4 min apart contractions and only 2cm!

[LaurenJade96]

This is my first baby, I lost my plug Saturday morning, and I was having contractions every 30 min all day. By Saturday night it was every 15 min, and by Sunday dinnertime it was every 7 minutes.
We got to 4 minutes last night and went to hospital, only to find that I’m only 2cm dilated! They sent me home and basically told me to come back once the pain is unbearable and to stay at home for as long as possible!
Contraction times must mean nothing to me then! It’s so disheartening after this many days we’re still getting nowhere. I was up the past 2 nights in pain and I’m so tired and drained :(
Doctor said it could be days yet. Has anyone else had any similar experiences?
I just want this to be over!

My contractions were very irregular right up until the end. I got to 6cm before calling the midwife (homebirth) and my contractions were still all over the place. 3 minutes, 7 minutes, 4 minutes, 8 minutes etc.

It took me about 21 hours to get to 2cm, and then I had a sweep as had it booked before I went into labour. Definitely sped up from then but still took another 13 hours for mine to make an appearance.

Have they offered you a sweep? I was really not keen but had been in labour for so long by that point that I jumped at the suggestion that it might speed things up. It was totally fine!

I've had two long labours. My first was 60 hours, it took about 48 hours to get to 4cm dilated. Labour started early hours of good Friday and baby was born easter Monday. I had contraction 2 mins apart but very little progression.

It was exhausting and I was induced in the end but still took another 12 hours until I fully dilated.

Second was 30 hours so quick by comparison but still long!

Do you have a TENs machine? I would try and stay at home for as long as you can.

It happened to me with DC1. I lost my plug on the Friday afternoon and by Saturday afternoon I was having contractions. By midnight Saturday they were coming every 4-5 minutes and were strong, went to hospital but was sent away because I was only 2cm. By the time we got home, they were becoming unbearable and I just couldn’t be at home so we rushed back and I was up to 3cm so they let me stay. He was born at almost midnight on the Sunday so it was fairly long.

Good luck OP, I hope it all starts progressing quickly soon.

Are you able to sleep at all during the night?

If so, I’d say it was slow labour rather than the full thing.
It’s bloody torturous isn’t it?

One good thing might come of this - when proper labour starts it might happen very very quickly.
This is what happened to me with ds2

This is normal. If you were in active labour you would not be posting on here... I don't mean to sound patronising because I had this with my first labour and it was really tough. Active labour is more about timing of contraction plus length of contractions plus intensity of contractions. The baby might be using these contractions to move into a better position and hopefully when things speed up it will go smoothly.

You poor thing, it’s so frustrating isn’t it!? Try your best to get some sleep, even if it’s during the day when the pain hopefully isn’t as bad. You need to try and get some rest.

With my first labour I had contractions every 5min for 24hours which stopped me sleeping. When I went to hospital the CTG didn’t show up any contractions at all!!! They then stopped all of a sudden and I felt nothing else for a week.

I then went into hospital again as I was leaking fluid. I couldn’t feel any contractions at all but according to the CTG I was contracting every 5 min. I was also 4cm and hadn’t felt a thing! After that the baby arrived pretty quickly in a really easy delivery.

It looks like things are moving in the right direction and hopefully it will go quickly once you’re in established labour.

Good luck!

Is that true? That babies can use initial contractions to move into a better position?

I didn’t know that. My DS2 was back to back but wasn’t when he was born (I assume he wasn’t anyway?!) so perhaps he used the three days of slow labour to move.
Interesting.

Your cervix has to shorten and soften before it can even start to dialate - this usually takes much longer for women who haven’t had babies before. Don’t worry so hard on yourself about being ‘only’ 2cm! Your body is still working really hard! Your contractions will also be helping baby to get into a good position to be born hopefully. Stay positive, rest up and use this time to fuel yourself for active labour. If you find you aren’t coping, they can prescribe you codeine or pethadine at the hospital to help you through. Sometimes if it’s a really long slog, some good pain relief and a good sleep before things really kick off is just what you need!

Yes contractions can turn babies from back to back to anterior. Sometimes women can have strong contractions and no dilitation and then as soon as the baby is in a better position it speeds up. Unfortunately because it can be a long haul and felt in the back a lot of women opt for epidural and that can impede the baby moving. This is part of the reason behind the strong correlation between epidural and instrumental birth.

Four fucking days! I feel your pain. If it helps my second shot out like an arrow.

Hopefully the fact that the OP hasn’t posted since first thing this morning means things have progressed!

I'm currently 39+3 and in early labour. Started 7pm yesterday, contractions got to 45seconds every 4mins so called the hospital at 3am. As I was coping she said stay at home. 3 hours later they just stopped but have started again today. Had a show about an hour again and now contractions lasting a minute every 7-8minutes. Hospital have said I need 3 contractions in 10mins or my waters break to go in. I'm so tired as such regular contractions in the night, I just hope this speeds up and I have her today. I've taken paracetamol and have my tens machine on but not sure how much longer I'll be good without pain relief.

Good luck OP!