stop start contractions, second labour

[ourturnnext]

Hi ladies, I'm 39wks with my second baby and looking for some advice/experience of others.

From 2am to 5.30am on fri morning I had mild contractions every ten mins, then they stopped. Again from 2pm to 4.30pm, every two to four mins, this time stronger. Then an hour's break and stronger still, every two mins, til 8.30pm when I put my tens machine on as we prepared to head to hospital.... Then everything stopped. Not even a twinge during the night.

A couple of friends say their second labours went this way, anyone else had something similar? For info, DD1 labour started with horribly strong contracts which went on every five mins, constantly, for three days. She was back to back and needed ventouse. So I don't know what to expect this time from baby in the right position x

 

[ILUVSHOPPING]

No advice from me. I'm following out of curiosity from other ladies responses. Good luck xx

 

[Mandyblur]

Sometimes baby struggles to engage all the way which can cause stop and start contractions.

You could try getting on your hands and knees and scrubbing a floor, that kind of movement can help baby get into a good position and may help labour along.

Good luck x

 

[lindblum]

This happened with my 3rd child. It went on for 5 days before i went into real labour. On day 2 i had a bloody show and on day 5 waters broke and baby was born 3 hours later.

good luck x

 

[Hoping4Four]

This happened to me with my second and third. It's so frustrating!!

With my second I had about a week of regular cramps/tightenings that got a bit stronger but mostly stayed the same, no matter what I did (supposedly lying down should make them stop, but not in my case!) and then they'd fizzle out. At 39+5 they started the same way, but after a few hours got quite a bit stronger and I had a bloody show. My daughter was born that evening.

With my third I had stop/start contractions for just under 2 weeks. At one point at 37 weeks they were getting so strong I called the midwife out (I had planned a home birth) and when she assessed me I was 2cm dilated and even she thought it was the real thing. I went to bed and everything stopped! Finally at 39+3 my waters broke, but ironically labour didn't start on its own and I needed to be induced.. Typical!

I'm sorry you're dealing with this, it really is awful not knowing whether it's real or not. For me I knew it was real once the pains got so intense that I had to focus/breathe through them, and I was dreading the next one. Thinking back I was too comfortable during the false labour.

 

[ourturnnext]

Thanks for replies. No twinges at all today picked DD back up from her 'holidays' at grandparents house and just gonna carry on as normal now and see what each day.brings x

 

[Spiffynoodles]

I had this as well with my second. I had 2 or 3 episodes of strong contractions that seemed to be the start of the real thing, and then they'd die out after I went to bed. He was born a week after the first episode. Good luck! I know how irritating it can be to sit and wonder for hours and then have nothing come of it!

 

[shinona]

Yup, another one it happened to here. Several times, I thought it was starting then I'd go to bed and they'd stop. Once it did kick off properly, it was so much easier than ds #1. He was back to back, dd wasn't. It's like night and day xx