Anyone up to help me avoid my planned c section in the morning?

[Fipfop]

Need some tips at speeding up early stages of labour. I have a planned c section in the morning which I really don't want but as I had a c section the first time and have failed their attempts to induce me earlier in the week, I wasn't left with any other options.

As it would happen, I started with contractions yesterday afternoon. Since 4.30 they've been around 6-7 minutes apart and getting progressively more painful. I'm the last hour they're now more often but more irregular. Seem to be between 2-6 minutes apart. Some last 30 seconds, some last over a minute. Some are manageable and some I feel I would benefit from gas and air.

Anyone give any tips on speeding this stage up to get me into labour ward? They've said if I go into labour naturally before my c section then they would let that continue but I assume I'll have to be established by then

Keen to find out how the OP got on!

Id definitely be up for having my waters broken but there's a 5 day wait on labour ward for that at the minute

That's ridiculous! It takes about five seconds and they basically do it with a knitting needle.

If your waters went spontaneously they'd have to find you a spot on the labour ward straight away, not in 5 days' time.

How are things @Fipfop?

@babyjellyfish the wait won't be to actually break the waters, it'll be because they don't want to add to the number of people on the delivery suite at the moment. If a woman's waters break of their own accord they'll deal with it but it sounds like they're already super busy!

To anybody reading this as a later date - castor oil. Works wonders

@oneOff12
Noooo!!! I know someone who tried castor oil, went into labour pretty sharpish but suffered awful diarrhoea throughout the labour!!

get the breast pump out and give it a go! Good luck!

I induced labour with my 3rd baby - I remembered that breast feeding started contractions with my other baby - so I lay on the bed, did the whole relaxation breathing etc. and visualised a scenario where a baby was crying and I had to get up and go and pick it up and put it to the breast. Within an hour I was in labour.

Hi everyone, just an update. Got into hospital, they did an examination and after 20 hours of contracting I wasn't dilated at all. We decided to go ahead with the c section. They even did a last minute check to see if any changes were happening, the midwife was incredibly supportive that if I wanted to labour naturally. But absolutely nothing was happening despite the contractions.

So at 12.18 our little girl was delivered by elective c section.

Thank you so much to everyone who gave advice and support, it was definitely what I needed at that time. And I have to say the elective c section was a million times better than the emergency. Felt like a birth, not a surgery which is what I wanted. Also, it turns out she had pooped inside of me already so I'm not sure she would have handled a natural birth anyway so definitely this right decision in the end.

Oh well done and huge congratulations! I'm so pleased you found it to be a good experience. I had elective c sections for breech babies and they can still be a good birth.

Wonderful, congratulations!

Well done, congratulations and enjoy your lovely baby!

Congrats OP! Wonderful news

And I spoke to a doula who said to take 60ml on an empty stomach. I took 20ml after a good chicken dinner. Got the bowels moving in the very early stages and then I was nicely cleared out for the rest of it 😅