Prodromal labor support thread

[Jilian]

Anyone else in and out of labor? I figured we could commiserate and share ideas on how to pass the time. I've had two big false starts, last night was the most intense yet. I went out to dinner with H and had contractions 3 mins apart for 90 mins straight that got increasingly intense. Then I got severe stomach pains, used the bathroom and labor stopped I was half scared the baby was going to come out on the toilet. Today the contractions have just started again but they are really mild. I'm starting to get really sad about all of this. I'm tired and anxious and want to either be in labor or not in labor! I'm also worried about how fast my labor will progress when it starts for real - I have visions of my 6 yr old delivering the baby because the MW and DH did not make it in time!

So how are you passing the time while in and out of labor?

[Michigan Mama]

Mine haven't been quite as intense (glad you didn't have the baby in the toilet!), but there nevertheless. Like they'll be going for an hour or two, and I think hey - maybe I should start timing these babies...then hmmm... they fizzle out. Mentally it's hard to try get prepare yourself and then unprepare yourself over and over.

Now I've decided I'm just going to assume I'm not in labor until baby proves otherwise! Hopefully I don't end up with an unplanned uc (I'm too chicken for that), but that's the best way I can think to keep my sanity!

It's super stinkin' hot and muggy here today, so we're headed to the mall so my kid can play (no air at our house). Better than sitting at home sweating and waiting.

[lulu0807]

I'd like to join the club! my due date was last week and I have had contractions each day, one day I was sure that it was time and then after laying down... nothing! kinda frustrating... I'm ready to meet my little girl! AND I'm sick of family and friends (who I love dearly) asking "what's the hold up?" the next person who says "she's just so comfy in there" is going to get smacked.

[GradysMom]

joining... and I've been in prodromal labor nearly 3 weeks now.
Sometimes she is really down and engaging and the back of her head is hitting my tailbone, sending shooting pains down my left leg so I have no idea what is a contax, just constant pain.

Here is to hoping that tonight (yet again) will be different. I am due Aug 10th

[momoftworedheads]

Joining you all here. Hope your labors continue and you have babies in your arms really soon

I have been in labor on and off since July 30th. The night of the 3rd, early on the 4th, I had contractions for about 5 hours, every 10-15 mins, they were hard but not terrible. Then Thursday, the 6th, I had them all day (from 5 am until 3 pm, every 15 minutes, it was terrible, I figured I'd have the baby that night - LOL!

Then Sat PM, I woke up feeling a lot of vaginal and rectal pressure, like the baby was definitely moving down. I ran to the bathroom and felt a tricle down my leg. I went to the bathroom (pee) about 6 times in an hour. It was like I could never empty my bladder completely and I'd contract every time I had to go. I also get a stretching/pulling feeling in the cervix area, so I am thinking that I am dilating! It is just so frustrating!!!!!

Good luck to all of you, I just hope we have babies soon. I do not know how many more night of this I can take!!

[tankgirl136]

I think I might need to join this thread. Last night after days of "was that or wasn't that a contraction". Last night I was having pains worth timing, I was getting in the 7-10 minute range for a while, but with some relaxation they went away. Tonight I am starting to get more pains and babe is SUPER wiggly, but I am assuming it is more nothing for now.

I am a bit down that every one suspects I still have a long time to go even though I am due on Tuesday. I really wish that I could have more faith in myself, but so much of this is so confusing and with so many people saying different things I am so confused.

I just need to hold on to the fact that this babe will come when he comes and he will come at some point, or so I am told

[Onemagicmummy]

i have had on off intense tightenings since 18th july. i think i had about 3 days in there with out anything but so far this week its going on 5days. i have also had 4 different people ask me stupid questions such as ^havent you had the baby yet^ or ^any news^ my dad of all people who shold know better was one of them, i just gave him a icy stare and told him to not ask again he will know when he knows. i had to explain to him the LAST thing a woman who ha been in and out of pain for the past 3 days, has had little to no good sleep, is permanantly uncomfrotible, cant walk much, wants to hear is ^any pains? anythings happening?^

as or the prodromal labour im trying to be patient, just letting it go, riding it out, boy do i love my TENS machine im just trying to chill with it, go with the flow. in the pas i have laid still while haveing these contractions, this time i refuse to be still during them, if i can move i will. so i rock my hips, rock on my side, if i can get up i rock on my knees, i have found that a> its not too intense and b> it stops sooner so i can get back to sleep.

im not due for 8 more days. and i am NOT going to put life on hold for those 8 days. i have plans.

Kiz

[Jilian]

Wow, I can't believe some of you have been dealing with this for 3+ weeks! Here I was hoping that I must be close but I guess not. I think losing my mucus plug Friday got me a little excited and I was really bummed yesterday morning to still be cramping/contracting with no baby. Today I have a strong burning pressure down low that feels like I'm about to get a really bad period. This has been going on for about a day or two now. I'm not due until the 23 so I could really have a lot longer to go.

[ComfyCozy]

I told dh that it feels like I'm crampy, but without the cramps. Getting them would be a *relief*. Does that make any sense? Saturday morning was definitely an episode of contractions that fizzled out after a few hours. I've had a few episodes of gobby mucous loss...just feeling "on the brink" all the time and I wish it would just go ahead and commence. Admittedly, I'm not as far along as most of you, but my babies always do come early, and I have all the hallmark signs of being very close, (down to the near emotional breakdown in the kitchen this morning) just no baby. Here's hoping you all have babes in arms very soon

[mamadelbosque]

s I did that for 2.5 weeks, before my little guy finally made his appearance. Its no fun!! At one point a couple nights before DS was born they were every 4-5 minutes apart and lasting 60-90 seconds!! Lasted for a couple hours... and then they went away! SOO fustrating s I actually didn't believe I was really in labor (when it *WAS* real labor!!) for the first 5-6 hours - just felt like the same BS I'd been dealing with nightly for the previous 2.5 weeks. I hope all of you have your babies soon and have wonderful REAL labors!!

