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?

jfly- soooooooo pleased for you! Please tell us which acupuncturist you see before you go!! x

jfly, is this your first?

reason i ask is that with ds2 i had clusters of contractions and some quite long gaps (some as long as 5 mins) but when i got to hosp i was 9 cm

with ds3 i had irregular contractions again

Rang doula and she said it sounded like I was still in early/latent phase. And yes, to aim for 3 contractions within 10 minutes that stop me from talking and demand all my attention.

Also said to have a bath.

lula, it's my first baby and hospital is about 15-20 minutes away with light traffic.

So, still around the 5 minute mark with about 1 minute duration. Some more intense than others. I could still probably talk thru them if I had to.

Whoa! Scratch that. Last one was a doozy, but I've lived through it!

Think I'll have that bath.

Oh, and acupuncture was with Silvio at the Vitality Centre in Southfields, SW18.

Turtle23 - I am in Bromley, where are you?

Jfly, wow, very exiting, fingers crossed for you.

Thanks HolidaysQueen.

Squonk, thats for the support and sympathy earlier, it does all help, its just the huge unknown of actually having a baby seems to loom over everything.

Been back to the day assesment unit, not even contracting this time.

Had accupuncture but simply couldn't lie on the table for an hour!!!

Good luck to all, wishing you speedy babies!

Afternoon all, do you mind if I add myself to the thread? I'm due tomorrow , have had cramps on and off for the past couple of weeks, but nothing else, and am starting to get seriously uncomfortable! Very good to know so many others are in the same boat [trouble shared is trouble halved emoticon]

JFly, good luck - sounds v promising!

Sending good birth vibes your way JFly

Angua- Carshalton..not too far.
Midwife tried to sweep me today but declared my cervix firmly shut. Effaced, soft and anterior, but shut. Bugger.

Ugh. thought that maybe, just maybe something was getting going last night with good, painful cramps, but now a big fat nothing again.
Love and Squalor- welcome- I am a newbie here too.

Trying to keep my mind off things by staying busy, but seem to end up eating a lot of peaches and cream and chocolate- not quite sure if that's the most helpful approach, but so OVER it today that my double chin and I no longer care.

Hope all is moving a head well for you JFly- how exciting to think that this cramping and BH stuff actually does turn into something real and baby-like in the end!

all quiet from jfly...

turtle, soft and effaced and anterior is great !! open will be the next thing to happen , i promise, that is really positve

camilla-thank you, i needed to hear that.

Hi ladies

i miss you guys!! And i actually miss waiting to go onto labor!! Crazy i know, but its true! Love having DS here ( was 12 days overdue) but miss the anticipation of how my labor was going to be... i really enjoy giving birth!!

BIG labor vibes to you all, try to remain patient and positive...it WILL happen, it WILL produce a baby and it WILL soon be over....make the most of this precious time with your LO still being a part of you inside you! xxxx

when you are assessed to see how ripe you are, i.e ready for induction

soft, effaced and anterior are 3 of the things they want to see....

turtle - MW said exactly the same thing to me about shut cervix when attempting a sweep with DD (except I wasn't even that soft or effaced!) and I had a baby in my arms 12 hours later. She wasn't even engaged and I was as shut as an oyster, yet she came in under 4 hours that very night. Weird. So anything can happen!

I'm so angry tonight! I had really nice regular strong contractions for a good hour, I shut myself in the living room in the dark with my head under a blanket and daft TV, until DD decided to scream the place down because she's teething. DP and I ended up having to force calpol down her throat and had a row. Needless to say contractions stopped dead. AAAAARRRRGGHHHH

have just got up to go for a wee and my waters have gone. have been told to put on a pad and wander for an hour but there definitly leaking. not started contracting yet but a bit crampy. new experiance for me as waters have gone during transition the last two times, so now wondering whats going to happen and how quick its going to go

Ohh - great news

Give the Midwife a call just to let them know, you may need to be checked out - so excited for you! Go and wee, eat something and rest.

No need to ask if your bag is ready - I have been following the thread

still here, saw horrible mw who didnt even introduce herself and obviously didnt believe that theyed gone as she could only see a tiny bit of fluid through the spectrulm (is that what its called?) even though every time i stood up i was leaking and my pads are soaked!! have been told to go back friday morning to get induced if i havent gone into labour by then. having painful (ish) contractions but not very often or long so hopefully it wont come to that.

morning everyone.
spugs - she sounds charming but it does sound hopeful on the imminent baby front. Fingers crossed that things start to happen properly today and there will be no need for an induction tomorrow

Jfly? I am presuming that all is quiet on that front as she is in the hospital having her little one.

I'll get the bacon/fakon butties on for everyone else, shall I?

could be a hindwater leak., i had one 48 hours before DD arrived. MW told me i had wet myself

fluid that leaks out, that you cannot control the flow of, is amniotic fluid not wee

bit of nipple stim to get those contractions stronger should help!

having contractions about every 5 mins, stinging and lasting about 20 sec. definitly not bh though

excellent news, spugs.

shall i stim your nipples for you

good stuff... now, just try to get on with things, don't focus on them . your body will let you know when it is time to concentrate

eat,drink, wee and rest when you can

now theres an offer you dont get every day have had huge clear out as they say so hopefully things will pick up, want to try and avoid the synt if possible

Hurrah for spugs!! And on your due date, you lucky thing!
Thanks to all with encouragement re cervix. I am not thinking about it or getting my hopes up as last time I did that I was still waiting weeks later. But secretly very pleased to know that SOMETHING has happened!