What is this??

[LorenaAZ]

I'm a little over 38 weeks with my first. For the past few weeks I've had all kinds of contractions and patterns (like contractions for entire days not getting close together, or for 45 minutes right on top of each other and very violent, etc). Today DH and I went for a hike with the dogs. I had contractions during the hike (I've been having contractions even when I just walk, so no surprise), but once I got home I noticed the most heavenly contractions I've had so far. They start gentle and work up to a peak and then ease away -- really feeling like waves. We timed them for about an hour and they ranged from 2 to 6 minutes apart (in no particular order), we are now into the second hour and stopped timing them because we've been teased so many times before with all kinds of contractions and no labor. But do these sound like labor contractions? They feel so good. Like they're doing something. Can one go into labor without previous spotting and without loosing the plug? Can that happen as labor progresses? I'm really enjoying these contractions but they're too intense to sleep through, so I figured I'd sit on my ball and ask experienced Mommas.

[berry987]

It sounds like prodromal labor to me. I had that with my first - lots of contractions for over a week. They always went away and didn't really build the way productive contractions do. I remember my MW saying something to me at the time, "If you are having any doubts that it is labor, it is not labor." That one stuck with me! Not to say it isn't going to lead to labor very soon. I didn't lose my mucus plug and my water didn't break before labor for either of my births. Good luck!

[Phoenix~Mama]

I was having those from about 37 weeks on. I do love the rolling ones too... the definite wave to follow is kind of neat. lol

But here I am... still no baby. Almost 40 weeks.

[LorenaAZ]

You were right ladies. No baby here yet *sighs* what a tease....

[mclisa]

No one runs a marathon without a few practice runs...

that's what I would chalk it up to.


And I don't think you need to lose your mucus plug before you kick into labor.

[CAKJNH]

Hello ladies, I'm not actually from your DDC, but from December's. This is my 4th and I'm 41+1.

Anyways - w/my first 3, I never had bloody show, or lost my plug or anything. Just contractions, except DD1 (my earliest at 37+5) my water broke. The other 2 times the Dr broke it.

This one is a little different. I actually did notice I lost my plug (2 wks ago now, so that's not much help anyway, lol).

I've done the same thing with the contractions - for the last 3.5 mos! I was on bedrest until the beginning of Dec (37 wks) because I had them so often we tried to make sure LO wouldn't come. Now he's overly content I guess. I get the contractions everyday, though. We'll see when they "get real"

Practice makes perfect after all (right? )

[LorenaAZ]

CAKJNH, if we're going by the number of practice runs we've got under our belt by now, our births will be flawless!!! lol Poor hubby has gotten so good at getting the pool ready and remaining calm at this point! We were just talking about it tonight --- we've had a lot of rehearsals! Your boy and my girl are really liking it in there!

[cdahlgrd]

Even if you aren't dialating, those contractions are helping prepare you and your baby! However, it sometimes helps to give the baby some encouragement to find a better positon. Check out http://spinningbabies.simplwebsite.com/ for some positions that help baby rotate if it needs to.