Is this really the "early stage" of labour?

[emjadex]

Hi everyone 😊

I'm 37+6 with my first pregnancy. I've been told that I'm in the early stages of labour by a midwife. On Monday I woke at 3am with horrendous back pain, cramping and tightening. This carried on throughout the day and was coupled with pelvic pressure and constantly weeing. I ended up going into hospital that evening to get checked due to reduced movements but he started moving normally when I got there.

Anyway, the CTG was picking up tightenings like clockwork! They were every 5 minutes that latest around 10-15 seconds and felt like mild-moderate period pains. The midwife said based on this and my other symptoms, I am in the early stages of labour and she thought I would be back in by the weekend! 😱

The cramping, pressure, back ache etc. continued all of yesterday, and seemed to be made worse when I was walking around. It intensified last night and I had three contractions that were really painful. Then I had nothing else until this morning when the back pain and cramping has started again. 😪

I've been able to sleep on and off but I'm now wondering what the hell is going on with my body. I haven't had a "show" and my waters aren't leaking or showing any signs of breaking. I just wish that this early stage would hurry up. I've got a midwife appointment today, is it likely that she would do a sweep to help things along? Do you think this is it now or is this just my body "preparing" as a few family members have said? 🤔

Thank you in advance!

Sorry I've only just seen your post but just wondering how you're getting on?? Xx

Still exactly the same 😪 I saw the community midwife said this could go on for days! She didn't examine me or anything, said they won't do a sweep until 40 weeks!

With my second I was like this for about a week, and it was psychologically difficult as kept thinking ‘this is it’, but actually was a good thing in the end, as labour was easy and done in 2hrs, by time and eventually came! Felt my body had done lots of preparation so she was in best position and main event much easier. It’s easy to say, when I’m not the very pregnant and uncomfortable one, but use this time to try to relax, mentally connect with your baby and with your partner, cuddle, laugh, gently exercise and eat well etc and try to enjoy yourself. Easier said than done when entering the unknown, but this is such a special last few days/weeks with your little one inside, and the main event will certainly be helped with whatever happy feelings you can connect with. Don’t worry about worrying tho either, it’s natural of course! Wishing you a wonderful labour when it comes

Thank you, that's so reassuring to hear! I keep trying to tell myself that although this is frustrating, my body is preparing! Going to try and relax as much as I can 🥰

This happened with my fourth baby had contractions on and off all week with loads of pressure they would be 20mins then consistent for hours at 3-5mins apart then after 4-5 hours just stop. Third time it happened and got to 4mins apart I phoned and went into assessment unit I made sure I just phoned as a contraction was starting so I would sound bad on the phone they told me to come in and get checked. They did an internal to check me normal procedure in my hospital was only at 3cm so she did a sweep to help me along and bang they ramped up as I was getting up had my baby 7 hours later. It was a bit sneaky of me as I could have gone hours more before getting checked and they also could have stopped again but the internal did the trick might be worth thinking about. Just to add though I was 8 days over with him and others were born on or before due date

Have you seen the video with the balloon and the ping pong ball that shows you what the contractions are doing? As a prior poster said, each of those contractions is shortening your cervix and getting baby int he right place. The video shows you beautifully. They all will play a part in the end. You can go right through labour without your waters going too, so don't hold your breath on that one. It is crap now when you just want it over with, but it is gently getting everything ready. Not that I have any experience of a labour like that. My DD is an impatient little lady and was born at 34 weeks after a very short labour. My initial contractions were 6 minutes apart, I phoned the hospital and they said to come in, so I put the baby clothes I was sorting in the washer dryer and set it to do both, thinking that even if it was labour, it would settle and I could send DH home to fetch some clothes for baby during a quiet time. I was 4 minutes apart by the time we got to hospital, 2 minutes apart after an hour on the CTG to see if I was in labour. Then the doctor said that she thought that DD had turned and was breach, so we galloped off for a quick ultrasound - false alarm thankfully. Then off to the antenatal ward, who sent me straight to the labour suite. 3 hours after that, and several more people in the room due to prematurity and a dropping foetal heartrate, DD made a quick entrance into the world. She was absolutely fine after a quick checkup with paedeatrics who had been waiting outside the door due to prematurity. Then, while we were happily doing skin to skin and I was being given my tea and toast they asked "what do you want to dress her in?" "Um....about that, it is still in the washing machine at home. The cycle should be finished about now though." Thankfully lovely people donate clothes for such occurrences. DH had said beforehand that he was going to sneak a go of the gas and air to see what it was like when the midwife was out the room. He is still raging he was robbed of that as at no point did anyone leave the room. They just kept bringing new people in. DD has been equally impatient about everything else since.

