Contraction Timing (xpost in Preg)

[mysonshine]

When contractions start, do they start out paced further apart like 20 minuntes or so and then get closer? Or can they start at like 8 minutes?

Just curious.

[hapersmion]

Mine started at about 6 minutes apart when my water broke. They varied from being 6 minutes apart to being just a minute apart for the next 9 hours or so, depending on whether I was resting or walking around. I think it's different for everyone.

hapersmion

[sebarnes]

In 'classic' cases, they can be like what you describe. However, for me, personally, my contractions started out three minutes apart and 60 seconds long or so. I had my baby two hours later. My midwife almost didn't make it because I was expecting contractions to be like what you described so for awhile wasn't sure if I was 'really' in labor, so I waited forever to call her. So, there is a wide range of normal and it's probably best to listen to you body (I know, easier said than done sometimes! )

[cottonwood]

Yes, there is a wide range of normal. Mine have all started out in the ten-minute range.

[JanetF]

Everything is normal Medicalised careproviders think labour HAS to fit some kind of standard with cx getting longer and closer together like a nice neat graph and that just doesn't happen for everyone. I talked to a mama only yesterday whose cx were never any closer than about 10mins together and her baby was born in under 2 hours. I have NO idea what space mine were in either labour coz it didn't matter to me

[cidercat]

I was prepared for what you've described. Of course, that's not what I got. Water broke at 9:15 pm. Two 10 minute long periods of crampiness at 10:15 and 11:15. Contractions started at 12:15, one big long huge contraction that never let up until I started pushing. Poor DH : , you should've seen our contraction timing sheet. He had no idea what to write down!

[Peony]

Yep, everything is normal. My labor with DD1 started out with contractions about 7 minutes apart and they stayed like that for 15+ hours. With DD2, I woke up and my contractions were about 5 minutes apart.

[meggles]

in early labor, mine were anywhere from 5-20 min apart. this went on for 28 hours before i went into active labor and dd was born 12 hours later. they got much closer together, like every 3-5 minutes once i was in active labor.

[mysonshine]

Thank you all. Now if I could just get them to keep going. I'll have them for a few hours and then they just taper off. Every day for the last week. Ugghh.