How long until the real thing!

[mrsdocmartin]

Lots of af like contractions last night, but nothing that got more regular. It stopped after a few hours. I feel very "bulgy" down there. Is that my cervix? I am strep b positive and refusing abx so no internals at all. Anyway, I was induced last time and am determined to have a natural birth this time, but feel like a first time mom with recognizing actual labor signs. Anyone want to wager a guess on how soon this babe will debut???

[scottishmommy]

the last few weeks of my pregnancy were like that. stop start labor. I was never terribly uncomfortable though. i finally had acupuncture on my due date and dd was born 5 hours later! the general rule is that you know you're in labor when you must concentrate on your ctx. if you want to yell "shut up!" to anyone who tries to talk to you during a ctx you're probably in active labor
i think vaginas are just plain bulgey at the end of pregnancy!

[birthjunkie27]

I agree that bulginess is pretty normal at the end of pregnancy and doesn't indicate when you'll go into labor.

AF like contractions would have to get stronger and stronger if it's true labor. I had some "false" labor with my last pregnancy (around 39 wks) that was so intense that I couldn't speak through contractions but it fizzled after a few hours and then I didn't go into real labor until 41 weeks.

I also didn't know what the beginning of labor really felt like (with an intact water bag) because my first 2 labors began with my water breaking. So with the last one even when it was real labor I wasn't sure if it was real because my water hadn't broken. I was hesitant to call the homebirth doc even though the contractions were getting longer, stronger, and closer together.

Sorry, I know that didn't answer your question.... but really there is no way to answer it. Labor/birth is so unpredictable, even the best trained docs/midwives can't accurately predict when it will happen.

Wishing you the best

[Carolyn R]

I am also adding to the consensus that "bulginess" is really common at the end of pregnancy. I remember saying to my husband "It feels like the baby is going to fall out!" to which he replied that I could only wish to be that lucky!

Sorry you're having the prodomal labor issues...it can be so frustrating. I always had lots of "leading-up-to-the-real-thing" labor, and something that helped me was to imagine that each of these contractions was doing SOMETHING. Maybe thinning your cervix, or helping the baby to get into a good position, or doing some early dilating.

Hope you're holding a healthy baby soon!

[XanaduMama]

I would work really hard on positioning, and maybe get a chiro/Webster adjustment too--often the stop/start labor can mean that baby isn't quite in the right position, IME.

Hope you're holding that baby really soon!

[mrsdocmartin]

Originally Posted by XanaduMama

I would work really hard on positioning, and maybe get a chiro/Webster adjustment too--often the stop/start labor can mean that baby isn't quite in the right position, IME.

Hope you're holding that baby really soon!

Good tip! DH is a chiropractor and I'm adjusted often, but he doesn't do Webster. May have to check into that! I know he has an aquaintance that does.