Stop start contractions 41+3

[Merename]

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

Very overdue awaiting dc2, which surprised me as dd came bang on time. For 5 days now I’ve had bouts of very mild contractions each day which at points are every 5 min, other times stop for hours, generally stop when I go to bed. They’ve generally not been sore enough to stop me functioning, although today felt like they were getting stronger earlier before tailing off again.

What is going on? I’ve feel I’ve done well til
now at being relaxed about being overdue, and physically feel well, but mentally I’m starting to get frustrated and worried that baby is in a bad position for labour, or some other physical reason preventing this progressing.

Oh god, sympathy!

I had this and it turned out baby was back to back and didn’t arrive til I was induced at 40+15. However, I do think it can just be your body getting itself into gear.

Best of luck! (Baby and I were both fine by the way, despite him being huge and back to back!)

Hi OP

I had mild contractions which started Monday night. They weren’t painful more a period type pain. Completely manageable. They were coming every 30 minutes or so, not enough to warrant worrying about. Come the evening I started to write the times of them down. They were coming every 20 minutes and lasting between 30-45 seconds. Perfectly manageable.
Tuesday came and I was again having contraction pain but they were still so far apart. Come Tuesday night they were 6 minutes apart. Called the labour ward who said I wasn’t in established labour but to go in as I hadn’t felt him move. Got there at 21:00 and DS was born at 2:23!

Could you call the hospital?

Well our plan is a home birth so what’s upsetting me the most is the thought of having to go into hospital...and movement has been fine. Comparing with my last labour I recognise these as contractions but really nothing like ‘real’ ones on the pain level, although I guess two labours could be so different. Congrats on your baby Thors, how’s it going?

Back to midwife tues am to try another sweep and then induction booked to start on wed night at 40+13. So depressing. I keep reading all the likelihood of assisted delivery or section in these circumstances and know I should stop as I’m doing my head in. How was your induction Verbena?

Pessary I’m in the evening, period pains within an hour, contractions within 2. Midwives knew I’d wanted a homebirth so were great, ran me a bath, encouraged walking around, when I asked to have my dilation checked they took the time to explain I’d be ‘on the clock’ according to protocol if they checked and that it was my choice etc.

Had a dose of pethidine as it was becoming unmanageable around 6cm (I think, hard to remember!), then fine to fully dilated.

I had a long pushing stage but no more pethidine needed, however as he was a bit stuck got taken to theatre for attempted manual rotation (again, staff were all amazing and supportive, no talking down to me and no panic). Doctor said he wasn’t prepared to do it unless under epidural and was terrified about that, but it was fine. Rotation failed and baby was distressed so needed forceps but on arrival it turned out not only was he back to back, but also 10lb9oz (I’m a size 6/8), so I don’t think the induction was responsible for needing intervention in our case! I was however really glad to be at the hospital, as I think we’d have needed transferring if I’d been at home, and the staff really were brilliant.

Good luck - keeping fingers crossed for you!

I had this with my second - much longer labour than my first, lots of stopping and starting and faffing around. She was back to back and suddenly turned round (I felt it happening) just after I'd been examined and told I was only 6cm. She was born 7 minutes later....
My third was also overdue, induced and back to back, but I had an epidural, it was absolutely fine and he was born face-to-pubes. If you're already contracting, induction likely won't take much more than a pessary to get you going properly. Good luck

(If it’s any help, I do remember really clearly lying in theatre with a baby on my chest thinking “I wish I’d not wasted time worrying about not having a physiological I disturbed birth. I couldn’t give less fucks.”)

I also just had this with DD2. Had a sweep at 41 weeks and she was born three days later so hopefully the sweep will kickstart it for you if your body is already preparing!!

Thanks to you all for your supportive replies. Awake now feeling a bit shit (emotionally unfortunately, not physically) and like I should have been doing more to get her in a good position. Know this is a bit harsh on myself but can’t help it right now! Sounds like positioning was a factor for others though. This baby was breech til 37 wks, then back to back a lot of the time but I was aware of her changing position a lot. At last two midwife appts they’ve palpated her as having her back to my front left though so thought that was good, and I have religiously avoided slouching for weeks. Can’t wait to recline back on sofa once she’s out!!

