Alan help: New M2B getting frustrated!

[PinkPalace]

With my current post re: Regular Braxtons i am starting to get the feeling my body is crying wolf... From what i can read my body sounds like it is getting ready for labour but then it all seems like it was a false alarm.

I had a show just over 2 weeks ago - confirmed by the dr.

Been having irregular BH for weeks and weeks now but 9 days ago had them fairly regularly (5-25minutely) for 24 hours, not painful but uncomfy.(then stopped)

Then yesterday had them 6-7 minutely for 7 hours, more painful especially if i was walking around or moving at the time. Some i had to stop what i was doing and breathe through - radiating back and cervical pains! then they stopped!

Can this really continue for a few more weeks.... ??

Thanks Alan (or anyone else with advice).

[paradise lost]

Hi,

I'm not Alan, but i had a similar thing. The few days before labour i had ctx, on and off, every 7-12 mins for hours and hours, not painful but as you say, uncomfy. On thursday especially I was very "wet" down below (sorry if TMI) too and at one point, sitting up suddenly in bed, i thought my waters had gone as there was so MUCH. Anyway, the friday i was due in for daycare monitoring (i was 10 days overdue) to make sure bubs was ok. I called them and told them i thought maybe i was in early labour. The midwife told me to come one in (i was a homebirth so i didn't want to be at the hospital when i was in labour) and they'd check. Well i was annoyed but in i went. THey hooked me up to the monitors and the uncomfy ctx i was feeling weren't even registering - COUGHING gave a higher reading! THey did a VE and my waters were intact.

Off i went home. My waters broke at 3am the next morning, and my labour contractions kicked in my GOODNESS could i tell the difference! I had those (painful, if not agonisingly so) ctx for 11 hours. At which point my midwife arrived and did a VE (2cm, 25% effaced) and promptly went away again as i "wasn't in labour yet"! She came back 2 hours later and an hour after that DD was born. So even though my early labour went on for a long time, my "true" labour wasn't too bad. I know it's not what you want to hear, but if the ctx are mainly just uncomfy and you're wondering if it's labour, it's not labour. I know there are some women who seem to pop bubby out while still wondering if they should wake DH but that's so rare. Sorry it seems to be dragging out for you, it does mean labour could start anytime (but you knew that already right...) and don't lose heart - even if they're not thinning and dilating your cervix, all of those little contractions are helping bubs get into a good position and are getting everything softening in there, ready for labour.

If i were you i'd try to get as much sleep as you can, eat well and walk a bit every day to keep everything moving. Bubs is coming in his/her own sweet time. Rest and take care of yourself and i know it sounds ridiculous but try to enjoy these precious few days - there will be a time, in the not too distant future, when you look back with longing on your pregnancy.

Best of luck

Bec

[Alan]

Hi Princess
What is happening to you is not unusual. Your body is getting ready for birth. I understand that it is getting frustrating when the contractions start and then stop. The next time they start try walking around, I know it will be more painful but it could also help you go into labour. Being upright and using gravity helps to bring on labour and can also shorten your labour.

[PinkPalace]

Thanks Alan!

They are always so much stronger when i am moving around and often if i am active (like rearranging the house like i am at the moment) they are very strong!.

I am still walking everyday with the dogs and being as active as i can (cant stand laying on the couch for more than 1/2hr - there is always something to do! lol).

Well hopefully it means Jne will be here soon... but i hear it can go on for weeks and weeks. Is this true?

[Alan]

Yes unfortunatly it can go on for weeks. But if you encourage it by keeping active then it could encourage your labour to start sooner. However I do understand that doing things that cause the pain to increase is somewhat abnormal. Hopefully you will not have to do this for too long

[Meluchja]

Any updates Princess Mya? I hope your absense means that things are starting to happen, if not, I'm sorry for asking as I'm sure you are copping it from everyone!

[PinkPalace]

lol Mummy Mel
Nah still here! Watching the NRL....
STill having period pains on and off when the BH come on.
ANd still having red stained mucous ++ all day!

Will see i guess.....

