Had early labour for 24 hours, dilated to 5cm, and then stopped. NOOOO.

[littleteapot]

I'm feeling very discouraged today.  :( 

Getting lots of good nutrients and rest, and I'm listening to my body: if it gives me a break, I should take it. Midwife is very supportive and wonderful, and she totally called this since my early labour just sort of 'went' unendingly (contractions 5 minutes apart, even, unchanging, unaffected by ANYTHING, toe-curling, for 24 hours. I was 3cm and 90% effaced when I started, and 5cm and 100% effaced when it ended). MW thinks it's going to come back and slam me hard and fast, so she's advised that my hubby stay home from work from this point on.

I know in my logical brain that this is good: getting breaks is good, listening to your body is good, paying attention to your cues is good, and hell... I've made it half-way without doing anything! That's really good!

But in my not so logical brain? I'm discouraged and frustrated. :( There's this little three year old part of me that's sitting in a corner tantrumming and screaming about how I'm going to be pregnant forever.

[kawa kamuri]

I've been thinking about you.

She's so close to being in your arms. Very soon you'll be falling in love with her every gesture and sound, the details of how amazingly beautiful your baby girl is. I think you're doing great! Half way indeed! Definitely nurture yourself - rest, eat and soak up the last tiny bit of sharing your everything with your baby. Your body is doing amazing things and will continue to do so. You've got your toes to the edge, right on the cusp. Hang out there, mama. Birth is a blink away. 

[Snowflake777]

That sounds totally frustrating!!    5 cm is awesome progress though! I'm sure the rest of your labor will hit you before you know it. I'm excited for you!

[Autumn Breeze]

:hugs mama. Take the time you have been given to make sure your sweet one is well positioned. Visit ~Spinning Babies and spend some time doing a couple of things like hands and knees, and sitting on a birth ball moving your hips in circles.

[swimming-duck]

Awww....I understand why you'd feel discouraged. You are so close. Hang in there and try to somehow enjoy the rest!

[Smokering]

Oh my, that would drive me up the wall! You poor thing. Sleep while you can...

[sharita]

I would agree that there is a very high chance that when it finally powers back up after the break, it may go very very fast.  Be prepared:)

I can see how frustrating that would be as well.  Maybe if your up for it and water is still intact, a little loving with dh could get it moving.  Or, a brisk walk.  However, do get some rest in as well :) (easier said that done when you are excited waiting on baby though, I know)

[tracymom1]

Sending labor vibes your way! I can't wait to read your birth announcement tomorrow

[mad4mady]

Hope your back in with it as I type this. I would be so bummed too but, just know it can't be too far away now!!!

[jshannyn519]

OMG I cannot even imagine your level of frustration! I would be screaming mad if that happened to me! I'm frustrated enough and I haven't even had any "real" labor yet. Yes, rest is good and I really hope you can get some! I'm sure that part of your frustration lies with the fact that you've been hurting so badly lately and that birth will help alleviate some of that. Plus, it's annoying to have stop and start labor when you just want to get it on with!

I think, like your MW said, that you probably will go fast once you get going again. And I must say that I am totally jealous of your 5 cm and 100% effacement progress!

[littleteapot]

Thanks, all. :)

Nothing came back yet. Still contracting on occasion, but they're no longer regular. Midwife gave me a really wonderful pep talk on the phone about how great this is and how healthy and wonderful it all is and I'm feeling a little better. I am sort of climbing the walls about it though.

It's not that the contractions are that exhausting or horrific - they're way worse than braxton hicks and my last three prodromal labours, but they weren't bad enough to be active labour - it's just that I WANT IT TO BE OVER! It was crazy to go 24 straight hours with toe-curling, even contractions 5 minutes apart that actually dilated me and then... stopped? Bah!

On the spinningbabies note: I do what I can but my babies have all been persistent OP due to my dwarfism and hip deformations, so there's only so much of that which helps. :)

[MaryElizabeth]

You're gonna have a baby... You're gonna have a baby... SOON!!!!!!!!!! It must be maddening to be going through this, but within a couple days at most, you will be nursing your little newborn 

[Buddhamom]

Just wanted to wish you luck and say hang in there, you are on the threashold to a new baby.  I am jealous at your progress.

[cuddlemama0507]

My inner-3-year-old would definitely be out tantruming around.  I totally understand your frustration.  Good luck to you!  I bet we'll be reading about your baby very soon! 

[littleteapot]

As an update: the contractions are STILL GOING! The intensity goes up and down, so I have been able to get some quality rest in little chunks, and I'm staying positive... but I have literally been having prelabour/prodromal labour contractions, non-stop, 5-7 minutes apart, 45 or so seconds long, since Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm.

Today they've been a bit more intense for three or four hours following an internal exam (which I requested), and with every big intense one it squeezes out a big glop of liquidy mucous plug. Yummy! I'm walking around with a towel between my legs. And no, it's not my waters - if I reach in I can actually feel a bit of bulging bag, totally intact. This is just grotesque amounts of mucous.

Midwife has been so, so supportive and positive for me. Never implying that I "need to be" induced or helped along, being a cheerleader to ensure I get adequate rest and hydration, using only positive words about my body and this very exhausting and frustrating experience. I love, love, love, love her for not pushing induction methods.  I'm almost 41.5w now and she's still sitting there with a big smile saying, "Your body is doing so great! Look at all this fantastic progress!". It makes such a huge difference to have a care provider who isn't pushing stuff at you with the subtle message that there's something inherently 'wrong' with the process. Never using language like "stalled" or "arrested" which would imply this is a mistake or somehow not supposed to happen... only pure positivity! She's amazing for me right now and I'm so grateful for her.

[tracymom1]

littleteapot, have you tried the acupressure points that can stimulate labor? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnEcLSHTI0s I know you are having contractions, but just thought this might help. You and your little babe are in my thoughts!!

[littleteapot]

I don't want to do anything to stimulate labour before its time unless there's a valid indication that I should. :)

[littleteapot]

WOW I just checked my cervix and there's a big bulge of caul sticking out!! I can feel it ballooning up during these little contractions. Very cool!

[Cutie Patootie]

Very cool!  Hang in there.  It sounds like when you go, you'll go fast.  I always say, "Yay for fast ending labors!"

[BHappy]

that's totally awesome. hang in there! so amazingly cool about the caul, too......
 

Originally Posted by littleteapot 

As an update: the contractions are STILL GOING! The intensity goes up and down, so I have been able to get some quality rest in little chunks, and I'm staying positive... but I have literally been having prelabour/prodromal labour contractions, non-stop, 5-7 minutes apart, 45 or so seconds long, since Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm.

Today they've been a bit more intense for three or four hours following an internal exam (which I requested), and with every big intense one it squeezes out a big glop of liquidy mucous plug. Yummy! I'm walking around with a towel between my legs. And no, it's not my waters - if I reach in I can actually feel a bit of bulging bag, totally intact. This is just grotesque amounts of mucous.

Midwife has been so, so supportive and positive for me. Never implying that I "need to be" induced or helped along, being a cheerleader to ensure I get adequate rest and hydration, using only positive words about my body and this very exhausting and frustrating experience. I love, love, love, love her for not pushing induction methods.  I'm almost 41.5w now and she's still sitting there with a big smile saying, "Your body is doing so great! Look at all this fantastic progress!". It makes such a huge difference to have a care provider who isn't pushing stuff at you with the subtle message that there's something inherently 'wrong' with the process. Never using language like "stalled" or "arrested" which would imply this is a mistake or somehow not supposed to happen... only pure positivity! She's amazing for me right now and I'm so grateful for her.