[GradysMom]

today I'd like to add backache to my list of complaints... but still not Labor... even the contrax stuff is getting very disorganized feeling... UGH, I was kinda hoping for the opposite... instead its random cramps, backache, and BH contrax... plus I feel like I'd just rather throw up and go to sleep right now.

:

btw I'm still avoiding cervical checks since they really seem to upset/disappoint me

[wombatclay]

About two weeks now of off and on contractions... and pretty regular contractions from about 4pm until around 1-2am every single night. I ache!

With dd1 and dd2 I lost my mucus plug a day or two before labor started, as well as bloody show for a day or two. So far this time I've had nothing but the contractions. And some of the contractions are hard enough to take my breath away or make me stop moving (if, for example, I'm lifting dd2 and a contraction hits... it's like the muscles "lock" for a moment). And some are pretty significant in terms of discomfort (if my bladder is full for example). But although I had a cervical check at both my 39 and 40 week visit there was no change at all despite the prodromal labor. Ugh. I had sort of hoped that there would be at least a little progress. Maybe moving from posterior to anterior, or a bit more effacement? But nope.

I've been trying to just "do life" but it's getting hard. I've been lucky that this summer has been cold/wet but in the last few days the weather has pulled out the heat/humidity stops. I HATE humidity and between the weather and the contractions I just don't want to do anything. But with a 4yo and a 2yo not doing something is worse. We don't have AC but there is a window unit down in the shed and I may ask DH to bring it up tonight... I'm sort of relying on the DVD player to keep the girls amused, or at least in one place, but even sitting still with the fan blowing it's sticky and I can practically feel my ankles swelling.

[Jilian]

I hear you Clay about it getting hard to "just do life". I'm starting to get nervous when travelling away from home because sometimes the contractions get intense. It is harder keeping the kids in though! Mine go stir crazy if they don't have an outlet to burn energy. I'm getting exhausted too, all of this on and off labor really sucks up my energy. Tonight I'm back to contracting every 7 mins. I think she's posterior so I'm gonna work like a madwoman to try to turn her tonight and then hopefully the next start will be the real thing!

[GradysMom]

[eaustin]

Sorry to hear you all are going through this too! Have to confess, it makes me feel a little less alone though. This is my second baby and I thought I would know the "real thing" this time as I went into 2min apart intense all day contractions twice with my first before her actual birth. I am over a week past my due date and trying to keep my cool about it, expecting to be over 2 weeks late again-blah!
Had really intense day a couple weeks ago-all day contractions, the kind you can see. They really picked up after my daughter went to sleep. One on top of the other for about 5 hours, took bath, got more intense and then they just stopped! I was so disappointed the next day. Haven't had anything as exciting since, but I fear I will not know until transition.
Hang in there!!

[GradysMom]

Got a funny one for you guys - I was up last night with convincing yet prodromal labor that petered out. I couldn't get back to sleep, was just a bit too uncomfortable with all the disorganized twinges... yet again.

I notice DH was awake and thinking he was cued into my restlessness I asked him why he was up... he was worried about the plumbing supplies he had forgotten to buy and was afraid he lost his list...LOL

If he could have seen my face. I actually think it is just displaced stress and he was awake because he is sick of being on the edge of a cliff like this. Yesterday he realized that constantly asking me "when" could be really annoying and he hardly talked all evening. POOR GUY.

I patted him on the back and reassured him that he could script a new list.


Then I was up for about 2 more hours - I guess hoping the contrax would "come back" (insert Rose's voice from the end of Titanic)

[Onemagicmummy]

ewll im sure this proromal labour must be doing something, no matter how tiny progress is progress. my cervix is now right there, no more having to go prospecting and im almost twocm where as last week it was right back and not even fingertip. its something!

also i now have a doula to help me out seeing as my sister cant make it.

hugs to everyone. keep on keeping on. we will all get there in the end

Kiz

[junipermuse]

Count me in with all of you ladies. I have been thinking I must be going into labor any day now for close to two weeks. I was having really intense contractions last night for several hours before going to bed and frankly I was really surprised to wake up still pregnant this morning. On tuesday when my midwife checked I was already 1 1/2 cm dilated and today I lost my mucus plug so I hope all these contractions are doing something so that when I finally go into real labor it will be quick and easy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[GradysMom]

Wondering how everyone else is doing inthe Prodromal world. I am still having prodromal labor for about 4 weeks, still pregnant at 41 +3. Lucky for me my MD is not freaking out and I have been passing all exams and test with flying colors.

I've eaten two pineapples now and they have totally ripped my stomach up LOL. Kinda like castor oil, but at this point I'm seeing some positive changes so I'm off to buy another today. I also upped my oral EPO and also seems to be helping.

Two day ago the contrax started up again and haven't really stopped this time, I can sleep, but last night I was having contrax in my dreams, like part of the story line.

Anyway the contrax are a bit heavier than just BH and they last atleast 1 min but I'm in no mood to time them.

Excited tha last night ans this morning I started moving a lot of Mucus and perhaps a tinge of bloody show. Contracting as we type and feeling good about things.

How about the rest of you?

[spiritedmama]

mmmm....joining the group. Last week I had 2 serious days of prodromal labor, contrax 5 min. apart (this is the weird part, only while lying down or sitting in the taylor position and sometimes walking) then, they just sort of fizzled out....So, I am still having them occassionally, I just ignore them and don't time them. I just hope that when it "is" labor I will know and my MW will make it (she is driving from TX 3 hours away)....

Well, Grady's Mom, I hope this is it for you and your prodromal days will be over soon!!!!!