Traditional "It would appear that I am in labour, but when will it actually get going properly thread

[AnguaVonUberwald]

I have been having period like pains and backache since friday evening, last night I had an hour and a half of really intense contractions every few minutes, that suddenly stopped, had a few this morning as well, but now back to the period like pains and backache, how long could this go on for?

morning all,

just waiting for my daily m/w check on the bp and 3rd attempt at a sweep. Visualising rosebuds opening, but may need to resort to visualising giant water lilies opening now...fingers crossed cervix is slightly more responsive than posterior and closed today!

i did the cervix opening like a flower visualisation..... my friend laughed at me when i told her about it, but did confess after the birth, she had done it too !

dp told me to visualise my cervix opening and then put on a silly voice as he said "like a floooooowerrrrrr" which just made me giggle.

So that never worked for me

maybe i need to visualise it as a full bag of maltesers or something, rapidly disappearing as i get peckish in labour?

Oh wise and knowledgeable Doulas, what does it mean that I had lots of really close together cramps (i.e. 3/4 every 10 mins, but only lasting about 15 seconds each?

This went on for a couple of hours, and now seems to have stopped!!!

good ol' braxton hicks

getting you ready for the off

all the ctx you have play a part in getting the baby and body prepared for labour, they are all useful

Thanks lulumama, just seen midwife who says baby is 2/5 engaged!!

So nothing likely to happen in next few days.

Just so uncomfortable, and with the pain and everything, just want it all to get started.

Is it normal to feel really down after having the initial contractions/BH etc, i.e. that you thought it was going to start and then it doesn't?

of course it is normal to feel disheartened! but the baby will come out ,sooner or later

all the practice ccontractions are helping, i promise!

Angua well thats good news baby 2/5th. I really understand how drained you must be feeling as it has been on and off for the past 2 weeks and then yesterday with the 2 hours odd of BH's enough to drain anybody.

As Lulu says BH are natures way of preparaing the body. Did you know that when you have on and off signs as you have, labours more often than not go very quickly and smoothly a way of your body taking into account the past few weeks, so chin up, we here sharing your experience with you.

Merry no news hopefully means good news, we need baby news, no pressure

Angua - it's quite normal to feel down in these circumstances -

was it to you the doctor said that you would give birth before your due date? I hate it when doctors say things like that - my friend was told the same thing and she was very shocked to get to her due date to find nothing was happening. She insisted on being induced the next day (private healthcare in Belgium; you can insist on things like that here)

I think things are starting to move here. Had a trickling of waters this morning and start of a show which has carried on all day .Saw MW this afternoon and baby is engaged ready to go. NO contractions then , but have had a couple of mild ones since then.Got to go in for monitering in the morning if nothing else happens because of the waters starting to go, but MW hopeful of home delivery tonight! Now it's happening I'm a bit scared.

oh delcymru, that sound really positive , don;t be scared, welcome it ! you could be holding your baby by the morning....it is so powerful and magical, all that birthing energy,

still no babies? good luck del!
sorry i;m not obliging either. spent much of last night reducing from contractions every 9 mins to every 6, minute long each, very strong, had to TENS, and yelp. TENS very good this labour.

then the sun came up and all stopped. yet again. i am so tired i feel i dissociated and weird. MW a bit worried how i've basically not slept for 4 nights, after of almost THREE weeks of increasingly tiring pre-labour. Right now barely have energy to concentrate through contractions, can see myself needing help tomorrow/tonight when more contractions loom! have done best to sleep in patches today, but am now at stage where i simply cannot lie down at all...going on either side causes extreme pain. have to doze bolt upright.

still contracting. saving grace is the birth pool. all is well in there...including being able to doze off. will really miss it when i go in for induction/labour augmentation tomorrow morning. talked it all through with dp and our indy MW today.

wnder what tonight will bring (she said contracting again)

sounds good delcymru sending positive birth vibes you can do it go one step at a time. Acknowledge your fear but remind yourself it is your body that will be giving birth to your baby and not your mind. Hugs

Oh Merry, is baby OP what does your indy say? Any idea on dilation?

Merry-You definitely win the prize for patience. Here's hoping that he was waiting til the last minute and wont want to go for induction. Looking forward to a birth story in the morning!

good position, yeswterday dilated to 3cm. MW thinks my body just too tired to progress much further. i've been having sleep disrupting pre-labour for nearly 3 weeks now, with last couple of days truly amazingly labour-like. then stopping.

got to go rest now , xxx

sleep in the birth pool?

chin up chuck! a big mug of raspberry leaf tea with lots of honey.. resting, resting, and we will all send vibes

Yes! Sleep as MUCH AS YOU CAN!!!!!!!!!!

Merry I am not a fan of Pethidine but everything has its time and place, would you possible consider it so you can get some well earned rest, it takes the edge of the pain and an hour sleep could do you and your body the world of good. You will then be in a better frame of mind and be able to cope better. Just a suggestion since you have been going for such a long time

oh merry really hope baby turns up tonight and you dont have to be induced.

it sounds just like my labour with ds3, i got to 4cm but was just knackered, had annoying consultant wanting to put me on a syntocin drip but a head midwife said NO, baby is fine she is just tired, turned off all the lights and i sort of half lay half sat to try and sleep, still had contractions and didnt sleep properly but dozed for a couple of hours which refreshed me, woke up to go to the loo, the movement set contractions of thick and fast and ds3 turned up three hours later

hope you get some sleep and labour establishes itself, much love and labour vibes 3mb xxx

Please see march thread for birth announce!