Stop, start, stop, start..... VENT!

[MOMYS]

I had some contractions this morning, nice strong ones, about 10 mins apart and although I didn't think I was quite in labour, I definitely felt that we were gearing towards it.   I'm used to really quick labours, generally, but I know every labour is different. 

Usually when I'm unsure as to whether I'm in labour, I am not, KWIM?  I did think that this was the start of something and that it would maybe move into labour...

We went off to soccer with the kids (about 40 mins away) and they kind of faded, but were still there, and still strong and and in the back.  Then we went to Ikea and they were more regular again.   By the time we got home though, they had fizzled out.

I think I lost some of my mucous plug, but no bloody show.

It is now 8:30pm and they are gone.   I'm uncomfortable, but there are definitely no contractions or anything resembling labour.

I know I'm only 37 and a half weeks, but given that I have had some of my babies at 35 and 36 weeks, I'm feeling overdue...  rolleyes!

[mingus]

I'm in the same boat. I've had 3 episodes of practice labor over the past week. For me, the contractions are often very close together (every 3-5 minutes) and involve lots of pressure in my pelvis and back ache in addition to belly tightening. But, they never build and they're not what I'd call painful overall. These episodes have faded after 6-12 hours. I'm just past 37 weeks, so I am really trying to be patient, but this stuff messes with my head. 

[yellowdart]

I've had absolutely nothing, unless you count the stomach cramp I got from greasy Mexican food I ate earlier.  Even my Braxton Hicks are totally borderline and might just be tight pants.  With all you ladies having practice labor and losing mucus plugs and stuff though, I bet the DDC is gonna have a lot more babies really soon!  

[Trinket90]

I'm kind of in the same boat as yellowdart. This being my first, I didn't really know what to expect a contraction to feel like. The first time I knew I was having a BH contraction, I was at the midwife, she put her hands on my stomach to measure me, and said, "Oh! That's called a braxton hicks contraction." I didn't feel a thing. Even till recently I didn't "feel" them, I would only know I was having one when I happened to put my hands on my stomach during one. Lately I've been able to notice them when I get up from sitting for a while.

Last night, though, DH and I were walking through Best Buy and I kept having repeated contractions. He noticed I was having a lot and wanted to know if that was "normal" (translation: will you pop this baby out already?!). I know from self-checking that I'm nowhere near dilated, so I knew it wasn't "real". But that was the first time I noticed anything repeated, or even really noticeable.

I'm positive I'm going to go a couple weeks late. But the more contractions I start to notice, the more I get my hopes up--and it IS getting frustrating! I may not be dealing with as much as you are, but I get it!!

[lifeguard]

Oh thank you for posting this!!! I've had several sessions of really intense, regular bh that amounted to nothing. Then I spent all of today miserably uncomfortable with a crampy lower back which has now settled down.

I never went into labour naturally with ds so I don't know what to expect.

Momys - seriously, the fact that you've done these a few times & still don't know for sure when it's starting makes me feel so much better!

[Mainebirdgirl]

I am so with you ladies! I'm 36.5 weeks with twins, and since twins tend to come early, we've been ready for a while. I've had serious BH for over a month now, but things have REALLY picked up with sometimes them getting very regular, and sometimes quite painful. 

They have never gone anywhere- but they really mess with my head.

I've finally gotten to a point where I just ignore them and figure when it's labor, I wont be able to ignore things any longer, but it still is so hard to not get my hopes up when things get going! I've got an estimated 13 lbs of kids in here, so I'm totally ready for things to move along... 

[newyorkmommy]

I don't know, given your history especially, this sounds like it may be the beginning of the real thing!

Either way -- very exciting!

[emmaegbert]

I had "start and stop" labor for 2 days with my first (but not with my second). Then once things got cooking, it went pretty fast. MWs gave me advice then that I really appreciated in retrospect- they said, DO NOT exhaust yourself trying to "get labor going", rest if you can, sleep if you can, if a warm bath stops it, let it stop. (I was 38 weeks. Obviously if I'd been 43 they probably would have sung a different song). Eat smallish, healthy, nourishing meals. Take it easy as much as possible. I am so glad I followed their advice or else I would have been so EXHAUSTED when I really needed all that energy at the end.

The nice thing was, it gave my mom time to book a flight and get across the country to where I was at the time! (now I live downstairs from my parents so no biggie).

Good luck!

[lifeguard]

emmaegbert - that is good advice. I think that is where I am sitting right now. I've been spending a lot of time in bed & feeling guilty about it but it probably really is the best thing to be doing.

[MOMYS]

Glad I'm not the only frustrated one!
 

Originally Posted by lifeguard 

Oh thank you for posting this!!! I've had several sessions of really intense, regular bh that amounted to nothing. Then I spent all of today miserably uncomfortable with a crampy lower back which has now settled down.

I never went into labour naturally with ds so I don't know what to expect.

Momys - seriously, the fact that you've done these a few times & still don't know for sure when it's starting makes me feel so much better!

This is my 7th pregnancy, and with my last I was convinced I was in labour and called the midwife out, only for it to fizzle BLUSH!   With all the others it was VERY evident once I was in labour.   With my last, when I did go into labour (my water broke dramatically in the middle of the night) there was no doubt!  

Originally Posted by Mainebirdgirl 

I am so with you ladies! I'm 36.5 weeks with twins, and since twins tend to come early, we've been ready for a while. I've had serious BH for over a month now, but things have REALLY picked up with sometimes them getting very regular, and sometimes quite painful. 

They have never gone anywhere- but they really mess with my head.

