When people say they were in early labour for days...

[NoTeaForMe]

What exactly do they mean?

I'm 39+3 and today and yesterday have been feeling particularly uncomfortable, lots of braxton hicks, back ache etc. I have SPD too do that's not helping anything!

This is my second baby and last time I felt uncomfortable and 'not right' in the day and then my waters broke before anything else really happened so I'm not really sure!

So...when people say they were in early labour for days how did they know and what does it mean?! And could I be?!

Thanks

i was in latent labour for 3 days

CX not braxton hicks every 15 - 20 mins and lots of backache

it gradually increased until the evening of day three and then i went into labour

my waters were broken in hospital so they didn't go

things may well be happening to you

Getting to 4cm is latent labour (early labour) it took me 5 days to get to 4cm, was 1cm on the 2nd day, 2cm on the 3rd day, 3 on the 4th day, and 4cm on morning of the 5th day.

It started on my due date, contractions ev 6 mins, along with period pains and backache, they stayed at ev 6 mins till the 4th day were they increased to 5 mins then every 2.

In some people it can stop and start too

Hope something is happening for you, good luck :) xx

It's nothing as dramatic and obvious as contractions. Just a general feeling of 'not right' I guess! Back ache and lots of braxton hicks. But what's the difference between real contractions and braxton hicks- how to you tell the difference?

I don't know from last time as my waters broke and I was put on the syntocin drip straight away-so went from 0-60 pretty quick!

Real contractions are normally timeable not all over the place like braxton hicks, they will come regular and usually last longer then a minute. Braxton hicks are also not painful just usually uncomfy. My contractions at first wernt extremely painful but enough to make me need to stop what I was doing and breath through them. But thats just my expirience on them, everyone is different.

I'd try timing your tightnings and see if theres any kind of pattern to them xx

The tightenings/waves of back ache were coming every 20 mins, had 3 or 4 like that and them fell asleep while my toddler watched Tinkerbell! They're very uncomfortable but not painful. Don't seem to e as regular now...probably doesn't mean anything! I don't remember reading into everything as much last time! I'm not even at my due date yet!

Surely when people talk about early labour their contractions aren't every 6 minutes, lasting a minute and too painful to talk through etc? Not for 5 days? Am I being naive?!

Latent labour for couple of days here. Every 5 to 6 mins, and extremely painful indeed. Not pleasant!

Latent labour for 4days. Painful contractions every 10-15 mins day and night to the point I had to stop what I was doing and couldn't talk through them. Couldn't sleep, walk, sit or generally move without a lot of pain. My waters were broken after I admitted myself to hospital. I was sent home twice before I insisted I was going nowhere as simply couldn't cope with the pain and I was utterly exhausted.

Oh...that's horrific!

Were these your first babies? If not how did you cope with looking after your firsts while dealing with latent labour?!

Contractions ( was on blardy monitor) for 3 long and painful days.

I was in labour for a week and didnt realise
Just thought my braxton hicks had stepped up a bit.

RoxyLady how did you know it was labour rather than just braxton hicks before labour started?

So far 2 and a bit weeks stop and start, bloody miserable

I had 2 days and 2 nights of contractions - I'd never had braxton hicks so I knew they were real. They were every 8-10 mins, v painful (later found out baby was back to back) and I couldn't eat or sleep through them.

For my first, I was in early labour for about three days. Contractions every 10-15 mins or so, then every 5-10mins, going back to 10-15mins. It was very frustrating. By the time I went into hospital, I was only 3cm! Ended up getting an epidural and induction as it was so awfully long and tiring.

With my second, it went from contractions every 10mins or so to 3 every 10 mins within a couple of hours! Born a few hours after the first contraction with no pain relief!

Well oddly I must have been in labour for days but didn't feel a thing. Mw came to do sweep on due date- fully effaced, 3cm dilated. 2 days later had first contraction, was 5cm. Ds born 5 hours later. Bloody lovely. Though not necessarily helpful to you as you already have symptoms....