Coping with false/pre-labour

[Roscat]

I'm 37 weeks today. About a week ago the Dr sent me up to hospital to be checked as she thought I might be in early labour. They said no, although I was 2cm dilated.
Since then, I have had an ongoing show, lots of Braxton Hicks, increasing number of period pain type cramps (which was how my labour with ds started) and I think the baby has dropped.
Last night I was in so much pain I was convinced labour had started. I lay there for an hour, wondering whether to wake DH to get the Tens machine on. Then I remembered that if you walk around it will stop if it's not for real. And it did.
I'm not in labour but it feels as if I've been in a funny sort of labour for a wk now. The thought of this carrying on for another 3 wks is awful. I'm getting v tired. Plus I'm convinced the baby is back to back despite my efforts with spinningbabies.com exercises.
Please, if anyone has any encouragement to offer, it would be so welcome. Or survival tips!

Someone else posted a similar thread the other day!

I too had pre labour for a few weeks, but when I did go into labour it was fast and straightforward. So really think of it like your body is doing all it can to help you along, without too much discomfort.

Re posterior position. Try not to worry. Some babies have to start labour that way due to your pelvis shape. Most turn in labour, so try to relax. You have been doing what you can.

My first was posterior (op), and after a long labour and not so great mw, I had an epidural. not a good move with an op baby, because I was lying down she could't turn and got stuck.

second baby was beautifully anterior, however the further he engaged the further he rotated until he too was posterior! I concluded my pelvis was to blame. with his labour, I had a good few weeks of pre labour, and when it did all kick off it was fast a easy. no probs at all he started op and as I was upright he turned really easily.

So top tips are: stay upright and mobile, keep leaning forward too.

And know that pre labour is some good pre birth preparation!!

Keep your chin up!

Thanks so much for your reply alex1803.

I didn't know about the epidural thing with an op baby so that's very helpful.

Things have settled down for me a lot this afternoon - feeling like myself again. It's a really Jekyll and Hyde experience! One minute I'm happily playing with my toddler or making tea, the next minute I'm convinced it's time to go to hospital... but then it's not.

Have decided to prepare for the long haul!

I had the same with DS1 and DS2 who were both posterior. I stuck it out with DS1 and eventually went into labour naturally but it was a very long labour, and I ended up with needing pitocin as my contractions stopped. He came out 9 pounds and all dry and scaly which made me think he had been in there too long but just couldn't get out due to poor positioning. Needless to say it was an instrumental delivery as it was very difficult to actually birth him, and I was knackered after so much labour!!! DS2 I asked for an induction on my due date as I didn't want to go through the same thing again - my waters were broken and he turned and came out within 9 hours which was a definite improvement (no instrumental delivery)........I definitely think that OP babies take their time as they have difficulty getting into the right position, but its still a gamble as to whether or not to wait for them to turn, or to ask for some help.....in my case, the induction second time round was a good idea (probably as it was a 2nd birth) but I suspect had i done it first time round i would have ended up with an EMCS (which in hind sight might actually have been better than the actual 50 hour labour and the 3 week prelabour....not to mention the 6 weeks of sitting on a rubber ring post birth!!!

I had this for a few weeks before DD was born and became very despondent - but someone said to me "no contraction is wasted" - and that turned out to be true as DD changed from poor position to a good one and "real" labour was only 6 hours (1st DC). Try not to think of it AS "false" labour, as what you are experiencing is real discomfort, and it is all working towards you meeting your LO - good luck

I had around 3 weeks of pre-labour with my DS (DC2). Runs of BH, every 10 mins for hours on end. Even when I went into labour wasn't totally convinced.

What I will say is that when I did go into labour it was easy and straightforward - at 7pm still not sure whether it was infact labour. By 9.30pm had show so decided it was. Went to hospital (still not much worse that BH, hadn't even put on tens) and at 10pm he was born midnight.

re: positioning - spent whole time in pre-labour (ie from 7pm-9.30pm) in polar bear position or on hands and knees. Could not work out his position so wanted to be in best position for turning him just in case.

Am expecting similar this time...

Ah ouch, Lumpasmelly . At least your second labour was much better. Will consider the induction option.

Pootle, the no contraction wasted is encouraging. Saw my midwife today and apparently LO has started to engage so maybe that's what the pain was doing.

MumNWLondon - am going to start that polar bear thing, not hard, can just crawl round the floor, picking up nasty little plastic toys