Other thing is they’ve predicted a big baby too so I keep trying to think it’s probably a good idea to be in hospital. Fear it though as my first labour was long but completely doable at home until 7cm when I had to go in for slow progress. In that environment the pain increase was massive and I believe due to being forced on my back for continuous monitoring. I ended up with an epidural which was fine, so I’m not afraid of that, it’s more just the stress and pressure from midwives that I associate with hospital that I’m afraid of. And the lurking fear that somethings wrong for the baby that means she can’t get into the right position in the first place.

Until today I was feeling quite chilled out -my mind has gone wild all of a sudden! You’re so right verbena that I’ll not care about any of this once she’s here - it’s all the expectations and ideals that get in the way of relaxing and going with it isn’t it. Thank you all for listening.

Everything you’re saying about the slouching-guilt and emotional tangles sounds so familiar, but it’s amazing baby’s turned from breech and sounds like position has improved at your last few appointments.

I’d written some birth preferences (not loads, less than a side of a4 and bullet points) that made it really clear I wanted to use hypnobirthing techniques, have an active labour and definitely breastfeed (basically “I’m a hippy” but written using enough medical language to show I’d done my reading ) - I suspected it might not even get read but the midwives’ approach made it clear they’d read it and were supportive. Spent lots of time pacing or in the bath or shower. Even when they put me on continuous monitoring I was never stuck on my back and midwife helped me move around on the bed. I was mostly on hands and knees/kneeling to push.

I think maybe because I was there from the start it meant when things got tricky I was with staff who’d been looking after me for a while, so there was no big panicky rush, just a chat with the doctor and a midwife who by then knew me well to hold my hand on the way to theatre and keep things calm.

I would absolutely go for another induction if I felt it was needed, and would feel way less worried about it - not needing the drip, contractions didn’t go from nothing to ridiculous as some people experience, and there were very few moments where I felt I couldn’t cope.

Thinking of you lots and sending ‘come on baby’ thoughts!

Thanks again. Feeling a little better today, no contractions again overnight and now. Planned some sex this morning but couldn’t face it!!

I think you make a good point about being there from the start and bonding with the midwives a bit - when I arrived they were a bit twitchy about how long it was taking and not that friendly. I’ve found I’m so sensitive in pregnancy to the effect of other people’s fears. They insisted on me being on my back and made some guilt-trippy comments about me not doing what was best for baby if I wouldn't. I’ve spoken to community midwife about this and she said I could have continuous monitoring and stand up or kneel over the bed - maybe me or dh will have to hold trace in place, but knowing that now makes me feel more confident I can assert what I need to stay as calm as possible - which is of course best for baby.

Hoping as others have said that the early labour signs mean my body will be ready to go once induction starts.

Glad you’re feeling a bit more confident. I think we partly were just lucky with the midwives, but do also think most midwives want to see low-intervention physiological labours where possible - I’m friends with a couple and both come from a basic mindset of ‘women’s bodies are amazing and my job’s a privilege’.

Great if your husband knows what you want and can help you communicate it, too. I had amazing support from my husband and my sister and because they’re both warm and friendly and chatted to the midwives, it made the atmosphere feel warm and homely rather than tense and clinical. We laughed a lot in early labour.

Wishing you absolutely all the best

A wee update...we managed to miss induction! The slow early labour continued until yesterday 40+13, ramped up a little that day, but nowhere near established. Due to go in to be induced at 8pm, so at 6 we decided to call and explain situation, agreed on a midwife coming out to assess to help us decide what to do. She examined and I was 3-4cm but not yet in established labour, so agreed home birth on call remain in place for the night and she left at 7.45. Then contractions massively ramped up and dh started filling birthing pool etc, I got on with it and waters broke 8.20, body soon started pushing baby down and was just starting to crown when midwives arrived 8.40, baby girl here 9.10pm!! No pain relief other than tens and completely doable. After all the drama was such a quick and straightforward birth at home. Dh and midwives were great. So lucky. Not had a wink of sleep yet tonight with her but that’s another story!!

You absolute legend! Congratulations on your new baby!