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[birdsonthewire]

I posted last night about having timeable but mostly painless contractions. They became painful and were 2.5 minutes apart for two hours so hubby and I braved the blizzard and went to L&D as per doctor (and LJ) instructions.

Only then the contractions went back to being painless and the monitors weren't picking up most of them. Sigh.

She did an

Comments

[olamina]

Don't beat yourself up. These things happen.

I'm due on Tuesday and am loathe to go to the hospital until the absolute last second, but there's no way to no if my instinct will amount to any dilation once I get there!

If its any consolation I hear that non-first time moms should err on the side of going in sooner rather than later.

[birdsonthewire]

Thanks. It's just so frustrating! And I especially hate when the nurses are side-eyeing you like you're in there for nothing when you don't even wanna go in the first place either lol

I think I've heard that too about second babies. I just don't wanna like deliver her in the living room or something lol but I also really don't wanna spend four hours a week at L&D!

[lunarophelia]

When the nurse performed my first cervical check ever she said "Oh my god, I can feel the head. You are at least 9 cm dilated." That was shortly after I walked into labor and delivery. About 30 minutes later she went to do a second one and said "I can SEE the head!" as soon as she lifted the sheet. We went in because I had a sudden but over all short burst of discomfort that in retrospect was transition. My water broke right before the nurse saw my boy's head so aside from that pain I did not think I was in labor and fully expected that trip to the hospital to be an exercise in futility.

[birdsonthewire]

omg lol see this is my fear situation. If i just ignore it all my husband is convinced I'm gonna like deliver the baby in our kitchen or something haha

[draiochta_faol]

I was in false labor 5 days before my second was born. I was bullshit that they contractions stopped. I was SO done w/ that pregnancy. My last Dr's appointment 3 days before my second was born I told her to check. I was 4cm dilated and 80% effaced. The midwife told me any day to a week from then. It's all subjective.

In my experience, I would say to expect labor soonish, as I gave birth 5 days after the false labor incident. My labor was quick too. I started contractions at 11am on Christmas Day 2010 (39wks 3days gestation) and my DS2 was born at 1:56 pm. The labor was so quick I had a natural birth and I almost didn't make it to the hospital. Yay precipitous births.

Good Luck!

[birdsonthewire]

thank you! i was in false labor with my son for four and a half torturous weeks. I'm praying this isn't a repeat scenario lol but i wasn't making any progress with him so the effacement here is sorta making me optimistic. Although i'd like her to cook a little longer anyway

but wow that's definitely a quick active labor! and aww Christmas day!!

[rock_grrl]

I was planning a homebirth for my first (and this one!) but at 35 weeks, I would not bother to go into the hospital to get checked, personally. Maybe talk to your doctor about what they would do at this stage if it *was* true labour - would they try to stop the labour? Would they let the labour continue? If they would let the labour continue, don't bother going in if it happens again.

With my first, I had false labour several times *before* my due date, and then I went to 42 weeks with him. It can mean real labour is close to starting or not, it depends on your body.

[birdsonthewire]

yea i only ended up going bc my mom, husband, friends and doctor all said i met all the criteria to go in. Sigh. I should have just listened to my intuition and gone to bed instead. I have asked though and I know that they don't do anything to stop labor at my hospital after 34 weeks so it's pretty much an exercise in futility i guess

[rock_grrl]

Ya, my midwives wouldn't do anything to stop labour at that point either. At least now you know!

[neims16]

The problem becomes...if it is real labor, and she's preterm, and she ignores things to the point to where she accidentally delivers at home...you then have a preterm baby at home who very well could have issues with breathing and no one there to assist with neonatal resuscitation.

[hotpinkboagirl]

I wouldn't worry about the hospital again until you can not talk/walk through the contractions. :) I know as a first time mom you get anxious.. I went 2x for false labor with my first.

With my second daughter, I only had 1 cervical exam... at which point I was 42 weeks, in true active labor for 5 hours, and turned out I was 8cm ;)

Real contractions are undeniably real labor. You will know the difference!

[birdsonthewire]

This is my second baby lol