[Spinnerette]

I'm due tomorrow and went to the doctor yesterday for a check-up. He told me best case scenario for a first time mom with very few contractions would be 1-2cm at this point, and he checked me. Baby's head was very low, he didn't have to reach very far at all to reach her. His checking me caused some bright blood to gush out onto the table. I was a stretchy 3-4cm. He sent me for an NST to see if I was having contractions I couldn't feel, and I was having them every 6 minutes or so fairly strong according to the machine.. but again, I must have a decent pain tolerance because I could feel them, but only if I was paying attention.

They sent me home, of course, which was awesome (I've heard of girls having to stay in hospital after hitting 4cm). I'm still having contractions. I'm not to go back until either my water breaks or if my contractions are such that I can't talk through them. Fair enough.

I'm concerned that's not going to happen, if I've gone this far and have felt very little.. this is my first I'm not prepared to have an unassisted birth at home (though that would be kind of awesome )

Other than sex (her head is low enough that it would be uncomfortable) what can I do to get this going? I'm going to go for a walk this afternoon and I'm bouncing/swirling my hips on the yoga ball.

What are the chances that I don't feel anything until it's time to push? It sounds stupid, but I'm a little worried.. :-/

 

[amaayeh]

Trust me, you will feel it! I have a pretty high pain tolerance and have always been able to get to 5ish cm without pain. After that, though, there is most definitely uncomfortable contractions involved. Honestly, last time (my only completely natural birth so far), none of the 'pain' was bad until the last five minutes when the baby was coming out. It was painful, don't get me wrong, but nothing I couldn't handle before that point. Then I was screaming that I couldn't do it (a little late then!!). I did wait to go to the birth center until I called my midwife and she insisted I come in...later she told me I sounded 'pushy'. I was...I was 10 cm when I got there. If people around you have a bit of a panicked look on their faces, it's probably time to go!

ETA: The thing that helped last time was laying over the birthing ball and almost squatting into each contraction I could feel. I woke up the next morning and labor started immediately.

 

[kawa kamuri]

You'll know.

p.s. orgasm minus intercourse is still an option!

 

[BarefootinBrooklyn]

I'm also an advocate for the orgasm, however you get there, to bring on active labor.

Nipple stimulation & walking are great too.

That's so great you are 3-4 already! You'll definitely know when things get more serious...by the time you are open to 7 or 8 centimeters it's pretty undeniable. And that's an awesome time to get to the hospital, providing it isn't too far away. You'll just show up and birth your baby! So excited for you! Keep us posted!

 

[junebug2011]

You're doing everything right! First babies rarely ever fall out, so no worries about a uc Trust me, I have been present at 700 births and it just doesn't happen. Most likely you will go fast and it will be fast and intense. Perfect!

Walk walk walk. Climb up hills. The day I went into labor we were at the zoo, climbing up and down several flights of stairs two at a time. Semen is the best for ripening cervix, but yours sounds pretty ripe anyway! A couple of sessions of labor inducing acupuncture helped me as well.

Also, just relax. Enjoy your last couple of moments. Go to the movies, go swimming, nest, go out to eat. Your baby is almost here!

 

[Spinnerette]

I've been working on this, too

 

[Spinnerette]

Okay, well you guys are helping me be more excited than nervous and impatient! Thank you!

I really do hope it's soon, though! Do people usually hang out at 3-4 for very long?

 

[Spinnerette]

I don't think you know how much this community means to me. I live where I have literally no support other than my husband, so to be able to hop online and lurk and see all your stories and take the time to participate when I work up the nerve.. it's really special to me.

Aw, now I'm all ugly-crying and trying to hug the internet..

 

[jshannyn519]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinnerette

Okay, well you guys are helping me be more excited than nervous and impatient! Thank you!

I really do hope it's soon, though! Do people usually hang out at 3-4 for very long?

It really depends on the person. I was at 3-4 for like a week. BUT... I was also on my 4th baby and that tends to make a difference. I was probably at a 1 or 2 the whole pregnancy. The fact that you're already at a 3-4 without feeling anything is great!

You will know when you're in active labor. There is no way around it. And everyone tends to dilate differently. I go fairly slowly to 6 cm (this last labor it took me from 1 am until 9 am to get from 4 cm to 6-7 cm) and then the last little bit flies by. It took 45 minutes (give or take a minute or two) for me to dilate from 7 to complete and baby born. That was kind of intense!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinnerette

I don't think you know how much this community means to me. I live where I have literally no support other than my husband, so to be able to hop online and lurk and see all your stories and take the time to participate when I work up the nerve.. it's really special to me.

