Slow labour?? Or not??

[Hannie97]

Hi, first time mammy to DS - due this Thursday, so I’m 39+3

Long winded but bare with me - started on Friday and got pains all night, cramp and what felt like contractions, coming and going but about 20 minutes apart. Kept me up all night with no progression and was so uncomfortable !!

Stayed up until around 2pm on Saturday after going on a walk and trying to tidy, finally crashed and had a nap, woke up and all pains gone!

Very frustrated but tried different things, nipple stimulation etc and then pains started up again late last night, thought my waters went slightly as wasn’t a huge gush, started getting contractions again very sporadically- some 12 mins apart, some 4/5.. called the hosp and they asked me to go in.

Went and unfortunately only 1cm dilated and turns out it deffo wasn’t my waters- I had just wee’d myself

Midwife said I was in slow labour, but could still be days.

Today the pains have pretty much subsided completely, but lost my mucus plug around half an hour ago, but still no pains!! So not sure if this is slow labour or not!

This will deffo have been asked time and time again but has anyone else had an experience like this and how long did it go on for?? Is there actually anything I can do to speed this up?? Get rather frustrated now and very ready for DS to be here!!

TIA :) x

I had exactly this with my DD! They lasted about a week and a half. I had a growth scan and it was decided baby wasn't growing any more so they wanted to induce me - but discovered I was already 4cm dilated! 5 hours later our little girl was born!! Good luck lovely, hopefully not long now - I remember how uncomfortable they were, particularly at night!

In my first pregnancy I had about a week of slow labour. It became incredibly frustrating and mentally draining, being in fairly regular albeit low-level pain (compared to labour!) but feeling like I was making limited progress. I walked for miles every day to try to hurry things along etc. But nothing seemed to work, although I did go from about 1cm to 2.5cm over the period (was overdue so the midwife was checking me). In the end, one day the contractions very clearly turned into serious contractions and my waters went (but not in a dramatic way. In the way where I wasn’t sure if it was my waters or just water from the bath!). Was in established labour when I went to the hospital, but was still a slow process.

This time round, I’d due next week. Have been having a lot of braxton hicks, which are sometimes uncomfortable, for weeks. Also having intermittent more painful contractions, but they aren’t in any way regular yet. Waking me at night though! So no idea how long I’ll be dealing with this, but feel a bit better prepared mentally!

Hope you aren’t waiting around too long. Try to watch happy, funny or romantic shows - meant to help the process!

Thank u Ladies - glad to know I’m not the only one then! Will have to just be patient I suppose, he’ll come when he’s ready!

Could you try some colostrum harvesting and see if that moves things along for you?
Hopefully it won't be long now

@SouthwestSis tried that Saturday! Then seemed to get pains and that’s when I went to hospital so will give that another go tonight I think and see if that helps. I’ve taken up a permanent residence on my birthing ball atm x