How are you doing now op? Wishing you well

@Brenna24 brilliant birth story

I'm 36+4 and I've been having this exact same as you for the last couple days paired with diarrhoea (sorry tmi)

Can't tell if the diarrhoea is from the 6 dates a day I've been eating for the last five days or another symptom.

I just wish I knew what and when this was going to happen. I feel like I'm a shitty period crampy back aching limbo. 🙃

Thank you @nicciw87nicciw87, I'm tempted to do the same as I'm exhausted from this!

@Brenna24, I have seen the video, I'm trying to see this all in a positive way and that my body is preparing me. Wow, that sounds like it was quite hectic but I'm glad you were both okay. My partner said he wants to sneak a go and the gas and air too 😂

@Ispywithmycynicaleye, I'm really fed up tbh. I tried going for the walk which just made tired. I'm still getting irregular tightenings, back pain and cramps but not as painful as before. Maybe the hospital were wrong when they said it was the latent stage?

Are you well hydrated? Dehydration towards the end can cause cramps, tightening and mild contractions as well as discomfort in general.

You probably are gearing up but staying hydrated in this heat will ease some of the discomfort.

Yeah, I'm always drinking water, I have a big bottle with a straw which has helped me up my intake as before my pregnancy I didn't drink much at all. Definitely struggling in this heat though! 🥵

Also I starting squatting when they got closer together the night I had him so they got to 4-5mins and with everyone I squatted to help baby along and it worked. Also try phoning assessment unit anyway say how exhausted u are paracetamol isn't touching the pains and see what they advise

If you've not yet had the baby try walking sideways up the stairs, helps things along!

Thank you both. Things seem to have calmed down now. I'm not sure whether I'm happy about it due to this heat or gutted that everything is slowing. I've just been getting the odd twinge but I've still got back ache, a lot of pressure and frequently going to the loo (that could be due to all the water I'm drinking though!).

I'm going to try doing the squatting and walking sideways. Just getting fed up of this stopping and starting. 😪

It must be miserable for you. It will all be worth it in the end. Grab any naps you can now just incase it suddenly kicks off.

@Gerdticker thanks. I really enjoyed my birth.

Thank you, it's ramped up again today so just hoping I continue to progress!

Possibly the baby is back to back. I had this with my first and had a very prolonged first stage. Hope you manage to rest, the lack of sleep got me down. Have you lost any of your plug yet?

Get vacuuming op!! Works a treat!!

He is back to back @CuriousKittyKat, or so the midwife said when I saw her on Wednesday! Lack of sleep is getting me down too 😔 haven't lost my plug but midwife told me thay not everyone notices, or that some may lose it a lot later into labour which I didn't know!

Going to give that a go @Sunnydayshereatlast once it has cooled down a little 😂

Op have you been on spinning babies website? Check it out if not, lots about optimal positioning and things you can try. I spent a lot of my last weeks of second pregnancy hanging upside down off the bed to turn a breech baby!

OP mine started similarly with my first at 38 weeks. My waters started leaking too so I landed having to have the drip to speed it up for infection risk but i went 4 days with on/off cramping thinking contractions were ramping up then they disappeared again. But when I did go to hospital to go on the drip I was already 5cm dilated and I had a very fast and straight forward labour. I know it's hard going but I honestly think it's your body preparing. Try to rest up as much as you can. Squatting, as low down as you can really got things moving for me

Also I never noticed my plug

Thank you, I've been on Spinning Babies website a lot too. I used their advice and techniques to get baby to turn from breech at 37 weeks.

@Merrz, thank you, bless you, glad you had a straight forward labour though. I'm trying to stay positive and see it as my body preparing. Today has been a similar day again. I'm going to ring the midwife on Monday and see if there is anything they can suggest or if I could maybe have a sweep to help things along!