[TzippityDoulah]

I'm a doula of 3 yrs... and this one has me stumped. I could use some advise from more experienced birth professionals.

I'm on my 3rd pregnant. 1st c/s (9 yrs ago), 2 VBAC (4yrs ago) and I'm 39 weeks. I have DR about 3 finger widths right now. I didn't ever realize it was there before I got pregnant for some reason... so I never did anything to fix it. (I even saw a plastic surgeon about the big tummy and sore back a few years ago who advised a tummy tuck

)

anyhow right now I'm having INTENSE pelvic pain which the chiro only helps so much, I'd have to go every day for it to be any real help. it's making my sciatica act up (and seriously it is SO intensely painful that I'm having a had time walking from the living room to the kitchen).

the other issue is I have prodromal labour for 3 weeks now. it gets started, lasts 8-10hrs of contractions getting closer and closer (NOT braxton hicks as i ALWAYS have those!) I keep thinking I'm about to go into active labour. it's intense, it's long, it's regular - I get a discharge, some cervical swelling.... but only 2-3 cm dilated at most. My cervix starts to dilate and swell, and then nada. and the contractions fade and my cervix goes back to it's 2/3cm state.

I'm thinned out pretty well and baby is totally engaged. I can feel the head myself when I check and it's right there. but I just wont dilate past 3 cms and the contractions fade after about 8-10 hrs... only to start back up in a couple of hours or the next night etc... and I keep going through this. I've DTD plent of times and done some EPO, but I don't think that's the issue...

I have a thought that it could be b/c of the DR my belly isn't holding the baby tightly to my cervix in the right position to trigger dilation and so my contractions fizzle out again.

as far as positioning i think baby is LOT right now... so I've been doing hands and knees and some rebozo techniques to help baby have room to turn.

I'm at a loss! I'm in and out of labouring and I'm exhausted!!

if anyone has any thoughts so sees any holes in my theory do let me know. sometimes it's hard to be objective when you're being you're own patient

I'm afraid I'm not seeing the obvious or something. I could use someone else's prospective.

 

[Jane]

I think you're onto a reasonable idea.
You could trying tying up your abdomen and seeing if it helps. I've done a wrap with a queen or king sized flat sheet that often brings relief for hip pain AND seems to stop prodomal contractions. (Weird, huh?) It's most effective when the belly seems flapped over. But it's free and easy and low risk (no risk, perhaps). Nothing to be lost by trying it?
Anyway, you fold up a sheet on the diagonal, so it's 10-15 inches wide. You'll need another person, I think, but you hold the end on your hip and that person walks around you smoothly binding it from about belly button or a little higher to the level where your legs end and your crotch begins. Tuck or safety pin the end. It's quite tight - as it is designed to hold up the belly and compress the pelvis bones together.

A midwife friend and I were talking about her Sutemi pack (like an ergo or beco, I think) and it has a nice hip band with buckles. We were wondering if you could buckle it around the hips real tight to releive symphasis pubis pain and then use the carrier part to shift belly weight to the shoulders. Sort of like overalls. Haven't tried it, but the two of us though it might work, if you happen to have one of those.
I think

 

[Jane]

There's also the old midwife tricks to stop nuisance contractions - a quart of water, then a half glass of red wine drunk while in a warm bathtub (take a bath towel in to cover you up if your bathtub is as small as mine). Nice music and childcare helps.
Alternatively, a half a benedryl can be subbed for the wine - DON'T do both.
As always, research! Although I'm a midwife, I'm not your midwife.

 

[TzippityDoulah]

well my midwife or not, I appreciate the thoughts.

I can't drink any alcohol b/c it makes me so sick and pukey, but Ive been taking unisom/benedryl to help me sleep and relieve the constant nausea at night time. not much really... it doesnt seem to stop the contractions. but it's funny. they always stop at 5am-ish. no matter how intense they stop at 5am! ugh! and then continue at midday again... starting up after the sun sets. Today I hardly lifted a finger b/c i was so tired and hardly had any contractions - it was a nice break honestly.

I've been using a very wide rebozo style scarf to hold my stomach in - by my goodness it is uncomfortanble! it makes me want to barf from the pressure on my stomache! guess I'll just have to put up with it... but dang I'm 9 months and I'm sick of feeling barfy already haha

 

[Jane]

Hmm, it should make you feel waddly, not pukey - as the idea is to get the baby to go down into the pelvis not up into the stomach...unless just pressure on your abdomen makes you pukey (totally understandable).
Benedryl doesn't seem to stop contractions, just makes you too tired to wake up for them. I'm glad you've found something that works.
What options do you have to find out baby's position/station - ie an abdominal palpation and vaginal exam for station and position? IE, how good is your checking, do you have long arms, can you palpate baby well (so hard to do on yourself).
Knowing his/her position could help you figure out what to do next. After all, if baby's at +2 and the cervix is centerline, you've got great positioning and needn't rebozo except as it feels comfy to you. If baby's floating and posterior, then perhaps do hands and knees and rebozo and stair walking, but not squats.

One more thought - if your cervix is soft and mushy, then I might stop the EPO entirely and eliminate the semen from sex with withdrawl or a condom. Semen is pretty irritating to the cervix and EPO is for effacing and softening. Once that's done, it's just extra chemicals you don't need.

 

[TzippityDoulah]

yeah I stopped the EPO once I realized I was pretty darn soft. That was bout 4 days ago or so. it was just kinding pissing of my cervic but not doing much else. heh

how good am I at palpatating? well only so good as one can be on onesself. I believe the baby was LOT and so I did some hands and knees and rebozo stuff and baby turned a bit more OA. much better. I'm hoping stay that way. I can feel the head right above my cervix, and the top of my uteru is a butt shape and a back underneath. I'm almost certain I am right. I leave room for the fact that obviously I could be wrong... I am lucky this time as my tummy is all baby so it's a bit easier than in past time to palpatate. I can feel the baby pretty well. i recently moved ot a new area and I don't know any midwives here. I'm UCing this one, and since I'm 39 weeks I don't really know who I could call for opinions.

baby is engaged (I can't tell exact station on myself) but its low. not floating at all.

 

[mwherbs]

what Apricot has described it what I have seen work as well--
you could also take magnesium alone NOT in combo with calcium- 500mg/day it is a smooth muscle relaxant so might settle down a irritable uterus
but if you have loose bowels not something you should take because it is also a hydrophylic stool softener --
or cramp bark, and or black haw - viburnum opp/prunifolium either one are also smooth muscle relaxants and can calm irritable contractions -- tea or tincture either one