?’s about sensations as body ripens to deliver (m/c stillbirth mentioned maybe upsetting)

[barefootfarmwife]

Little background: With first baby Dr. said I was at 4 – 5 cm. and having contractions at an appointment. I never felt a thing. That can be good or bad. Bad; because she may have strectched the truth and ended up inducing and taking advantage of a young naïve woman. (my water had not broken, baby not in distress) Good; because I am due again soon (33w 4 d) and the prospect of getting half of my labor done without even feeling it sounds divine.

Incidentally I have had some mid term losses in between and have serious PTSD and anxiety over upcoming delivery. Mostly need reassurance. I want to do things right and as natural as possible. My biggest fear is anxiety popping up and making things go from bad to worse. I don’t want to psych myself out and make the process harder.

Question: I’m wondering what sort of early ripening sensations are normal outside of textbook Braxton type aches.

More specifically, I get occasional “pinchy” sensations in the cervical area. Most are not associated with baby moving. It reminds me slightly of what were powerful cervical cramps when induced for a stillbirth.

In a sense I am hoping to see that this could be my cervix starting to “quietly” open like it did with first baby before induction started. My inductions were horrifically painful and I would just love to know that nature can start things slowly this early in the process. I’m hoping I can ride out the discomfort of a non induced labor and finally find some joy in all of this birthing stuff. I want to be able to enjoy it for once.

I honestly have no experience with what a normal labor feels like and the unknown is messing with my head.

Thanks

[devon]

Hugs mama for your losses. I had what felt like sharp cervical pinches pretty often with my last pregnancy (2nd DS). I think it was effacement and dilation. I had them starting at around 34 weeks as well. I know I was about 2cm at 36 weeks and 3cm at 39w and he was born the next day. In my first pregnancy I had some of them as well but not as strong, and I was 1-2cm at 35w so I wouldn't be surprised.

That being said, my first was born naturally at 40w3d and my second born naturally at 39w1d. so, early cervical effacement and dilation (and even low station at that time) doesn't mean anything EXCEPT you have that much of it out of the way

[leafwood]

I had pinchy sensations towards the end of both my pregnancys. For me, I think my cervix opening felt more like a deep aching sensation, even "grinding" at times that did not seem related to baby moving.

Have you read the Hypnobirthing book? There was a chapter on fear that totally helped me get through my second labor and delivery w/o any intervention as opposed to my first (epidural, iv, pit.....

You can do it, your body will do it, it's ok to be scared but try to spend some time surrendering to the process and really getting to a place where you trust your body.

[heatherweh]

I'm sorry for your losses. I was actually wondering (in my head) how far my cervix dilated when I had my miscarriage (at 9 weeks), which is unfortunately my only experience with "natural cervical dilation". It felt like an aching pain and I was able to work though it (physically) without too much difficulty, even finding comfort in that my body knew how to take care of everything on its own.

When I had my son I was induced with first cervadil, then more cervadil, then pitocin. I got to 4 centimeters on the cervadil and it was pretty painful, but in the expected way of contractions- that is to say it hurt but then would wain and I could control it with techniques like walking, warm bath, rocking chair, swearing at people- hehe. As you described your inductions as horrific pain I will say that pitocin really felt like that to me too- my contractions and dilation went from "normal" or "natural" to completely out of control in regards to the pain level as well as the rhythm and frequency if that makes sense. So 10 cm and pushing did come to me, but it was in an out-of-control, over-the-top pain way.

I never felt contractions as "pinchy", but as one other described more sort of aching and escalating. I feel like I can generally identify pain in my cervix.

*Oh and as an aside, I have a friend who went into premature labor twice and was put on bedrest- she walked around at 4 or 6 cm dilated for weeks on end and literally felt no pain when she went in to the hospital until it was time to push. The nurses were amazed "You're at 8 cm already oh my goodness" and she would try and explain, yes I've been there for days it isn't painful. So it is possible to have that kind of cervical dilation without pain and even relatively low on discomfort.

Good luck- we're on the journey together to have a better birth experience this time around it seems. I also want to climb that wall and get over past trauma.

Birthing from Within gives some good suggestions and exercises on getting past ones inner fears and trepidation.

[happyCOmama]

I've had the "pinchy" feeling with all three of my pregnancies and lots of painless BH. I also get that achy feeling in my hips as they widen.

With my first, I was 4cm when labor began, and with my second, 6cm. I'm 38 weeks with our third and am 4cm without labor starting. In my case, I think dilation isn't predictive of when labor will begin, but it's less far to go once it does begin.