so I presume I was contracting. DD was with me and she told me to let go of her hand because I was holding it too tight...

I'm beginning to wonder if this is just an enormous baby and when he moves significantly I just go into a spasm of pain?? He has been estimated to be at least 9.5lbs. The rest of the time I just feel like I'm having a bad period. Head is engaged though I haven't had an internal recently so don't know if anything is going on. I'm feeling a tiny bit hopeless and hormonal, not looking for a pity party, just hoping someone can shed some light or has a similar experience which may have resulted in subsequent labour?

Ispy am not sure but both my dds were big babies and I vaguly remember someone telling me whilst in labour with dd2 that babies sometimes react to contractions by moving with them - I could be COMPLETELY wrong and am hoping that someone who knows what they're talking about is along soon.

good luck with your labour, fingers crossed it is the start and before you know it you'll be posting your birth announcement

Thanks dizzydixies. Hope you're right!

Just bumping this up in case anyone else comes along..

Hi Ispy, I had a similar thing with DC4. I had about two weeks of false starts. Most evenings I thought something was happening, so I'd go to bed expecting to wake up on labour. I also used to get really bad Braxton Hicks at about 4 pm (co-inciding with the school run - it was all that rushing about I was doing!)

Ultimately, I had a 10lb baby 13 days late. BUT all this stopping and starting got me to 6cms diailated on the morning of the day she was born. She popped out with little more than a puff of G&A at 7.30pm. It was sooo easy! So, do go with it and try to relax, it could all be doing good work!

meant to say 6cms on the day she was born without me noticing - she's wriggling on my lap making typing very tricky!