Tell me about your pre term labor and birth...

[salt_phoenix]

I'm at 34.5 weeks now and in what I would call "early" stages of labor... I had bloody mucusy streaking starting Thursday, and then moving to some irregular but more noticable contractions and mentrual type cramping. My hips and lower back are becoming more and more sore and during the contractions, downright painful.
Both my other kids I had NOTHING and then I was in ACTIVE labor. I KNEW that birth would follow. I immediately lost my appetite and went to work... laboring. With this? I still have an appetite and I don't know if I'm gonna be doing this for another 8 hrs. or another week!
The contractions have become pretty strong and maybe 5-8/hr. accompanied by a lot of pressure and back pain. The bloody show is becoming more copius and regular, albeit still mixed with clear mucus... some amniotic fluid is pink. By the way my cervix feels, I would venture to guess it's still at about 2cm and slowly changing. I have refused all internal exams at this point.

Tell me how your "term" births compared to your "pre term" births. I am staying pretty silent here, as I don't want to be jostled and disturbed for a huge number of hours before I actually give birth or have "active" labor, however I don't really want to give birth in the hallway on the way to L&D.

My intuition is that I'll have a baby on the outside within 48 hrs... but I can't predict that it's going to happen within the next 12.

TIA mamas!

[Snookler]

Never been there myself mama, but I want to send you to the top since you could really use this info / advice, like now.

[sophiekat]

well, my experience probably isn't exactly what you're looking for, but i had PTL from 28 weeks to 35w 4d when dd2 finally decided she couldn't wait any longer. however, she was a repeat c/s due to dd1's birth. i knew that the labour had "changed" because ctx were much more painful and closer together, and at that point doc and i decided that continuing to try to stop it was going to be less beneficial than just going ahead and getting her out. she did fine, needed a bit of supplemental oxygen for about an hour but no NICU stay, latched right on and nursed like a champ (much easier than my full term-er!). she did have some reflux issues but is outgrowing them (she's 5 months now).
if you have any specific questions i'm happy to try to answer them, i hope that you have a wonderful labour and birth if it's time!

[Lousli]

My second birth was full of intervention because I was 32 weeks pregnant, vomiting, and contracting hard every 3 minutes when I showed up at the hospital. So her birth is really hard to describe, and probably not especially useful information.

My first however was preterm at 36 weeks. My water broke quite suddenly one night and I went to the hospital. I did some walking, and some laying around. I didn't start contracting right away, and then I had contractions that were hardly noticeable. My water broke at about 9:30, and I think contractions weren't even noticeable until about 12:30 or 1 am.

The thing was they then became really intense, without much warm-up time. I had a lot of back pain and pressure like you're describing (and unfortunately didn't know about back labor, so I was a bit shocked that my back hurt so fiercely). I began to shake really hard, I'm not sure why, because I was just entering active labor and was 3 cm (I asked to be checked), and I became nauseated. It turned out that my daughter was posterior throughout my labor and her weird positioning was probably part of the strangely intense labor (plus there was little cushioning fluid around her).

Unfortunately because neither my dh or I were adequately prepared, and because my mother (who is a CNM) was out of the country instead of with me (I wasn't due for 4 more weeks!) I ended up requesting an epidural. The epidural was placed around 4am, and I rested and relaxed with my dh and my friend alternately as they also caught up on a little lost sleep. In the morning, the nurse asked me if I'd like to be checked again or not, so I agreed, and much to my surprise I was complete. She said I could start with some practice pushing if I felt ready. Honestly, with the epidural it was hard for me to tell, but I tried.

I pushed with her for about 45 minutes, and she turned while I pushed, but was still born sideways rather than face up or down, and had a nuchal hand. I felt pressure, but not pain, and had no tearing at all. She was bright red and screaming right away, and although some NICU nurses had come down to the room just in case, they shooed them away. She was sleepy and didn't latch right away, but she roomed in with me for 2 days and then we went home. She was 5 pounds 4 ounces at birth and did lose some weight due to her latch at first, down to 4 pounds 11 ounces before she started gaining again. My mom helped me with her latch and she ended up doubling her birth weight to 10 pounds 8 ounces by her 2 month checkup. And she nursed until she self-weaned at 4 years 3 months.

Wow! That was a novel!!! I've never actually written her birth story before, and it was 6 years ago, so the times and such are my memory of them without me checking her baby book or anything.

I really hope everything goes well for you. I have been following your story! Your daughter is going to be so small and beautiful and healthy. You will truly be amazed to hold such a tiny little being.