Need advice/experience from anyone whose labour started like this...

[CordeliaJ]

Hoping that someone might be able to shed some light on what I'm going through. I'm a FTM so no idea, and I'm tearing my hair out now.

I know this is a birth stories section, but I thought anyone with experience of labour starting this way might be able to give me some advice.

Since 37 weeks I've been having contractions, the first week they were slightly painful & uncomfortable, the second week they were pretty painful and kept me up all night, now they are extreme (for non-active labour) and I can barely walk or talk through them. In the last 3 days they have gotten considerably worse, but they don't seem to get me into active labour despite keeping me awake all day and night (I sometimes get the odd nap inbetween).

I am losing my mind! I can't take it anymore. I had a sweep on my due date, but that didn't do anything. I'm having a really huge baby as well, but despite all of this, midwives will still not induce until 41+5 and seem content to leave me in this agony. I keep telling them that these are not just 'tightenings' as they call them, they are really painful, but all they say is 'well they need to get more painful first'.

I have tried every natural induction method I have ever heard about or could think of, and nothing has worked, it only makes my contractions stronger. I've given up trying them now. I also took cocodamol one night to try and help me get some sleep, but it gave me a dry mouth and felt like my throat was being constricted, so in the end stayed awake for a further 5 hours until that awfulness had worn off. I have tried getting myself to relax and just distract myself, but the pain just drags me back to reality every time.

I would be fine waiting for an induction if it wasn't for all these contractions and all this pain, I can't bear it, and I just feel like I can't cope anymore.

Did anyone go through something like this, and if so, how long did it take before labour actually started? I just want it to be soon, but another week of this might effing kill me, ugh.

Sorry for posting this here in such a happy section, I just need advice.

 

[babyhopes2010]

no advice but im going thru same thing

 

[hakunamatata]

Looking forward to reading your birth story when it happens, good luck!

 

[RebaRezzelba]

Hi cordelia

Oh dear I so feel for you. I started getting painful contractions on Monday morning at 5am - after a few hrs they passed so I thought it was just false labour. By 5pm Monday evening they were bak again. I was up all night in agony. Finally went to hospital on Tuesday morning only to be told cervix very posterior and couldn't really tell how many cm's I was. So they sent me home. I was in agony again all day Tuesday and had to go back in that night cos couldn't stick the pain - nothing had changed in the cervix department and they gave me cocodamol! That was totally useless - didn't ease the pain one bit! Wednesday I woke up and when i stood up a big glob of mucus plug fell out of me. i was in bits all day then - contractions getting worse but I didn't want to in agin only to be told same sh*t so I stuck it out til 9pm Wednesday night. Finally had to go back in - I was gonna demand to be kept in and given some proper meds but when they checked me I was 4cmc and 80% effaced so went to delivery suite - my son was born at 9.10am Thursday after pushing for 2.5hrs (yes pushing.......) with only gas & air (I got diamorphine earlier in the. Night).

So all in all I had 76 hrs of first stage labour. It was hell.

You need to demand they keep you n and give u something stronger to ease the pain. The nurse said they wouldn't of sent me home again even if my cervix was the same cos they could see how much pain I was in. Wish they said tht the night before!

Also midwife said that the diamorphine was a muscle relaxant and that would help uterus relax and speed labour along. You need to go back into hospital and tell them you can't take it. It really takes the joy out of everything and you will be shattered when it comes to "active labour" like I was. Even if they give u something stronger so u can get some sleep and prepare the body for pushing.

Take care and keep us posted on how u get on!

 

[CordeliaJ]

Thank you, that's really helpful, and good to know I'm not some weird anomaly and that this has happened to others before!

To be honest I hate being stuck in triage, my hospital is horrid, and yeah they gave me cocodamol last time which is useless.

My update is that I had another midwife apt today and she gave me a second sweep. Not really any further dilated, only 2cm, but my bishop score was 6 which she said isn't bad. After the sweep at about 2.30 today the contractions have been practically unbearable. When one starts I pretty much have to go on all fours and cry through the pain...even still, I do not want to go back to the hospital because I'm just not convinced they will give me anything stronger until I'm in active labour. Contractions are still going strong 5 hours later, although I think the frequency has gone down a bit which is confusing, but gives me more of a break inbetween I guess. Really hoping it's not too much longer, got another 5 days until induction.

 

[RebaRezzelba]

You could be further along now than you think - I didn't want to go back in a third time either but when I did I was 4cms and taken to delivery suite. Maybe 2nd sweep has worked it's magic!!

I was the same thinking am I some sort of strange anomaly who labours for weeks before delivery but was glad to read on here I wasn't!!!

Hope baby make an appearance soon

 

[CordeliaJ]

Thank you for all your advice. You were right, Tuesday morning the contractions were so bad I went in to triage. My little boy was born this morning at 4.17am after a very traumatic and horrid 23 hour labour. I'll share my birth story in the forum when I get out of hospital.

 

[babyjan]

Congratulations! xx

 

[RebaRezzelba]

Ah congrats