Am I in labour?

[hanski]

I've been having BH contractions for weeks now, some have been so regular (ever 20 mins) that I thought labour started 3 weeks ago! I am 40 +6 weeks and had a failed membrane sweep Monday. Lost my plug that evening and Tuesday. Yesterday my contractions were every 10 minutes all day and were much stronger than what they have been. They then developed into real dull aches in my back and abdomen last night/this morning and are also now 5-6 minutes apart. I've had a bath, cuppa tea, cold drinks, moved around and they haven't subsided. They are painful but I'm coping ok with that right now. Does anyone have any advice as to whether I'm in true labour or not? If so, when should I call hospital? I was induced with my son so I don't know how going into labour naturally feels! Any advice would be fab!

Ooh it sounds like it!

Depending how far you are from the hospital, either give them a call now (though they'll prob tell you to stay at home for a bit longer) or wait until they're 3-4 minutes apart.

Good luck!!

They say to go to hospital when you are getting 3 contractions in 10 minutes, or if your waters break, especially if they are green-ish in colour.

There's no harm in calling the hospital now, though, so they'll know you're likely to be going in sometime today, especially if you want a waterpool or the hospital is busy, just in case they are full and you might need to go somewhere else (sure that won't happen).

Good luck!!

This is how my labour starts, past 2 have anyway. My advice would be don't contact the hospital until your having to breathe through contractions, that's when it steps up a gear otherwise you'll be trotting back and forth or if having a HB sent in for failure to progress. Have a nice bath and get someone to rub your back perhaps a walk if you can manage it, is it your first? Exciting.

Just a little update...had a nice warm bath at 4pm as contractions were slightly worse than throughout the day. Phoned hospital to see whether I could go in to be assessed as they were now 4-5 mins apart. Was seen at 7.30pm and discovered my cervix was too far back and not even dilating yet (by now contractions were every 2 mins and more intense still). Told to go home, but got to car and had to come straight back up to delivery suite where I was examined again and told I was 8cms dilated!!! My baby girl was born within 15minutes...if I had gone home as advised, I would have had no chance of getting back to hospital in time!
My advice to anybody reading this thread is to trust your instinct. Nobody knows your body better than you, and don't be scared to ask for second opinions if you aren't convinced.
Thank you to you girlies who responded to my thread!

Congratulations Hanski! Great news! And well done you for sticking to your guns!

Congratulations :) x

Congratulations :)

15 minutes - you lucky thing!!!

Congratulations on your baby girl!! x

Congrats Hanski!

Just thought I would add that my all my three labours I have been told nothing happening etc only to go from 0-10 in minutes! Literally!

And with my last DD the midwife examined me at 3cm dilated and I remember her commenting that she had 'pulled my cervix forward'?!? I gave birth within 30 mins!

So have been thinking about it as now expecting DC4, just wondered if they commented about your superfast progress,and if it is related?

Maybe other MN's may have exp of this?