The New Prodromal Labor Club

[HeatherB]

I'm thinking most of the mamas in the old prodromal labor thread have had their babies now. And since I'm pretty sure I'll be in this club for a while, I figured I'd start up a new one!

I've had ctxs on and off for weeks and weeks, often related to hydration, etc. Perfectly normal, of course. In the last few days, though, they've gone from the "Oh, hey, it's kinda like menstrual cramps and really kinda feels good!" to "Oh, my, I'm not sure I want to do this again," kind of hurting. They're not stretching on for hours in any kind of a pattern or making me think it could be real labor, but when they're consistent it's crazy. And when they're not, I still get twinges of them. I can't tell if it's baby moving or just really minor ones or what.

Anyway, this is all cervical in feeling and I'm really wondering just how much longer I can go making cervical changes before baby really is ready. Being part of the "zen" club is becoming challenging with so much going on.

On the one hand, I fully expect baby to come two weeks from now - that's still a week before EDD, but right in line with my last two births. I'm totally okay with doing little bits of laboring here and there so that when it IS "baby out" contraction time that it doesn't take too long or too much!

On the other hand, I'm wondering just how long I can have ctxs before there's just no cervix left. I'm definitely at 4cm already and it seems like my cervix has thinned to closer to 75% effaced in the last couple of days. I know that once the cervix is "gone" that dilation can be very rapid (which is what happened in my last birth), so I'm left going, hmmm...

I do NOT want to have this baby before the master bath is finished (waiting on fixtures to arrive and be installed, so hopefully next week?) and we can clean up the master bedroom and get everything set up. DH is freaking at the idea of not having access to the master bedroom where we have the hose adapter already installed, etc. And I do NOT want to have the baby while my photographer is out of town! She'll be back right around 38 weeks (next Friday). I also still need to prep diapers and wash clothes for the baby, plus extra towels. A friend is coming over Monday morning with the idea of hanging out while our kids play and I get some of that done.

So, baby can hang out a while... Really! But I'm already realizing that the whole prodromal labor thing is enough to invoke insanity.

[~Demeter~]

I'm going on a couple weeks... I think this is just the way my body does things?? I don't know... I'm afraid of another 4+ weeks of this before... what. I'm sure that line of thinking doesn't help much, does it? It's hard to feel hopeful about going into labor right now because I keep questioning every twinge my body makes, it's not helping. I'm trying to let go but I'm not sure I can. I don't know... I have periods throughout the day that I'll ctx for an hour or more but they don't progress or grow in intensity. I'm not sure they are doing anything to my cervix, either. *sigh* Whoever said the prodromal doldrums has me pegged.

[HeatherB]

I think it was Laura/Stitches who said "prodromal doldrums" on the weekly thread. Definitely apt, and much more so when you've been at it for weeks, I'm sure! How far are you now, Nic? (There are certain times I wish we all could have those auto-updating tickers!) The amazing thing is that it DOES do something - measurable or not - and all culminates at just the right time. We're all going to be super stoked when it's your turn!

[~Demeter~]

I'm 38 weeks almost 39 weeks (sunday i'll be 39)

My husband thinks this time is different and that I wasn't like this really with Sage but I recall with all of them, near the end contracting. I know when it's happening that it's not real though. There has only been one time that I felt like OMG I kinda want to get home (i was shopping that day) because I'm really just not sure what my body is doing... and yesterday driving to our Fun Club Halloween Party I had contractions that were on the more intense side of things, that lasted about a minute or so and were every 20ish minutes apart... when we got there they petered out just like they expected them to. I wonder if the car causes me to contract because of how I have to sit.. I also have an hour or so at night that I contract regularly though not terribly intensely and then they go away. Why does my body have to do that? Why can't I progress??

[47chromosomes]

My ctx have also picked up in intensity. All of a sudden I am feeling like I can wait to have to do labor again--sheesh! On the other hand, I'd like it just to start and be real already. Had my midwife check my cervix today, and nada. It's closed. I went from closed cervix to baby in arms in two days with my first (can't remember the second if I had had a check or not), so I'm not too worried, I have confidence in my little cervix, I do, but I sure wish all this contracting was making itself a little more useful. Ah well....

[Ellen Griswold]

Maybe this is where I need to be with all my false starts and stops. I've never had prodromal labor before and still remain slightly confused about it. So I timed 2 hours worth of regular contractions tonight and then they just stopped. It's a little after 3am here and I've been having more on and off through the night. Clearly, they're not bad if I can still sleep through them, but now I'm awake and having none. I just feel so restless and uncomfortable that I cannot sleep. Had some bloody show but I'm not convinced that it simply wasn't from the cervical exam I had today. How I regret that now. I feel like if she hadn't messed around with my cervix today, I'd be sleeping peacefully (or, ya know, as good as it gets these days).

[~Demeter~]

So I have a new development....


As I was sleeping last night I was rudely awakened by cramps. Like I'm going to get my period cramps... ow. They would start off slow, like just an ache... intensify/peak and then dissipate. (i do not recall this from my daughter, though it's entirely plausible i'm forgetting) This happened a few different times, I didn't feel the need to time them or anything I figured if it was anything then I would figure it out eventually.

Would really love to wake up one night with a clear indication that YES! THIS IS IT! Hopefully soon. (hear that universe!? i'm READY!)

