Endless prodromal labour - experiences welcome!

[Lemoonada]

How / when did prodromal labour progress for you? Did you do anything that you feel helped it along?

Second pregnancy, first delivery was very easy, fast and no complications. First time around I had prodromal labour once over a 12 hour period the week before I delivered. This time I'm having painful contractions every. Single. Day. Sometimes all night. I'm completely knackered. Has anyone else had this experience?

On this occasion it's been basically non stop since 2am - no change in intensity or frequency though...

@Lemoonada is baby here yet??? I’m literally going through the exact same thing for the past 7 days 😭😭😭! 4th baby and never experienced this before. 1st born 39 weeks, 2nd 38, 3rd 38. Currently 38.5 and so miserable. Have literally cried non stop today with the constant but irregular painful contractions 😭! Even phoned maternity and they said my community midwife would give me a sweep but they refused… I have an appt tomorrow so I’m going to ask what my options are because im totally exhausted now if real labour were to kick in!!!

Anyone want to report an arrival yet? Want to hear all about it!

Sorry I dropped off there, I've been feeling quite low about it all but I really need to snap out of it! Can't remember if I've included this info but baby is ROP facing so long labour is associated with that as well as more pain/ complications during delivery/ higher likelihood of induction. I've turned down the first induction I was offered but I have to go in for a growth scan next week to reassess and I think will have potentially more pressure to induce.

Ive had 3 instances now where contractions have got so intense that I can't speak or stand through them. I've gone to the hospital on all 3 occasions only for the contractions to disappear. I'm feeling so deflated and like I have no idea what I'm doing despite having had a baby before (very smooth delivery). I'm also just completely exhausted from basically constant period pain that ramps up every now and then.

I've done reflexology to induce, lots of walking, the spinning babies exercises, and am looking into some acupuncture this week. Feel like I might be the first person to be pregnant forever.

Any success stories greatly appreciated.

Oh gosh that sounds so difficult. I don't have any advice apart from do everything to turn that baby, as it seems very likely that's what's causing it to keep going on. For me at least, once she turned labour followed soon after. But it sounds like you are doing what you can already.

Are you doing the spinning babies exercises during the contractions? That's when mine turned - a joint effort!

@Lemoonada i feel your misery! My little baby boy arrived last Saturday evening at 38+6 after 9 long days of prodromal labour! baby also in OP position. Not so much as a niggle last sat and then out of no where contractions started again at 7pm. I thought another false alarm but he was in my arms by 11pm after 3 mins of pushing!!! One of these days the false labour will be the real thing! But so so frustrating for you!!! X

@Lemoonada but yes you are right about the increased complications. I did haemorrhage during delivery and baby needed to be born quick… if he hadn’t have been born as quick as he was I would have ended up in theatre for ECS.

@Ck1990 congratulations! That sounds like a reasonably good labour in the end (in spite of scary haemorrhage)? Hope you are enjoying your new son 😊

OP that sucks! I have no experience with this but there are some studies in US that have good outcomes from induction which made me a lot less scared of induction. Could you ask for your bishops score and then use that to make a call on an induction? Might be good to get the relief

I'm almost 38 weeks now and my baby is also ROP and has been for weeks after initially being transverse for the months before it! I don't have any hope they will move prior to labour now and I've already had two instrumental deliveries and relatively long labours before so especially dreading what's to come with this one! You have my sympathies OP and I hope baby turns for you soon and things progress smoothly in the end!

I had this for almost four weeks on and off before LO arrived at 39 + 2. Like PP my delivery was super short and contractions never got closer than five mins apart until right at the end, tbh I was expecting it to be another few hours at least when I felt the urge to push and he was out in about four pushes so hopefully you will have got some of the hard work out of the way!

Just jumping on to say am currently 40 weeks +4 and have been having intense cramps and nausea with awful back ache on and off for about two weeks now and am very over it! Had bloody show over two weeks ago and have been losing bits of plug and having very regular bowel movements since. Huge 'clearout' three days ago (sorry if tmi 😂) and up all night with regular cramps and suuuuuper intense pressure very low down. Baby is back to back and supposedly very big, no idea if that has anything to do with the drawn out nature of things. My doula friend has said not to get too hung up on trying to speed things up and to conserve energy as it could be days yet, but it's so hard not to obsess! Sending lots of support and solidarity to you all x

Feel for you! I had this start at 36 weeks with my youngest, most days. Had so many sweeps I'd started to feel like a hand puppet by the time she finally arrived...10 days overdue.

