HELP! Latent labour or false labour?

[Mumtobe964799]

Can anyone help me??
I am 39+1weeks today and I started losing mucus plug over a week ago and every time I go to the loo I have pinky tinged slimy discharge. (Sorry for the TMI!)
I woke up Monday morning 1am with what I think was contractions they weren’t too bad and were irregular. As the day went on they got more intense and regular, lasting 50-60 seconds every 5 1/2 minutes. By midnight the contractions got so intense I couldn’t move or talk lasting 60 seconds every 3/4 minutes so my midwife told me to make my way to the hospital. When I arrived my contractions were so intense the midwife had to help me to my room.
She examined me only to tell me I was 1cm dilated!? I was so disheartened. She checked baby and his heartbeat was nice and strong and his positioning was perfect, other than his head was still a little far up. I was monitored for 3 hours and my contractions just completely died down, still intense when I had one but no where near as frequent. I was sent home and did nothing but cry as I felt like all that pain had been for nothing. I managed to get a bit of sleep between contractions but when I woke this morning they had completely died down not as intense or regular. This morning they were mild coming every 20/30 minutes but as the day has gone on they have got more intense (not as intense as last night) lasting nearly 90 seconds every 10/15 minutes.

Am I in latent labour or is this false labour????
I am so exhausted and the pain is getting frustrating because I’m worried it’s all for nothing and it’ll never end!
Im so scared that if this is “false labour” and I found the contractions nearly unbearable how will I cope with actual labour?!

Sorry it’s a long one but I’d love to hear your opinions!

I think this is latent labour rather than false labour so you’re very close to meeting your baby! I think things tend to ramp up at night so hopefully tonight’s your night! Let us know how you get on and good luck!

I agree it’s latent labour. Labour can start and stop, it’s not always go go go from the very beginning. Many women have a bit of labour, then a break, then more over days before it goes into active labour. All the contractions are doing work though, so don’t ever feel like it is for nothing. Dilation is only one measure of how far along you are, so don’t put too much weight on it.

It sounds like latent labor to me. I had similar for days before I went into actual labor (so sorry!) but the midwife did tell me that every contraction you have is one you don't have to have when active labor kicks in, so none of it was wasted. It was certainly true for me - the prodromal labor bit for me dragged on and on (and the number of times I called my poor husband home from work because it was absolutely 100% definitely the real thing this time wasn't even funny ), but my actual labor lasted less than 4 hours start to finish. I had my boy 37 minutes after I arrived at the hospital when it all finally kicked off!

So just wanted to reassure you that whilst this all might feel like it's for nothing, it won't be. You will get there. Wishing you a heap of luck for the delivery and hoping you have your baby in your arms in no time at all

Sounds like latent labour! It lasted 3 days before my first birth and 2 days before my second. You have my sympathy, its awful! Try and keep on top of Paracetamol and use a TENS machine if you can. If it is any reassurance I found the active labour contractions no worse than my latent labour ones and active labour only lasted 6 hours in the end (and 3.5 hours second time round)