[Stitches]

Prodroming away here too. The annoying part for me is that I am pretty zen about when baby comes, I don't feel particularly antsy yet (although given much more of this I might change my mind), and I prefer not knowing what is actually going on with my cervix when I can imagine that all these squeezes are actually doing something productive ahead of time. Over on the Birth and Beyond forum I saw it descibed as 'labor by instalments'...which is a more positive way of looking at I guess.
But still, waking up in the night having painful contractions that then fade off but keep me from sleeping isn't cool, and going around all day feeling like I have my period is no fun, and generally feeling labory when it isn't gets old fast. Sure does feel like the doldrums when every day is the same. I so wish I was one of those women who goes along feeling great until one day I 'know' I am in labor and voila, a baby comes out.

I'll be 39 weeks tommorow, I had DD at 39 and 6. If I'm lucky this will all lead to something in the next week, but let's just say I'm not holding my breath and I might be posting here for a couple of weeks. Good times

[mzminty]

With ds I would wake up in the night with painful ctx A LOT. This time, it's happening more rarely. So I don't know if that means anything or nothing.

I checked my cervix today and it was more high and/or anterior than it was a few weeks ago, I think. Felt like 3 cm or so dilated. Again, that probably means nothing!

I had dd at 2 days past my due date, and ds at 4 days past my due date. So I expect to be pregnant for two more weeks at least.

[kittywitty]

I have had near neverending cramps and contractions, too. It seems like more constant than last time, though they were in more intense spurts with #4. When I wake up at night and get them I do freak out a little because I do want/need baby to stay in until at least the 6th. Then I freak out about the pain of childbirth and don't know if I can do it again.

[3 little birds]

Joining the club-this has been going on for weeks, but I told baby to stay inside a while. I usually go past 40/41 and I am 38 now. I'd like to make it to 41 to be as close to the end of the semester as possible. I am a little panicked about being in school and homeschooling 5 kids with a new baby. I like the labor by installments idea-sounds good to me!

[naturelady]

This is my first baby and I wasn't sure how to tell the difference between a Braxton Hicks and a real contraction.. until a few days ago! The funny part is that I woke up and was reflecting on how I dreamt about having contractions while I was laying down. But then I remembered the FEELING. Apparently I wasn't dreaming because the same thing happened to me last night and I was awake! It only lasted an hour or two and they were sporadic but I could feel a peak and decrease in some of them. Completely fascinated!

I have everything ready for this little one to come but I'm in no rush and not antsy. It's just exciting to see how nature and our bodies seem to create life perfectly then help us "practice" for the real deal. In the meantime, I'm on a cleaning and knitting frenzy.

Took a walk down to the store today and definitely had contractions on the way home. The whole mystery of when the baby will come is so suspenseful..

[47chromosomes]

Originally Posted by kittywitty

Then I freak out about the pain of childbirth and don't know if I can do it again.

This is my biggest issue with the prodromal stuff. I have been getting anxious about labor when the ctx are good and strong, which makes me worry that I'm letting myself get too physched out to actually go into REAL labor. I'm caught in such a head game the last few days. And then to find out my cervix is closed... I don't put a lot of weight into that for me, and I seem to dialate really well and efficiently once labor starts, but still... I was just hoping for a little, well, hope.

[Stitches]

I'm stalling on going to bed because I don't think I'm going to get a good sleep. I've been having tons and tons of not quite painful but noticeable contractions all afternoon and evening. Come on uterus, sh@t or get off the pot! (and p.s. please turn into labor, pretty pleases?)

[Ellen Griswold]

I was so crampy all day yesterday and having irregular contractions last night.

Guess what? I'm still pregnant.

[mzminty]

Laura and Ellen. I totally had painful ctx last night that went nowhere. I was allowing myself to be just a little hopeful because they hurt so much and wouldn't let me fall asleep....

Anyway, luckily dh let me sleep in a little this morning. And if he hadn't been home, I would've been really nervous. But as I told him this morning, that probably won't be the first false alarm we experience in the next few weeks!

[~Demeter~]

My body has been oddly quiet the past couple of days. Nothing major to speak of...

[Stitches]

Well, I had a bad night but not due to ctx...they stopped. DD wouldn't sleep in her bed though and ended up kicking me in the back a bunch so I had a different kind of uncomfortable.

[calihannah]

Originally Posted by ~Demeter~

My body has been oddly quiet the past couple of days. Nothing major to speak of...

I think I belong in this club, too, and this statement sums it up. Last week, I had 3 days of every-5-min ctx during the day, and then it tapered off over the weekend. Yesterday, not all that much. Today, a little more, but still nothing like last week. *shrug*

I'm 39w3d today, which is 3 days further than I got with DD1, so this is all new territory for me. Hard to be zen but trying!

[HeatherB]

Everything's gone quiet here, too. After wondering how on Earth I'd make it 2-3 more weeks last Wednesday/Thursday, I'm now quite certain I'll make it at least until I give baby the "all clear" in one week. Crazy how things change!

I also haven't observed much (if any) cervical change after last week. I think that part of that is my cervix has moved posterior (it had been RIGHT THERE, and before that it was at least anterior and easy to reach). Now baby's head is much more forward and the cervix back, so there's not as much direct pressure on the cervix.

I know the timing is all going to be perfect, whatever it is! I am glad not to be too stressed about it right now since I really do need one more week!