pre-labour pains: how far in advance did they start?

[bakedpotato]

i'm due in 16 days. for the last 3 days i've been having longish bursts of what MW calls pre-labour pains: 3 hrs in the middle of the night, 5 hours yesterday afternoon. they basically feel like pretty bad abdominal stomach cramps/period pains. I never had this with my first child so wasn't expecting it. am doing the rest/paracetamol thing when they hit.
[I am hoping they may have something to do with baby (which was posterior) swivelling around and down into pelvis, as very suddenly i'm no longer suffering so badly from aching hips/heartburn.]
so wanted to ask those who had pre-labour like this how much longer they had to wait?

BP!!

Hows things? Are you getting plenty of sleep?! Hows baby spud doing?

SM, hello... i've had a bad time withthe breastfeeing (thread entitled 'nipple shields'...) but i think things are getting better (famous last words).
new potato is quite sweet for a baby, really . he doesn't seem to be possetty as DD was, which is a miracle (we all smelt distantly of cheese for 9 mths until she grew out of it). he's doing OK on the sleep front -- dangerous to type that, i know. I cope as long as I get a nap. just had an hour on the sofa under a blanket, very nice.

BP! Wotcha!

Pleased to hear it's going OK. SM and I are not happy spuds at the moment, I'm hoping for two Valentine's babies (2008), SM's gonna pop next weekend I reckon. Keep us posted with your news

skiingmummy - you aren't my sister are you??? she was due same day as you and is also due to be induced on Friday - she also had a sweep when you did (although she has never skied in her life )

BP your DS sounds like a little angel sleeping and not being too sicky!! Sorry to hear the bf has been hard but well done for sticking with it.

Bubble and I have been trying to keep our spirits up but you're a tough act to follow. (Well actually if I'm honest Bubble has been doing a fab job keeping my spirits up and shes got twice as much to moan about than I have )

I'm going to do my very best to pop this week but really have come to terms with another drug induction next Fri tbh. Went to the park with DH and DS this afternoon and we all went on the see saw!! DS and DH at one end and me on the other We just about balanced each other out!! If that doesn't get things moving don't know what will!!

Hmm Enid... does sound spooky doesn't it?!?! Is your sister seeing the mw tomorrow? If so...its me!! Tee hee!

Don't suppose anyone is about this early on a Monday morning - far more exciting things to do I'll bet but I just had to share this......

Had quite strong painful contractions every 7-10 mins from 3.15 onwards this morning. And then around 7am...they stopped. Aaaargh!! Whats going on??? What can I do to get them going again?!?!

Oooooh how exciting!

I had strong contractions like these for quite a while before 'genuine labour' started, top tips are to sleep as much as you can. I totally failed to do this due to being far too excited!

Also try going for a walk - that sometimes gets things going.

Thanks for the advice Pidge!

I was really excited thinking 'this is it!!' and planning how long to leave it before phoning my Mum to come round to look after DS and deciding when to wake DH to tell him I'd started. In the end everyone got up at the usual time, DH dropped DS off at nursery and has now gone to work seeing as the contractions have stopped. I'm supposed to see the mw at 11.20 just for a check up so don't know whether to go and see if she'll have a look to see if the pains have actually done anything. Give me something to do I suppose and could be classed as going for a walk!!

I do know I feel knackered after being awake since about 3am so a sleep is prob a v good idea too!! Suppose thats what started the pains off in the first place!!

Yup it's so frustrating - you spend hours thinking great, regular contractions, and then they go away for several hours. That was my first pregnancy, and I had no idea it could take so long to get going properly.

But I reckon you're on your way. I found it was when I finally fell asleep in complete exhaustion that the biggie contractions kicked in, I literally leaped out of bed hollering and from then on they were every 1-2 minutes!!

I would go to the midwife if you can make it. Then have a big lunchtime nap!

Good luck - really looking forward to seeing you in birth announcements before too long.

you could ask the mw to do an internal exam... like you i had burst of contractions in night, then they slowed down just before i saw her, she did check at my request 3cm dilated and i think that got things going again. v quick after that.

good vibes SM, good luck

skiingmum, keeping my fingers crossed for you that this is it+++

you could ask the mw to do an internal exam... like you i had burst of contractions in night, then they slowed down just before i saw her, she did check at my request 3cm dilated and i think that got things going again. v quick after that.

good vibes SM, good luck

Ok well, just about managed to collect 1/2cm of wee in the sample jar so I think I will go to my mw aptmt after all that effort and see if she'll examine me .

