Prodromal Labour Thread #2

[OwensMa]

Anyone still/newly experiencing prodromal labour?

I'm adding myself to the list. Started Saturday am 0530 with nice, moderately stong cxns. MW came at 0900, was 100% effaced, and 2cm open. Went to see her at the hospital at noon, as she'd just caught a baby there, and was 3-4cm open, but babe's head was floating. More walking until 1430, baby's head could be felt. Decided to come home to labour, MW expected to hear from me by the evening. Well, it all but stopped last evening. I awoke 6 or so times in the night with very strong cxns, but managed to sleep through any others. Started 55-70 sec cxns every 4-5 minutes this morning, which lasted only 2 hours. More difficult to feel them finish though, as my back is ever-achey today.

Last night, I was so upset, as I hadn't considered prodromal labour, and I felt such a failure. My midwife called to check on me this morning, as she was sure she'd hear from us in the night. She suggested I get out of the house, enjoy a warm bath (membranes intact still), rest.

I've tried nipple stimmulation, um ehem, more intimate stimulation, ball bouncing and walking (more like ambling along), and all I have right now are pinchy twinges in what I think is my cervix, and mild and short contractions coming occasionally, with a nearly-constant back-ache.

I've read on the first prodromal labour thread that we're all hoping for hard and fast labours with all this prodromal labour before hand. I do hope there is some truth to that!!

What are you doing to enhance/speed labour? I'd love some suggestions. I really feel like I need a . This is really tiring and frustrating.

[grace's voice]

I've had BH's, often 2-5 mins apart, since 14-weeks along this pg. 5 weeks ago they turned stronger and crampy and started coming most evenings for 5-8 hours, though I've had episodes that lasted several days. So I'm counting my prodromal labor from when they got stronger. They wake me up many times every night... it IS very exhausting! We didn't think I'd make it past May 25th (my 37-week mark) but here I am, my "due date" was yesterday. Dh has decided the baby is never coming. I feel like a failure and like I've been disappointing everyone around me every day for the past 5 weeks. It sucks. I just keep waiting for my waters to break, or for something REALLY painful to happen, you know, contractions I have to vocalize through. I am a little scared of having a fast labor like my last (water broke and birth happened 3 hours later), on the other hand I sometimes think, 'whatever it takes to get it over with!'
I haven't been trying anything to induce. I'm still dealing with some fear toward labor, which I haven't been able to make rational sense of. When I do do anything that might start labor I just end up with a sleepless night of unproductive contractions, so that's frustrating too. I really want to meet my baby, and I REALLY don't want to be pg anymore! But I guess not enough to movitve me to evict him just yet. I think if I pass 41 weeks 3 days (the average gestation for a second baby) THEN I'll start walking and DTD (dh would be thrilled, its been about 2 months).

At the begining of this pg I guessed he'd be born June 21st and dh guessed June 22nd. As things went on we decided I'd NEVER make it that far. One of us could still be right, we shall see!

[ckhagen]

I'm thinking I may be counting myself as being prodromal now...

Friday night, I was almost positive that this was "it". 7pm I started mild/moderate contractions about every 10 minutes. By midnight I was getting pretty uncomfortable. Dh seemed a little worried too because I was slightly cringing and they were pretty close. I went to bed fully expecting to have to wake up and go to the birth center or have my water break. Nope. At 3am I was starting to sort of freak because they were super strong, but I was able to get through them without expressing anything too horrible. I was having trouble walking though because my right leg kept getting "stuck". By 6-ish they wore down and that was pretty much it....

I'm contracting now about every 5-10 minutes, but since I have a 2 hour drive to where I'm going to birth, I'm not going until I'm absolutely positive that I won't have to turn around and go home!

[Peppamint]

Sending you all the dust that I built up in several weeks of prodromal labor with Audrey!



Be kind to yourselves mamas... prodromal labor can be mentally challenging.

[Jenivere]

I am due this coming friday and I had my first episode of BH's last night. They lasted for six and a half hours. My back was hurting and the baby was very active. Every time it turned it's head my pelvic bone would hurt. I had a really hard time falling asleep. Today I am sore, worn out (got a short nap!) and my pelvic hurts. On top of that I've have (TMI) frequent loose stools since wensday and this baby has been engaged for a while now. At this point I would welcome nursing a newborn frequently over being in pain and to uncomcomfortable to sleep.

[rikiamber]

Good way to bring on labor...have the alternator in your family car die on you. We have two cars and only one can legally carry more than two people (the van only has the front seats). My car has died so I know that I will be going into labor very soon just cause thats Murphy's Law. My BH are getting stronger, makes me feel that I am being laced into a corset, I am really cranky and tired and I just want to hibernate in my room. I really want some nooky with DH because it will be a long time before I can have some again and I am really bummed about that....I need some booty dang it!! Now that the car has died I want this baby to wait until we can get it fixed. Ugh maybe this was all planned by our boy and God they have something up their sleeves.

[MidwifeErika]

I am here with lots of prodromal labor stuff. Everynight it starts and most mornings as well. The afternoon is usually the only quiet time for my uterus. Things are just uncomfortable enough that it is hard to tell if things are starting up or not.

I don't know if I buy into the prodromal labor making for a quick birth. I had tons with my son and still had a 24 hour labor. However, it wasn't a hard birth and I didn't bleed hardly at all (the water was totally clear when I climbed out), so the toned uterus did work to my benefit in other ways.

[mommy2girlies]

Still having prodromal labor over here too Been doing the same ol' same ol' for about 4wks now....Im just so ready to be done!! I've been feeling very crampy this morning and having some painful cxtns, but not in any sort of pattern yet. Hopefully as the day progresses maybe they will get it in gear and get regular on me!! A girl can hope right? Its my birthday, so what better present can I ask for?!

[Yin Yang]

Not in your DDC but wanted to suggest a homeopathic remedy called Caulophyllum 6C to take 5 granules between contractions or put about 10-15 granules into the water you are drinking during labor (day). It's black cohosh but in homeopathic dilution and it is way more effective then herbal tincture. It helps open up the cervix and makes labor much more efective.

http://homepage.mac.com/trrobbins/CAFM/homeo.htm

Caulophyllum - Mother usually displays nervous excitement shown often as trembling or shaking. Labor stalling. The first remedy to consider in all pregnancy, delivery and after birthing issues. Weakness, changeable moods during labor. Labor delayed; the cervix remains rigid and the contractions (which feel violent to the patient) have no coordination.
Braxton-Hicks contractions. Uterine hypotonicity. Rotation of baby can be facilitated with this remedy. Postpartum bleeding.

[eco_mama]

I've had BH's for close to 4 wks now. : They've kinda petered out since yesterday though.