Should I head over to hospital?

[lolianja]

Started getting contractions around 9pm-ish last night, mild, every half hour or so. At quarter to 2 I got a very painful one that lasted half a minute, then another 9 minutes later that lasted over a minute, then another 6 minutes later (same length), then a 5 second one 20 minutes later, then a four hour gap (between half two and half six) and another excruciating half-minuter. Since then they'd been coming about every half hour again and then about half an hour ago started doing the 9 minutes, 6 minutes, 5 minutes, 11 minutes type routine.

Am due on Monday, so 39+3 today - lost plug in early Feb and she's been engaged for a couple of months now, near enough. At last couple of check-ups over the last fortnight have been 3cm dilated.

No leakage, no urge to push or tangible sense of urgency but I'm in a lot of pain and quite evidently something appears to be happening - should I wake el baby daddio and have us go to hospital? Or wait until more progress is made (if more is made)?

I'd phone triage and see what they say. Is this your first?

It is, yes. And thanks for replying!

how far away is the hospital?

I'd say that if you are not in excruciating pain and they are not properly regular yet, you should stay at home for now.

But things are definitely starting to move, you will have your baby today or tomorrow!

Blimey, what a thought!

I'm no longer in excruciating pain, only a couple of the contractions have been what I'd class as dreadful. Hospital is 6 miles away.

Are they getting more regular yet?

Have you tried the contraction timer website? will find link in a mo, it's fun and can take your mind off things for a bit.

here

think this is the right one.

Yup, just been given that link elsewhere - it's an awesome site!

No, contractions are still all over the place. Smallest gap between them so far is 4 minutes and 18 seconds. Will phone the hospital in a bit and ask, but am reluctant to haul my arse out of bed and forshorten rest opportunity!

Oh how exciting- labour with a first baby can take a long time to establish and I think the hospital will tell you to stay at home until you are in a clearer/ more consistant pattern. There's nothing worse than getting sent home from the hospital as you feel an idiot!! I should know, I got sent home 3 times with DD (my first). How much of a donkey did I feel?

Anyway, good luck x

Hi lolianja just posted on our antenatal thread wondering what had happened to you and livismum.

As I first timer myself I don't have any good experiences to share - sorry. But just thought I'd come on over and say congratulations and hope it all goes well for you!

I would stay at home for now, till you have regular contractions, and try to get as much sleep as possible. my first labour lasted 3 days like this and any drowsing you can do really helps, it might be a long haul. Save your strength and have a good meal. Having said that, if you have any indication that anything is wrong, or you feel intuitively something is not as it should be, you should go in. Good luck, you will be meeting your baby soon!

Hi jollyjoanne, thanks for popping in - no problemo at lack of advice, all in the same boat etc! Just had a 10 second-er after half an hour's hiatus ... they really are all over the place and, whilst admittedly I do have a freakishly high pain threshold, are very much manageable at the moment so I'm hesitant to do anything about it yet.

Gemzooks - thanks, I think that might be wise. 3 days, Gordon Bennet, poor you!

I don't feel any sense of urgency yet and as you say, I suspect I would if there was cause to. Just so difficult to tell with your first and when one contraction comes 4 minutes after the last you do have visions of telling everyone to piss off and come back in a few days, and then shooting out an infant on the kitchen floor ten minutes later or something.

was a bit different because I had them regularly every 7 minutes (painful contractions) from 4pm on Weds, waters broke Fri night, finally was induced with epidural at 7 pm on Saturday, having only got to 4 cm, then DS was born very easily 4 hours later, just before midnight. no tearing, hurrah! So doesn't mean a difficult birth, just a long and knackering build up. I've had many friends with similar long first labours, just takes a while to get going. however do go in if you're in doubt...

Lolianja more support here from the March thread.
Just wanted to say with my first concractions never became "regular", but I knew when enough was enough and time to go. Got to hospital around 10pm had pethedine a wee sleep nd dd arrived at 4am
Best of luck to you and your wee bubba and get as much rest as you can just now xx xx

hi from the March thread lolianja!

My labour with dd started like yours - have you got a tens machine?

Keeping fingers and toes crossed that you'll have your baby soon

Echo what everyone says - hang in there in the comfort of your own home, eat drink and sleep as much as poss! My waters went 1st with dd and I'm a total wimp with pain so when I rocked up to hospital thinking I was definately about 8 cm, demanding pain relief, they told me I was having "niggles" and gave me a couple of paracetamol! But cos my waters had gone they kept me in to induce me later on if I hadn't progressed enough - it was sooooo uncomfortable being on a concrete hospital bed, totally unable to relax or eat the minging food - and I couldn't use the birthing pool cos my waters had gone - where as if I'd stayed at home I could have got in the bath! My labour lasted 36 hours in total - but was the absolute worst and best experience in my life!!
So excited for you - keep posting, let us know how your getting on!! .....Good Luck

oooh, gone quiet...any progress?

Hi guys, thanks for all the March thread support! (Group hug)

Unfortunately no progress... they were getting quite frequent and intense, and then I dozed off to sleep around lunchtime and away about an hour ago. And they've GONE. Completely and utterly.

Aaaaaarrrgghhh - bless you!!! How unbelievably frustrating! Get half a pint of castor oil down ya - see if that can't get the little monkey out! (mix it with fresh orange juice though cos it's pretty grim stuff!)
Mind you on the plus side your probably going to have quite a short established labour cos you seem to be going through the early stages one step at a time, when you finally feel the need to get to hospital you'll be loads dilated I bet!!

• keep posting.......

lolianja, keep going! keep resting as much as you can and have good meals (I sound like my mum now)

Have been eating loads and drinking even more as advised! Still no sign of the contractions though, how annoying. I just want her out!

take this time to rest, I had days of this with my DD - I think it was my cervix efasing and DD getting in the head down, knees to chin Im ready to SHOOOOT out of my mummy position.

Rest, rest rest...

o yeah, forgot to say, wehn the contractions did start properly, I knew about it, and DD was in my arms in under 4 hours good luck x x

Hang in there, I know how annoying it is when you just want to meet your baby! won't be too long now hopefully. xx