2cm, fully effaced and contractions - long to go?

[lustforlife]

Have been having very painful contractions for around 30 hours now (every 10 minutes ish). Have barely slept and feel awful but managed to drag myself in for a sweep today. I was told I am 2cm dilated (first baby) and my cervix is fully effaced. I have had some blood since the sweep and the contractions are becoming more intense/painful and like shooting pains rather than period pains. Any estimates as to how long it may take to become fully dilated? I just want some gas and air...

I'm 40+4 btw!

How long is a piece of string. As long as your waters are in tact there's no set time.

With DD1 it was 18 hours from 2cm to birth. With DD2 it was 35 minutes from nothing to birth. With DD3 it was 12 hours from 4cm to birth.

When I was at that stage with DC1 I was still about 24 hours away from giving birth and that was with my waters being broken for me and a drip to speed up contractions.

With DC2 I don’t know because baby crowned in the hospital carpark but going on the length of labour total I likely I was only a couple of hours away from birth at most when I was at the point you are now.

With DC3 I was less than an hour away - went from 3cm-10cm in 45min.

So the moral of the story is... how long is a piece of string!

WSS^

With my first it took days. With my second I went from 2cm to fully dialated in less than 15 minutes and 4 big contractions. I still shudder at the pain of them!

Good luck OP! Your body is made for this. You can do it x

You don't want to know how long I was but a hot water bottle, tens machine and paracetamol all together take the edge off the pain. Standing under a hot shower is also very effective

From when my waters broke to birth it was 49 hours for me but from 4cms to birth it was 17 hours .

With my first I went from 6cm to baby in around 30mins 😬

Thanks for sharing your experiences! Contractions are currently every 6-7 minutes and I'm armed with paracetamol, TENS machine and how water bottle. Hopefully won't be too long

For me, first time mum, it was 12 hours from sweep to baby being born.
Had my sweep at 1pm, 4cm dilated at 5pm, baby arrived at 1am!

Good luck, I’m sure it won’t be much longer for you ❤️

Hoping you've got that baby in your arms now OP

@Bobbiepin unfortunately not I was in hospital overnight but they have sent me home at 3cm with a dose of morphine. So fed up now! Contractions are still coming strong but haven't moved any closer together...

Oh how is it going xx you might be knackered by now but if you can be upright alot and even squatting you might find it helps things along quicker..... However I'm hoping I'm writing this whilst you had your baby hours ago!!!

Bloody hell OP you're a trooper. If you're still going eat some high energy food to help keep going.

@Bobbiepin @Avearage hi, still here at home, intense contractions every 8-10 mins still I must have had 2 hours sleep over the last 3 days but the hospital don't want to know unless I am contracting every 3-4 minutes. I feel like I'm never going to get there. I stayed in overnight and was given some oramorph which slightly took the edge off of the pain in my back but wasn't allowed to take any home with me...

Hang in there, you can do this ♥️ Sit on an exercise ball if you have one, try to keep walking - up and down the stairs, sideways like a crab, is apparently a good manoeuvre. And if that's all too energetic now then have a bath, that was the biggest thing for me. I know it won't seem helpful but try to relax - let your body do its thing as much as you can. Stick the tens on and find some music or TV that you can focus on! Good luck x

Oh OP, that sounds so tough. Can you call the hospital and explain you are absolutely exhausted? I had a similar experience with my DD and at 3cm they tried to send me home but my mum fought my corner and they agreed to let me stay. They gave me pethidine which allowed me to rest for a few hours before it really ramped up.

@lustforlife you must be exhausted!!

With my first I was 56 hours 😱 it was walking although zombie like and occasionally squatting that ramped things up, also I went back and requested to be examined as I felt sure although contractions were not as they wanted I was progressing.... Midwife literally rolled her eyes and said fine but if you can't handle the pain it will be a epidural for you..... I was 8cm dilated!!!
Baby 4 on the way now you know your body xx

I had a very slow 52 hour labour and was in and out of hospital because contractions kept speeding up to 2 minutes apart and then slow right back down again. (Baby was back to back which makes it slower and more painful apparently)

Keep yourself upright as much as you can and relax! I'm sure I managed to slow my own labour down because I was scared.

Your body is made for this. You've got this!

Thank you all for your encouraging words in the middle of each contraction I'm thinking to myself I'm going to call the hospital after and beg for them to let me come in for an examination/pain relief. Then when the contraction is over I feel I can stick them out a bit longer and let my body get ready in its own time!

It's mainly the lack of sleep that's breaking me

Oh poor you, this sounds like my first Labour of about 3 days long and irregular contractions and the Labour ward sending me home. I think the second time I went in, I was about 3cm and they let me stay and after a few hours I had Pethidine which meant I could sleep or rest. I'd opt for Diamorphine next time I think as I can't tell if the Pethidine made me groggy after or if it was the exhaustion.
Have you got a birthing ball? If so, try using that lots to get babies head on the cervix, walking and being upright but also try to rest if you can. And don't be ashamed to go back to hospital and insist you stay in for pain relief and rest if you're at the end of your tether, nobody knows how close you are to your breaking point apart from you. Good luck sure baby will be here very very soon!!

Good luck OP

Good luck op. Hopefully it won’t be much longer 🤞💐

Oh OP - sounds like my first labour

I hope there's progress for you soon

My first labour was 57 hours, from them being every 10 mins to giving birth.

I really wouldn't bother going into hospital, there's no magic wand to make you progress faster and you are much better at home early stage.

Lie in bed and try to rest as much as possible, even if you can't sleep.