How quickly can you go from no signs of labour to it happening??!

[whinegums]

I'm looking for some positive stories here! I'm now 40+6 or 40+1 depending on whether I go from scan date or LMP. No signs at all of anything happening - cervix high and closed, baby not engaged at all, bump still high, no show - apart from a few painful BH a couple of times a day. I know I could be waiting another two weeks at least, but I wondered what the fastest time was for any of you going from zero- labour??

I was 40+1. Had mild period pains all day every 15-20 minutes. Convinced myself another false alarm. Went for a long walk and to the park with my toddler and played on the swings etc! Came home, still every 10 minutes and not very painful until 8.45pm. Phoned hospital and they said that usually they wouldn't advise coming in if they are only every 10 minutes but as it is a Sunday night then come in for a check so I could go home to bed. Got to hospital at 9.30pm. admitted at 10pm. In delivery room at 10.15pm when I finally got some gas and air. Baby born at 10.36pm.

ie it can happen very quickly!!!

DS2 - not engaged, cervix not ripe Friday pm meeting with midwife.
9am Saturday mild contractions.
11(ish) 3cm dilated baby high up and facing wrong direction
1205 baby born facing right way
so in an hour had dilated 7 cm and he had turned round and come down and out. (bit too fast for him he had bruising on his face)

Good luck

I had two sweeps. First one at almost 40 weeks produced a show but nothing else. Was booked for induction at 41 +3 & had another sweep that morning. Had been having irregular ( bearable though still painful) contractions since 4 am, but when I was admitted for induction that evening was told it wasn't contractions, just uterus toning up & cervix only dilated 1cm (which it had been since first sweep). they were too short staffed to induce that night so they said they would induce following morning. DH sent home at 10.30pm. 11pm started having more regular contractions (or "toning up")but didn't call anyone till midnight as they'd made me feel like a baby. Buzzed for soemone then (several times) & midwife finally came at 12.25am. She got me up on bed (with difficulty as not much time between contractions by now!) then told me not to push as she was going to call DS as I was 6cm dilated. DS arrived at 12.45 am. Started pushing at 12.50 am. DD born at 01.07 am. It did hurt but the most overwhelming feeling was of shock because it was all so very quick & of course i had been in early labour all day but had been told I wasn't, so wasn't expecting to give birth that night at all. I had no water breaking either - must have broken when I was actually giving birth.

Sorry - DS should read DH - I don't have a DS let alone one that I would want at the birth of his sibling!!

Whinegums, Mip and Faireyqueen - any news yet? My sweep on Tuesday was fairly successful as I went into latent phase labour on Tuesday evening, went to hospital with strong regular contractions at 3 yesterday morning, spent the day there but then it all subsided by 7 last night so came home again at 4cms - grrr! Still waiting for lazy boy to make an appearance!

Can I join you ladies in the waiting game? I'm 40 weeks today - had a sweep on Monday - was 3 cms dilated and mw could 'stretch' a further 2. Since then, period-type pains and on-off v mild contractions, more off than on! Keep trying to think positive, and that I've hardly noticed this latent phase. Hate, hate, hate this waiting, though - it's awful, isn't it. I feel like I'm standing at the start of a race, but there's no starting gun ... Hope things get going for us all soon!

I rang a friend of mine at 9.00 one evening, she said she was really fed up, no signs of anything happening and she was going to have a gin and tonic and watch the news. The baby was born at 11.00 - two hours later!

Hi missingwine - no news from me at all, and no signs of anything happening either. Back to hospital tomorrow for another attempt at sweep and a scan, and discussion of plan of action (i.e. they try to get me to go for induction, I try to say no!). Sounds like things are kicking off for you now, I have my fingers crossed, and sending you labour vibes.

Hello Takenoprisoners - sounds positive for you too, good that you're not really noticing the latent phase, maybe you will have a good active phase!

I don't think I'm ever going to have a baby! Maybe this bump really is just cake after all....

Thanks Whinegums - I see you are due for a sweep & scan tomorrow, so will be keeping my fingers crossed for you & hope that baby decides to make an appearance before then. Is your LO still moving about a lot and was everything okay from your last scan? I'm so, so uncomfortable and exhausted now, I just can't wait to get it done with, so I can't imagine how uncomfortable you must be feeling.

TNP, don't think anything is going to happen before tomorrow, but hoping that (second) sweep will kick things off. Yes, I mostly have a wriggly baby, haven't had a scan since about 24 weeks so we'll see how it's all looking tomorrow. Just back from a walk in the park, and am feeling lots of pressure downstairs, so hopefully that means he's dropped a little more.

Try and rest as much as you can at the moment - easy to say I know! - you will need all of your energy soon!

I'm sure your sweep will get things moving for you, Whinegums - at this stage, it's bound to have a good effect and it's a really good sign that you're feeling lots of pressure downstairs. Hope you have a restful evening and a good luck for tomorrow!

At last things seem to have kicked off - waters broke 4.30 this morning, and have had a few contractions since then. Any news from any of the rest of the overdue lot on this thread?

Ds3 was born in 2hrs 16 minutes.

MW examined me and my cervix was completely posterior.
Nothing was happening at all....I'd had a few pains so had called her as Ds2 arrived so quickly and I didn't want to be delivering him alone (like I almost did with ds2)

Any pains had stopped by the time she arrived and she examined me to say labour wasn't happening any time soon and she'd see me later at my antenatel appt.

Within 2 hours he was coming out, 10 minutes after she got back he was born. I don't think she could believe it had happened so quickly.....I certainly couldn't!!

i went from no signs to breastfeeding in 45 minutes with ds2, is that the sort of thing you want to hear?
ds3 took longer... almost an hour.
ds1 was ages. about 5 hours.

Good luck Whinegums - sounds like that sweep did the trick - have your contractions started up? I had my DD in the early hours yesterday - so hope everyone else gets their news soon!

Congratulations Takenoprisoners. Hope you are enjoying your new DD. I had my boy at 6.30pm on Monday night - birth story on p26 (or around there) of June 08 antenatal thread if you're interested.

Hi Whinegums - congrats on the birth of your boy! I also have a DS who was born on Saturday at 6.20am. Have fun with him!

Bugger, you've all gone and had babies and I'm still pregnant

Congrats whinegums, takenoprisoners etc - you lucky, lucky buggers!

had 1st contraction at 7.30pm and bubba was born at 8.53pm. from leaving home to getting back i was gone 4 hours. it was perfect!

Well done missingwine! WMMC - can't be too much longer now, hang on in there.

HI I was 39+6 when I had LO, woke at 3:40am with contractions, waters broke around 7:30 and had her at 11:20.

Good luck!