Early labor...

[lwuertz]

My midwife thinks I might be in early labor...

Yesterday just before 5pm as I was driving over to pick up my husband from work I started to get some cramping low in my pelvis and back. It was definitely more concentrated on the right side. It also wasn't really coming and going though. It had peaks where it was more intense, but it wasn't going completely away ever. As the night went on it got a little more intense, radiating up over my entire belly, but the low cramping didn't go away. So I could tell there were peaks, but I couldn't really time anything as far as beginning and end because there wasn't really a beginning and end.

I got up and moved around, drank water, ate some dinner and nothing was making it go away. I finally took a bath and it was like instant relief. Things seemed to stop for the few minutes I was in the water, at least as far as the constant cramping. I did have a couple contractions while I was in there though. I took my nightly meds which make me really sleepy and was able to sleep from about 10 to 2. Things were pretty uncomfortable at that point so I paced the house until about 4:30am. I was able to fall asleep again for a couple hours until 7.

I just feel really crampy at this point, again no real start stop that I can pinpoint, but definitely peaks of intensity.

Might try a bath again later this morning.

[funfunkyfantastic]

Ooo! How exciting! I sure hope this is it for you! *hugs*

[Montse]

Good luck, Lisa! I hope this is it! I look forward to your updates!
:

[spanica]

Exciting! Go mama go!

[janasmama]

How exciting! : I can't wait to hear the good news.

[lwuertz]

So still just feeling really, really crampy. Feels like I've been doing crunches/sit-ups for three days straight.

My midwife says it's pretty common in early labor to not be able to tell the beginning of one contraction and the the end. She says when it really kicks in I'll know and be able to time them.

[Charmie981]

Oh! Yea!! That's so exciting...I hope, though, that you're able to get some rest before anything really kicks in, or that if you can't get some rest, it at least goes fast when it does kick in .

[joshs_girl]

Oh Lisa - this sounds so promising!

[J2]

I feel like I may be in early labor too. But who knows?! I just keep having contractions every 4-7 minutes since last night. So I'm sure my body is gearing up.

One of these days we will be holding our little girls in our arms!

[lwuertz]

Finally got my bath at 4pm today! I was waiting on a painter to show up (our shower was leaking about three months ago and our builder tore out the wall and had repaired it, but it was taking forever for them to actually complete the job and paint and everything).

Bath didn't get rid of my back pain this time. It was a little milder I suppose. I'm pretty sure she's not facing the right way and that's why it hurts. It did seem to cool off the cramping for the hour and a half I was in there. About five minutes after I got out though it was back.

DH just got home and we're going to take a walk which is what my midwife suggested. I'm thinking about going to Target too and getting one of those massager things, DH just doesn't seem to have the massage touch. Plus he rubs for like a minute and then he just stops. Kind of annoying.

[Charmie981]

Lisa,
Silas was born posterior and the thing that helped most with the back labor was DH putting his entire weight onto his forearms with his elbows on either side of my tailbone. BUT, before you get to that point, do a google search for "diaphragmatic release" and have DH do that for you. It's not a massage, but might take as long as an hour, so make sure you and DH are both in a comfortable position. I had no indication Silas was posterior until the pit contractions really kicked in and moved him down from his -3 station, but I sure would have liked to have the chance to try the diaphragmatic release before that point!!

[funfunkyfantastic]

Originally Posted by lwuertz

I'm thinking about going to Target too and getting one of those massager things, DH just doesn't seem to have the massage touch. Plus he rubs for like a minute and then he just stops. Kind of annoying.

Totally know how that is. My DH doesn't know the difference between a bone and a muscle. He also won't rub hard enough to make a difference. It's ridiculous! I mostly have my mom do my back massages... she's the only one that can seem to figure it out. Plus she's my birth partner (since DH is deployed).

Hey, one thing he can do for your low back pain is apply counter pressure. Try sitting backwards over a chair with a pillow to rest your chin on. Then have him put one hand on top of the other and press hard right on that spot at the base of your spine where it meets your bum. They taught us that in birth class... we're going to give it a try when I actually go into labor.

[J2]

A link for the diaphragmatic release http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/nat...or/labor29.htm

[janasmama]

Originally Posted by lwuertz

DH just got home and we're going to take a walk which is what my midwife suggested. I'm thinking about going to Target too and getting one of those massager things, DH just doesn't seem to have the massage touch. Plus he rubs for like a minute and then he just stops. Kind of annoying.

This is when it's good to have a sister or girlfriend around. My DH is lame at massage also. Even when it comes to childbirth...it's really annoying, like they think we're just overreacting to the pain and making a big deal about it or something.

[funfunkyfantastic]

Originally Posted by janasmama

This is when it's good to have a sister or girlfriend around. My DH is lame at massage also. Even when it comes to childbirth...it's really annoying, like they think we're just overreacting to the pain and making a big deal about it or something.

That's when you kick em in the balls... hehe j/k

[janasmama]

Originally Posted by funfunkyfantastic

That's when you kick em in the balls... hehe j/k

and that still wouldn't give them the idea of what we are feeling...

[lwuertz]

Still just feeling crampy.

Got DH to just put a lot of pressure on my low back for awhile last night. We also got the massager.

Tried the release thing, didn't really help.

Also did a lot of walking last night and I slept from 9:30pm to 9:30am this morning! I think I'm starting to just get used to the cramping. Like being on my period. Well sort of.

[janasmama]

Well, the good thing is that these crampy ctx may be working for you and by the time you start having consistent ctx you may already be dilated and have a short time to transition and then you'll be holding your baby soon enough.

[lwuertz]

Well things have pretty much fizzled at this point. Which is actually kind of nice. Yay no cramps! I'll take the break even if it is a short one.

[Mamato3wild ponnie]

I figured that when i sit down on the couch or in a chair or in the car i get very regular ctx...my belly gets super hard and i'm so uncomfortable. Then if i get up and move around...bam...they go away. Go figure...they even come if i'm on the birthing ball. But i can only sit on that for so long...it hurts my inner thighs to sit on that for to long. Oh baby come to mama very soon.