I've finally gotten to a point where I just ignore them and figure when it's labor, I wont be able to ignore things any longer, but it still is so hard to not get my hopes up when things get going! I've got an estimated 13 lbs of kids in here, so I'm totally ready for things to move along... 

WELL done on getting this far with twins!  You ROCK!!!!

Originally Posted by newyorkmommy 

I don't know, given your history especially, this sounds like it may be the beginning of the real thing!

Either way -- very exciting!

Sadly not.   Today there has been nothing!  But you know what I keep telling myself maybe I'm like an elephant and I will gestate for 22 months.   That way waiting another 2 weeks doesn't sound so bad!  :) :):)
 

Emmaegbert, what great advice.  I'm a lot less annoyed today and more resigned that baby will come when she is ready!

[lifeguard]

So I spent all day yesterday feeling crampy & awful to have it become nothing at night. Great - got a good night's sleep. This morning it started up again & then in the evening it settled into a nice, regular pattern of contractions only to fizzle out again as the night progressed only I'm still left feeling crampy & awful. Gosh I hope this is not going to be a pattern for an extended period.

[emmaegbert]

lifeguard- I also hope you see some "results" soon but glad you are getting to sleep at night. I really, really appreciated that advice in retrospect with my first. B/c you really don't know how long its going to go on. And believe me, when labor gets going "for real" you will not be able to rest anymore. I do credit it with having helped things along... it was fast once it really happened.

Also, have you a sense of the positioning of your baby? Do a bunch of cat/cow stretching, even some swimming perhaps or anything else to encourage optimal presentation/position? Resting in a well-supported knees-to-chest position (using pillows etc to make it comfy)? Once I was in active labor we realized that DS was probably posterior and MW at the birth center had me try a bunch of positions to encourage rotation, and things sped up like crazy then (he rotated and was born anterior, but with a ton of facial bruising, she thought probably from all that unproductive prelabor, where his forehead was hitting my pelvis). I am convinced that there is a lot to fetal positioning, so anything you can do to encourage baby to be in a good presentation might help? (this is on my mind b/c my baby right now is posterior and I expect will stay that way, but I am going to really try and spend a lot of time in those pro-rotation positions starting at 37 weeks).

[lifeguard]

She was posterior at my last u/s. I have been trying to get her rotated but I know they easily rotate back as well. We'll see how it all goes.

[corrabelle]

I did the same thing all day yesterday-and today it's pretty bad if I stand/walk. So i'm not doing anything-because I really need this baby to stay in until thursday! (37 wks-so I can have a midwife attended home delivery!!)

[Gabesgrrrl]

This thread was music to my ears....

I have been woken up every night on and off all night for the past 4 nights-with really really heavy menstrual-like contractions, sometimes accompanied by a full contraction wrapping around my front and pulling down. Voiding my bowels-peeing regularly-constant low dull backache and regular contractions for hours during the day.

I. Am. Exhausted.

This is my 4th, and I've never had early labor hurt like this! I'm stressed and anxious...and just wishing I'd see some kind of bloody show so I knew all this wasn't for naught.

I am grumpy too-and having a tough time looking at the positive sides. I mean, my longest labor was 3 hours start to finish-though I had prodromal labor with my last, it was never painful-just annoying at night.

I've already put in more "pain equity" in this labor than all 3 of my births combined.

Basically, I need a hug. And I need someone to tell me it's doing SOMETHING productive!

But it is very nice to hear other ladies are having the frustration of start/stop labor.:)

Marcie

[lifeguard]

Marcie - it does just suck. This is day 4 of this for me. I keep trying to think that my uterus will be sooooooo ready to go when things really start that the baby will just come shooting out in no time! It's mildly reassuring.

[corrabelle]

ok-I had an intense night last night. From around 1 am till 6, I had a roller coaster of contractions that were intense, but not regular. They would be for a while, but then they'd slow down, and then build up again. I thought it was the real deal, and nearly called the midwife.
the problem is, for me, this IS how labour is. And I don't know it's real until the baby is crowning-since my water never breaks until their heads are out! I feel like a ticking time bomb.

[Gabesgrrrl]

OK, well I went to see my midwife to see if all of this pain has made any progress....

I'm a whole 1.5 cm dilated! (eye roll) I am 30% effaced- (again, eye roll)...but I'm 100% exhausted!

She suggested maybe I am dehydrated, which I poo-pooed, because I do drink water throughout the day.

But then I realized that a few days ago, I was told I had severe polyhydraminos (spelling?) by an ultrasound tech, which required an emergency follow-up sono at the hospital...which turned out to be absolutely false-not even close to true. But I think subconsciously I had reduced my water intake when I heard this...even though logically I know it doesn't make a difference..lol.

Ive been upping my water, and noticing that although I still have some contractions, they aren't nearly as painful.

Thought I'd mention it here...just in case it could help someone. :)

Marcie

[Shonahsmom]

Ugh, last night was horrible for me.

A half an hour after I laid down I started having pretty intense contractions but they were anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes apart. I kept telling myself to just go to sleep because they were way too far apart and obviously there's no danger of me sleeping through labor and if I was really going in to labor what I needed most was sleep... but every time I finally drifted off I would have another contraction. That went on until 2:30 or so. I finally fell asleep sometime after that, but slept really poorly.

And of course, in the two plus hours I've been awake today I haven't had a single contraction. And my back, hips, legs and belly feel like they've been run over. I'm so tired and cranky, I just want to cry.

 

[~pi]

Shonahsmom, that sounds awful. I'm so sorry, and I hope you can get some decent rest soon.

Marcie, that is great to know about the water. Thanks!