False Labor- Day 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[HouseofPeace]

Oh the frustrating and yet wonderful signs of false labor that can go on for WEEKS.

Yesterday there was a dramatic shift, I couldn't sit comfortably, vaguely nauseous, nervy and BH all day.  But by nightfall the BH were pretty dramatic.  I also got flushed cheeks, deep breathing, and looser bowel movements that were annoying w/ pelvic pressure.  Fell asleep, slept great, and woke up to face day 2 of the same.

Same thing all today.  If I lie down, the BH slow down but don't resolve.  They're not consistent at all.  I don't have attention or focus and feel very sleepy and hazy.  Nauseous, spacey and running to the toilet all the time it seems!  

With my 2nd child, this went on for around a week to 2 weeks, but her labor was pretty quick.  W/ my 3rd, it started and then stopped for 2 weeks.  but she was posterior and never dropped.  this baby is pretty well engaged and low and the cervical pressure and punches are intense.  Not posterior, and that was a 1-2 week period w/ number 4 as well.

Anyone else facing the strange world of false labor?  

side note:  Oddly, my libido kicked back in, partially b/c I'm loopy and don't feel good so anything that feels good and is distracting is really nice!  

[Chloe'sMama]

Sorry HOP.  Hopefully it will not last 2 weeks this time.  

I am feeling more crampy and way more irritated and tired.  I slept well last night too.... I have never gone early, so it is pretty useless to hope I can go this week or next, but I am still secretly hoping it will happen soon.  

[HouseofPeace]

i've never gone early either!!!  so also trying to ignore this- but it's pretty dramatic!  and it is definitely crampy.....

[rachieface]

That sounds rough, ladies. It is so hard to know what's going on.

HoP, I'm impressed that baby is engaged. I think mine is pretty stuck head down (I hope!), but not engaged yet. I know it's not weird for subsequent babes to wait until labor to engage, but it would be nice to move in that direction. I don't think I'm going into labor too soon though, because I don't feel desperately "ready" or done.

Question for both of you: what are the best indicators for you of posterior or anterior babies? I've read some on Spinning Babies but can't really tell.

[etsdtm99]

I think this has started for me, i have a baby who is spinning aroudn though, sometimes he is posterior and sometimes not - i have a lot more discomfort, pressure and BH when he is posterior . as well as bathroom issues, bladder pressure and looser stools..   as well as pelvic pain .. fun times..  i 've always had 2-3 weeks of this miserable-ness but i wonder if the posterior baby is going to make it worse/last longer.. with my first it started at 36 weeks, she was born at 39, with my 2nd it started at 38 weeks and he was born via induction at 41 .. and my 3rd it started at 38 and she was born at 40 ..   I also started EPO last night and was very crampy this morning for the first time, wonder if that was related..  i also started RRLT 2 days ago.. (i'm 37wks)

I am really really uncomfortable now. really tired, feel like i can barely get around.. and i hope this means that its not going to be 4 more weeks though i've been preparing myself for 41+ weeks just to be .. prepared..  but now my preparing is just depressing me cause i feel like i have no hope of being done sooner and i feel just like i did the day i went into labor with #3 (probably felt that way sooner with her, i just remember that day clearly) .. i don't want to feel like this for weeks and weeks..
 

[Teles]

I'm sorry you have to deal with all this uncertainty nonsense, ladies. This whole labour thing should be like in the movies - gush of water, then clear and distinct "go time".

I'm starting to worry that I lost my window with all my pre-labour signs more than a week ago (lost a piece of mucus plug, frequent bowel movements, intense rectal pain, etc) because now I actually feel pretty great and not at all like I could have a baby any day. I'm doing a ton of cleaning which has caused some muscle pain but it's clearly related to the activities and not to my body doing something productive. I still have the same pelvic pressure that I've been experiencing for about a month now and I had a bit of an emotional breakdown last night, but that's pretty much it. I haven't even had Braxton Hicks contractions in several weeks (aside from the odd really mild one when I'm walking at a steep incline).

I was feeling so optimistic before, but now I'm starting to get this worry that I might actually go over my due date. At least I feel really energetic and reasonably comfortable again... for now

[HouseofPeace]

Originally Posted by rachieface 

That sounds rough, ladies. It is so hard to know what's going on.

HoP, I'm impressed that baby is engaged. I think mine is pretty stuck head down (I hope!), but not engaged yet. I know it's not weird for subsequent babes to wait until labor to engage, but it would be nice to move in that direction. I don't think I'm going into labor too soon though, because I don't feel desperately "ready" or done.