Hope things start to move along properly for you very soon!

Why would you click on a thread about something you know you know nothing about and will have nothing to add to and then say, 'OP you should explain'. I don't click on threads about an obscure disease someone's pet horse could get and then go 'Don't know what this is OP, explain'. The thread clearly isn't one I could contribute to, so I don't! Honestly mind boggling hahaha

Anyway OP my best friend had this with both pregnancies and she said it was an absolute PITA but she did say that both labours were quite quick and she felt like she was slightly better prepared for it when it happened as a result!

Very much appreciate all the support and knowing there are others out there going through the same (although I hope it's over for everyone soon!)

I do think the common denominator for everyone who experiences this is baby's positioning. Have been doing the spinning babies during contractions as recommended here by someone, thank you! I've also been told that for subsequent pregnancies the uterine wall isn't as firm and able to hold baby in position so it often can feel like they are engaging and then disengaging which has definitely been my experience.

In any case I've been booked in for an induction next week as I will be ridiculously overdue. Hope others also pregnant are not too uncomfortable 🤞❤️

How did you know when to go to hospital and how long was your labour??

Hello! How did you know it was the real deal/ when to head to hospital?

@Lemoonada my false labour pains seemed to space out or fade away when I either moved a lot or walked about. But when the real thing started they were 3-6 mins apart but didn’t change no matter what I did! Tbh it too me a while to be able to identify that they were the real deal. I didn’t go to hospital for maybe an hour after the contractions started. I was only 4cm when they examined me and they told me I wasn’t established enough for admission so to go home a while. But my previous labour had been quick and I knew with the endless prodromal labour I’d been having they things could go v quick again so my husband and I sat in the hospital car park and I laboured there for about half an hour before the pain was difficult to manage. Went back in and was 9cm so straight to labour ward, got gas and air and he was born shortly after! So just bear in mind it could be b quick with all the practice runs you’ve been having and don’t let them send you home!! Hoping it’s really soon for you, it gets you down eventually and very tired! When are you/ were you due?? Xx

Ah this sounds so fast and furious!! I can't imagine dilating 4 to 9cm in 30mins that's insane. Sounds like you absolutely smashed it! This is all great to know thank you 🙏

I was due last week, I'll be 42 weeks next week when I'm booked in for the induction...

In my last labour (all induced) I went from waters breaking to 8cm to delivered in 2 contractions. It always took hours/days to get into established labour but once I was it was quick.

Apart from my first I didn't "push" my body just did it whether I wanted it to or not.

@Lemoonada yes it was quick but tbh I didn’t even notice as my body had been doing it for ages before anyhow just like yours 🙈!
you may never see that induction date!!! Have you had a sweep? You poor soul! It’s miserable! Bad enough if you’re just overdue but to be going through that plus overdue is very challenging mentally! Xx

My 9lb 12oz boy was born yesterday morning. Got to the hospital at 5cm dilated at around 6am after having contractions all night and pushed him out four hours later!

@LivelyGoose congratulations! That's quite a big baby 😱 Hope you are okay!

Congratulations @LivelyGoose !!! Hope you’re both well!! Enjoy the newborn bubble ❤️! Hoping to hear your news soon too @Lemoonada !!!! Xx

I’ve come to realise size doesn’t matter so much as baby positioning 🙈🙈🙈! This little baby… my 4th born 2 weeks ago at 7lbs 1oz has completely wrecked me compared to my 9lbs 1st baby 😢. Feel like il never be the same again, thought my 4th would be a breeze and despite the really fast labour I can barely move 😢

Oh bless you! I hope you're getting to recuperate and congratulations to everyone in the thread for their recent deliveries!

My boy arrived this morning after what would have been another false alarm except it was the most intense yet and I was encouraged to have my waters broken as I still wasn't dilate, approaching induction date and lightly bleeding this time.

He's a bit bigger than my first but the intensity and pain of back labour is not like anything else I've ever experienced. He actually did come out contrary to my being convinced he would be there forever, I'm just totally wrecked 😅