Its wierd, its as if as soon as I'd resigned myself to the induction on Fri my body decided to have a chuckle at my expense and get my hopes up. I'm sooo glad I didn't wake DH and my Mum up tho - would have felt really bad about it being potentially a false alarm. Do know that heartburn is absolutely chronic at the mo tho - feel like I'm gonna be sick any min. Yeuch.

Oh well, gonna go and put the kettle on now - got the most enormous craving for strong milky coffee. Will report in after I've seen the mw at 11.20...or if the pains come back!!! Feels a bit lonely being at home thinking the pains could start up again while I'm on my tod. Even tho DH was asleep snoring contentedly in my ear this am at least he was there for me to wake up if necessary.

Okey dokey - will report back soon .

(PS thanks for all the replies!! Its really great to be able to echat about it all with people who've been there or at least understand the rollercoaster of emotions!! Getting emotional now off I go.....)

good luck skiingmummy, if its any consolation my sister has had NOTHING to report so is totally resigned to induction on friday - I think she's having another sweep today though good luck x E

Looking forward to the next update - I'm at nearly 37 weeks and stuck in the office counting days down to maternity leave. So definitely up for an online 'my labour' story!!

Seriously - I hope things kick off really soon and you aren't even able to contemplate getting near a keyboard.

So theres good news and bad news.

The good news is that the baby is now engaged and has changed position again so its lying to the right. The mw says it really could really do with being a bit more forward but its not too bad a position and I just have to keep forwards to try and get it to move round slightly.

The bad news is that my BP was up 149/98 - I'm usually 100/60 - 110/70 so thats really high for me plus I have protein in my sample. They're going to come out tomorrow morning and check them both again for me. I'm going to go and search the threads in a mo to find out what this might mean. I presume the thing they're most worried about is pre-eclampsia but I haven't had any significant swelling anywhere so don't know whether it could be this. Don't know what they'll do if they're still the same tomorrow - I've got this horrible feeling they may well say I've got to go into hospital, specially with the added interest of having a leaky valve in my heart.

Pls send me lots of positive labour vibes coz I really just want this baby to be born happy and healthy and I just want to be happy and healthy and normal (well as normal as a mummy of 2 can be!) again. Thanks.

big hugs, SM. i'm sure you're in good hands.

Really sorry to hear about the bp and protein - you're right, both of those can be indicators of pre-eclampsia, which is why they'll keep you closely monitored.

Just remember you'll be the other side of this great divide very, very soon.

Good luck - keeping all fingers for you.

All the best Skiingmummy. You will have a healthy happy baby very soon. They may be worried about you but that only means that you will get the treatment you need if and when you need it, and that can only be to baby's advantage. Keep your chin up girl!

Hi, just wondered if 2/5 engaged or 3/5 was more engaged! don't get me wrong i'm not too bad at maths but at 32 weeks i was 3/5 and at 38 weeks mwife said i was more engaged at 2/5 is this right? Due on 9 feb and really fed up! Haven't even seen a mw for 2 wks!

Will be thinking of you SKM, try and relax it will help the BP. Good luck and lots of labour vibes coming your way.

bradley - 2/5 is more engaged because it means that there is less head felt outside the pelvis. The fifths is the amount of head still felt when palpating you.

SK - it isn't uncommon for the BP to rise and protein to appear near the end. If it is still there you will have your blood checked which will show other signs if it is pre-eclampsia. I wouldn't surf the net too much because that may put your BP up unnecessarily

Thanks Mears! Hoping that baby is intending on making an entrance very soon then! Doubtful but there's always wishing!

SM, thinking of you and hoping your bubble's going to pop before this bubble's bubble
I definately need to get rid of this cough/cold first.
Have you got a birthing ball/space hopper thingy to bounce on? Not tried it myself but I'm told it can help to get to get things going and it may alter skiingbaby's slalom route.
Probably best to get some rest first though.
Keep us posted.
XX

Thanks so much for all the good vibes! Just been for a sleep just in case it all kicks off again tonight.

Mears - I see what you mean! I really must try and be patient till the mw comes to see me tomorrow. I guess I just don't like not knowing whats caused the problem and whether theres anything I can actually do to prevent it/make it better.

Bubble I have got a bouncy ball and it is wonderful - will spend the rest of the afternoon bouncing/leaning over it while watching crappy daytime tv. Def think skiingbabys gonna arrive before you burst your bubble coz I'm def going for the induction Fri if nothings happened by then naturally.

Btw in case I disappear from MN for a while I'll post the details as soon as poss but I'll be in hospital for a min 4 or 5 days even with a normal delivery coz of my heart defect. Just thought I'd let you all know in case you wonder where I've gone (as if you clever lot won't guess it might have something to do with childbirth!!)