Calling a midwife - need advice and reassurance!

[logic]

I'm 36 weeks pg today with baby number 2 and basically at the end of my tether I've been having strong B-H contractions for nearly a week but they won't settle into a regular pattern. I've also been having period type cramps all night every night for the last week which mean that I'm getting very little sleep. Last night I had just 1 "proper" very painful contraction. The problem is that I'm totally exhausted and fed up. I don't know why this is happening so early and whether I'm going to make full-term.

Does anyone know if I am likely to have this baby soon or is it normal for this to happen? I'm torn between wanting this baby out right now no matter how traumatic the birth and wanting to hold out for a lovely, natural birth at full-term.

To add to my worry, the hospital that I'm booked into has said that there is nothing to be done unless the contractions are every 5 mins and that they won't accept me anyway because they don't have a SCBU (fair enough). My local GP surgery won't let me talk to or see a midwife outside of the routine antenatal appointments which are few and far between. Basically, I feel abandoned by the medics and don't know what to do.

Any reassurance would be very much appreciated.

I don't have any advice, but would also be unhappy going through that so I'm bumping this.

ive been going throught this myself from about 36 weeks was in hospital told it was real thing then nothing still in pain but with no pattern im due this friday so its poss this could go on for a long time which wont make u feel great but i sympathise as i really need sleep 2

Thanks for the support, girls. I am going to ask for the phone number of the community midwives. Took some paracetamol before bed last night so I got some rest but obviously I don't want to do that every night!

Message withdrawn

I have tried a few things, hoping that labour would start but it hasn't worked. I have contractions for a bit which then stop. It's the uncertainty isn't it? I wish they would either start and get it over with or stop completely!

Hi Logic
I am a midwife and I would like to say first off its disgusting that your Gp is not letting you spaek to or see your midwife apart from routine A/N appts. You should be able to make an appt to see her if you are having any problems.
Failing that I would agree with Tipex and advise you to ring the hospital you are booked with and speak to the delivery siute.
Unfortunately what you are describing is very common in second or subsequent pregnancies and does not mean you will have your baby early. In the meantime its fine to take paracetamol and get as much sleep as you can at night. Have you also thought about some alternative therapy such as Acupuncture?
Hope this is helpful.

Thank you LexyB. I have a routine appointment coming up this week I think, so hopefully we can discuss my options then. Just knowing that this is normal is really really helpful! I might try some reflexology to see if that helps and I've now been on a tour of the other hospital just in case...

I had really strong painful bh's with dd (was my 2nd baby) and soem were very regular, like you they could not always be slept through
I lasted til 38 wks but had REALLY fast labur and delivery, I reckon it does the hardest work for you sometimes beforehand.
Good luck rest up xx