Aw, now I'm all ugly-crying and trying to hug the internet..

Awww, how sweet! I have friends and a community around me, and family even, but it's still soooooo nice to have a group of women who share my philosophies on pregnancy, birth, and babies that are all having babies right along with me! I feel like we need to have a FB page or something to continue our DDC after this forum is archived.

Before you know it you'll have your baby in your arms and you'll be a mommy!

 

[Smokering]

Dude, you're lucky! 3-4cm without noticing pain? That's freaking awesome!

Other than the obvious natural induction/ripening stuff - sex/orgasms, exercise, bumpy drives in the car, walking with one foot up on the gutter, evening primrose oil, pineapple (or is that one a myth?), etc - some people find that visualisation helps. So if you're desperate to get things going, you could try setting a time or date and telling yourself "I will go into labour by 11AM tomorrow", watching a bunch of birth videos, "telling" the baby to come out, and all that jazz. It sounds pretty woo-woo, but there's some fairly strong anecdotal evidence to back it up.... maybe... and it certainly can't hurt! The mind does affect the body and all; and tension won't help labour start (I know, easier said than done!), because stress produces adrenaline which counteracts oxytocin.

Also, resist the lure of castor oil. Just sayin'.

 

[amaayeh]

I second the visualization thing. I did that last time around and had the exact birth I 'saw'. I'm not saying that will always happen, but I do think the mind is pretty incredible!!

 

[JosieAK]

So hard to fight the adrenaline! As soon as I notice a pattern to my contractions, I can FEEL the surge of happy energy as my mind tries to race to what comes next, and the next thing I know, they are gone.

 

[Spinnerette]

I really think the visualization has been a big part of it. I've been picturing an opening lotus a lot, especially before bed, along with 'seeing' the baby's head come out and up. I had a stretch of contractions a few nights ago, and then I fell asleep and they went away. It was dark and quiet and I was sitting crosslegged on the bed beside my sleeping husband. I just wiggled through them, but they weren't anything major. I visualized during them, and hadn't had really any contractions since. Just.. little pains in what I imagine would be the location of my cervix when I was walking around town the yesterday before the appointment.

I'm having some squeezes I can definitely feel, but I've had menstrual cramps WAAAY worse than this.. I hope this is it!

Thank you all so much for your support. I just need to keep remembering that I'm built for this, and that my body knows what's up.

 

[kawa kamuri]

So jealous! I even bought the Hypnobabies Come OUT Baby! track and NOTHING.

 

[tracymom1]

For a first time mom, at 3-4cm, I would say this baby is going to make an appearance very soon! My best advice is to spend whatever time you have before active labor begins having FUN!!! Whatever sounds appealing to you - just do it!!! Dance! Cook! Enjoy time with your DH! Just spend as much time as possible HAPPY and the baby will feel this. I am hoping to take my own advice as often as I can before it's time for me!

 

[Spinnerette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tracymom1

For a first time mom, at 3-4cm, I would say this baby is going to make an appearance very soon! My best advice is to spend whatever time you have before active labor begins having FUN!!! Whatever sounds appealing to you - just do it!!! Dance! Cook! Enjoy time with your DH! Just spend as much time as possible HAPPY and the baby will feel this. I am hoping to take my own advice as often as I can before it's time for me!

This is really lovely advice. I've been spending so much time fretting and wondering 'when'. I still do, to some extent, but I have a feeling that my sweet baby will arrive this weekend. I'm excited for it all to start, for my body to begin its work.

I'm spending tonight with some sparkling grape juice, prepping a fleece for spinning into some lovely fluffy yarn and maybe I'll do some writing later. The few times I've hunkered down today to pay attention and time them, they're about 5 minutes apart, but not hard. Yeah, I'm going to try to enjoy myself.

 

[ryleeee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinnerette

Okay, well you guys are helping me be more excited than nervous and impatient! Thank you!

I really do hope it's soon, though! Do people usually hang out at 3-4 for very long?

i was 4 cm for at least a week, and then i was 7 cm for ANOTHER WEEK before i started active labour.
that being said...i don't think it's that common to be walking around dilated that far

 

[Spinnerette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryleeee

i was 4 cm for at least a week, and then i was 7 cm for ANOTHER WEEK before i started active labour.
that being said...i don't think it's that common to be walking around dilated that far

Were those the two weeks before you were due? I'm due today and I woke up last night with some contractions, but I slept between them until it was time to get up.. nothing major going on still..

 

[Spinnerette]

Still waiting..

 

[kawa kamuri]

Hang in there