Question for both of you: what are the best indicators for you of posterior or anterior babies? I've read some on Spinning Babies but can't really tell.

baby's not really engaged- just got the head down and pretty solid in my pelvis more than any other baby i've ever had.  my first didn't ever engage.  this one has been far lower- i think b/c of positioning and the head is just pretty well in place.  i guess 'engaged' is the wrong word.... but locked head onto my pubic bone and not moving up or around....

i can tell my baby is anterior b/c i can feel the back straight up the front of my belly.  my posterior babies had feet and hands facing out- especially the feet kicking straight out or to the right and upper quadrant of my body.  this one the feet jut straight up into my ribs, and sometimes wander around the top, but don't pop out.  also the butt is very round and hangs out a bit in the front- i can usually just feel the heel, but sometimes the entire foot.  and the butt and feet are always both distinct.  the butt has thrown me for a loop sometimes, b/c it's so round and bouncy, but then when i lay down and feel down low, the head is bigger and rounder and still down.

i took a warm bath and stayed off my feet for the last 2 hours and things have really really slowed down.  

Staci- so good to hear someone else who has a similar pattern!  makes me feel less crazy!!!  

Teles- YES!!!  It should!!!  my water never breaks until i'm at 9+ cm, and the weeks of contractions before are just ridiculous.  the ultrasound should show a baby holding a sign when they're gonna come out.  then i'd have the u/s for sure!!!!

[josie423]

Ahh, I am anxious to see when you'll give birth!! With my youngest I had a good 1.5 weeks of almost real labor (not BHs but low, cervical ctx) and he came at 38 weeks. I'm not having that with this baby yet, so I feel like s/he will be later. With my third all the pre-labor stuff started at 35 weeks and I had her at 39. While I feel things gearing up/changing, I don't feel like I am a week or two away from birth yet. We'll see! I can certainly sympathize though, after my last two babies.

[loveandgarbage]

Sorry to those experiencing false labor. I had that my first time around and it was no fun. Also because it was my first I was absolutely CONVINCED every time that it would lead to the real thing!

HoP hopefully all this labor stuff if making you slowly dilate and you'll have a nice short labor!

[typebug]

Originally Posted by josie423 

Ahh, I am anxious to see when you'll give birth!! With my youngest I had a good 1.5 weeks of almost real labor (not BHs but low, cervical ctx) and he came at 38 weeks. I'm not having that with this baby yet, so I feel like s/he will be later. With my third all the pre-labor stuff started at 35 weeks and I had her at 39. While I feel things gearing up/changing, I don't feel like I am a week or two away from birth yet. We'll see! I can certainly sympathize though, after my last two babies.

Josie i wonder if this is a more accurate way to describe my new super intence BH contractions. They are low, very strong and more painful than ever before. Still a bit random, but they are very different from the BH contractions i've had all day evey day since November. Hmmm

[josie423]

Originally Posted by typebug 


Josie i wonder if this is a more accurate way to describe my new super intence BH contractions. They are low, very strong and more painful than ever before. Still a bit random, but they are very different from the BH contractions i've had all day evey day since November. Hmmm

Yeah, to me, these types of ctx are different than BHs. Part of the difference is that I don't have the whole belly hardness, they are all down low. They just feel more productive to me.

[LadyCatherine185]

I've also been having about a week of "false labor".. mainly just slightly more intense than braxton hicks, but some really low/crampy/painful ones. I expected this, so it doesn't have me too worried. I am trying my best to ignore it. I found out today that I am 2 cm's dilated though! woo hoo!

[HouseofPeace]

whoohoo to the 2cm's for sure!  i can tell my cervix is totally soft and basically gone.  but can't finagle a true measurement w/out midwife.  i don't even have a small mirror in the house, but am pretty sure i don't want to see the strangeness going on down there anyway!

Today was 100x better- things eased up.  i went shopping, had a friend over and made elaborate cookies

http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-samoas

which i only ate 2 of (husband had 3, and sent a half dozen to share w/ friends)!  oh man, they're intense.  

shifted from 'agh, this is horrible!' to 'okay, we can do this for another 2 weeks!'  

and ready for bed at, yup, 6:45 pm.

here's for a better temper in all of this!

[typebug]

Originally Posted by josie423 

Yeah, to me, these types of ctx are different than BHs. Part of the difference is that I don't have the whole belly hardness, they are all down low. They just feel more productive to me.

I still get my whole tummy engaged because they also knock the wind out of me but the low down "productive" feeling... yup. I think there might be something going on. My MW is on her way over to investigate tomorrow. Since I'm only 35wks2days this is a little earlier than she'd like to be hearing this.