[PinkPalace]

Its ok to ask.. btw.
I made it a rule not to tell anyone that i am having these symptoms that i see in person or family ... we arent telling anyone when i start labour so they dont call continuously!lol
We will just slip off to the hospital and tell them when bub is born!

[Meluchja]

I wish we had done that with DD. I ended up having my whole family waiting outside the delivery room, and then came in 5 minutes after she was born, I wasn't too happy about that. Hopefully this time, which Mum being stuck minding her, and with the rest of the family living at least 1.5 hours away, they will wait until we have reached the maternity ward before they come.
Anyway, they bloody show all day, sounds promising, but I'm sure it did the first time too, but you did only had it once and not all day right? Maybe this time it does mean something, but who knows right!!!

[PinkPalace]

It happened like this (3 weeks ago today).

Friday - clear blood streaked mucous (sml and once off)
Sat - clear blood streaked mucous (sml and once off)
Sun - blob of raspberry squirlled yogo (about the size of palm - once off)

Today it has been raspberry squirl yogo all day... mostly after a BH (or jnr moves around)... and much more red than last time... last time was more brown with a tinge of red.

I hope it is ok though.... i feel jnr moving so that is good. I wonder if alan is on this late? - gee we ask alan alot!

[Ozziehoffy]

lol @ slipping off to hospital... I tried that with my mother as she had called 3 days prior and also the day prior to me having Oskar... she was worried cos I hadn't called her back to tell her what was happening and on the day he was born and just turned up at my house at around 9ish in the morning and woke poor DH who'd come home to get some sleep and wouldn't be talked out of going to the hospital where I was and hadn't slept in over 24 hours...lol...so hopefully they give you a break and some sleep before invading.

I hope also that you meet your beautiful little bubs soon. It sounds like it's getting very close for you! I remember (this is in hindsight) feeling weirdly strange on the Sunday (he was born 3:58am Monday) before I had gave birth.

[PinkPalace]

Hi ozzie!
Yes feeling off and strange today... just different from the other bouts of BH thats all. But like i said not getting excited as will prob stop tomorrow (like before!)

As for my mum... lol our closest family is 800km away so we can keep it a secret easily!
But i have started screening calls... i mean cmon do people think you wont tell them when the baby has arrived

I decided today when the next person rings as says 'just seeing if bub has come yet' i am going to answer... " oh yeah sorry last week... i must have forgotten to tell you! :Phehe

[Ozziehoffy]

Ooh I hear ya!! We were screening the calls too and I said to mum that we would let her know when it happened, but nooooo she didn't listen to me!! lol. Oh well, she saved me a phone call huh.

Do you feel like you need to pee but you go and there's nothing?? You just get a weird bearing down or pressure feeling instead with some discomfort??

[PinkPalace]

Yeah i will go to the loo - and then i get pressure down there - which i think is jnr pushing on my cervix, and really need to pee when the BH is happening. But i get there and nothing... maybe a trickle if i am lucky!
Now i know how those men with prostate problems feel!

[Ozziehoffy]

The peeing and pressure thing with me is what I got and he was born 3 1/2 hours later! I didn't realise it had started cos the "pain" wasn't what I expected.

[PinkPalace]

Well i dont feel in labour! So cant say that will happen to me tonight! lol
I stick to the catch phrase - " if i have to ask if i am in labour then i am not"
So far worked for me ! lol

[Ozziehoffy]

lol..I know what you mean. I actually didn't feel like I was either and then before I knew it we were at the hospital and I had him less than an hour later!

Anyway, I do really hope it's soon for you I gotta go to bed while my little man is sleeping. All the best!!

[PinkPalace]

Well update from overnight and Alan if you are reading this help!
Well last night i couldnt sleep until about 2am because the BH were so painful - almost in tears. It was different this time. Started with back pain which radiated into period cramping and then the tightening of my belly. So painful.
I would have the odd one through the night which woke me up but then hardly anything this morning!
Blah! My body had done it again - cried wolf!
As for the bloody mucous it is still coming strong! so no idea why i am having so much this time..... but it is definately a combination of old and fresh blood - not a frank bleed.
So i am still here! lol