If you had it, how often did you feel contractions and how long did it last before you gave birth?
Starting Monday evening I've had several hours of contractions in the evenings, but nothing really regular or super intense. Some are painful. They have been starting earlier in the day each day, but always go away when I go to bed. I haven't lost any mucous plug and at my Tuesday appt was 50% effaced but not dilated at all - the baby was still way up there.
Last night they lasted about 6 hours. I do think the baby is lower today, but I am curious as to how long this is going to go on. If there's any way to tell. With my first DS I didn't have any prodromal labor - when the contractions started that was it.
Prodromal labor can be so frustrating.I had it with DD from 21 weeks until I delivered at 39.5 weeks. I was on bed rest. When the bed rest was lifted at 34 weeks I contracted every 3-5 minutes just about 24/7 until we evicted her at 39.5 weeks. I think I just have an irritable uterus, though. I've read on here women who have episodes like your for anywhere from 1 to several weeks before real labor starts. Sorry to tell you I hope it doesn't continue for too long for you though. Best of luck!!
Me (30) DH (31)
(2)
-EDD June 17
Very early (4 weeks 3 days)
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I guess what I had this time was prodromal. I started getting random painful contractions (I always get TONS of BHs) at 33 weeks. I think I had my first longer stretch at around 34-35 weeks and there-after was having at least one 2-3 hour session every week. The weekend before I went into labor I really started to get more painful contractions. I was getting one at least every other hour from Friday on and had several series of contractions 5-10 minutes apart for a few hours. I finally went into labor for real that Monday morning and it was FAST. You can read my birth story if you like. I didn't have this with my previous kids either.
Oh and I'm talking just the painful contractions. I have tons and tons of BHs regularly so I totally ignore those - these were all contractions that actually required my attention and most I had to breathe through.
Susan - 30 married to Chris - 32
Catherine Anne born via c-section June 30, 2008
Rebecca Marie born naturally April 18, 2010
John McNary born naturally January 9, 2012
These are more uncomfortable than overly painful, but they do make my back hurt. With DS my real contractions felt like cramps. I know that at 36 weeks this kid was OP, so if he still is I guess that could be contributing to the back pain.
I think I may be going through this. I've been trying to ignore it, but the past couple of days it has been increasingly obvious and I can't ignore it anymore. I don't want to hijack this thread, but does this sound like it?
I have a ton of pressure and a ton of contractions - at first they were only Braxton Hicks and I'm still getting those mostly, but now I'm also getting the low backache kind and the menstrual cramping in addition to pressure. The contractions aren't very close together and will come in clusters of about 10 minutes apart for an hour or so and then go away. Then I'll have a couple of hours with nothing and then it will start again. The pressure has become more constant over the past couple of days, I think she dropped. I'm suddenly waddling and having a lot of hip problems.
I see my OBGYN on Tuesday and don't want to go in until then; and frankly I think he'll just tell me to lie down and drink water and count the contractions. Of course, I'll call if I become concerned, which I'm not really right now.
I'm irritated because I really don't care to go into labor, especially not at not quite 36 weeks. I'm supposed to have my scheduled c-section at 39.5 weeks. My OB is very conservative and won't induce or schedule any c-sections before 39 weeks (unless medically necessary of course, like pre-eclampsia or something like that.) I have gone into labor before at 37.5 weeks and so I'm starting to think I am not going to make it to my scheduled c-section. But, PP, I will say that with my one spontaneous labor I actually had no prodromal labor at all..it pretty much just started out of the blue (well, I lost my plug the day before.)
June 13, 2011: BFP on 12dpo! 40 months in the making. chart: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/16c283
3 amazing sons, Natalie Grace arrived 2/12/2012 at 2:18 AM. 6 lb 13 oz!
Oh, I guess I should add that mine were uncomfortable to painful contractions and I had tons of low pressure the whole time (thus why I was on bedrest). I only effaced, but didn't dilate which is why we induced! Good luck!
Baby #1 - preterm labor @ 32 weeks, dilated 3-4 cm, prodromal labor started until 42 weeks when induced
Baby #2 - preterm labor @ 26 weeks, dilated 3 cm, prodromal labor started until 40w1d when induced
Baby #3 - contractions started @ 15 weeks when water leaking, then preterm labor @ 30 weeks, lost mp and 1-2 cm dilated, then prodromal labor until induced @ 37w3d (was getting contractions every 2-5 minutes apart a majority of the time)
I've never gone into real labor on my own...just preterm and prodromal stuff...
Me 37, DP 45My Chart
I had very intense BH on a monday and tueday before my son was born. On wednesday morning at 2am I had my first painful contraction. I contracted about 5 mins apart that entire day, getting more and more painful. I had a Dr appt that day anyway, so I went and I was no further dilated or effaced than I had been a week before (1cm 70%) after about 8 hours of painful contractions. I went home that night and cntrx spaced out to about 10-12 minutes but were still getting more painful. I didn't sleep much the whole night.
The next day they got a bit closer again... around 8 mins apart. I had an u/s appt to check fluid level (I was 41 weeks) and the tech said the head was so low she couldn't get any measurements. So I was sent up to L & D and got checked, was at 4cm and 80% I went home to get some things and came back about an hour later, around 2pm. Had the baby the next morning at 7:30.
When I was getting those BH I went to the mall and WALKED. It was winter so it was a bit cold to walk outside. I also remember standing in my kitchen Wed night and just saying to my husband, "I am ready, lets just get this going already!" I was getting frustrated with the prodromal... Hang in there!!
ThreePrinces, that does sound like it to me. But you are fine if they do go away once you lay down and drink a big glass of water.
With DS and DD2 I had prodromal labor for about 1 mth... The contractions were very uncomfortable and sometimes painful. The would usually be around 5 mins apart and pretty regular. With DD2 at 38 wks it last for 11hrs straight and the contractions got down to 3 mins apart before it stopped. DD2 was born at 39 wks 2 days. It is very annoying to have prodromal labor... but when "real" labor started the contractions had a lot of energy and whole new intensity to them.
Me- 30 DH- 28 Married - Feb 2010
Dx: PCOS, Stage II Endo (removed 2005), Uterine suspension (2005)
- Katelyn -13 yrs - april 1998 born at 40 wks 9lbs 4oz and 21"
@ 16 wks 12/1998
- Eric - 5yrs - July 4th, 2006 Homebirth 39+3 wks 8lbs 14oz and 22"
- Julianne - June 27th, 2011 Home/Waterbirth 39+2 wks 8lbs 10oz and 22"
i did not have any prodromal labor for #1 or #2 baby, but #3 was a stinker! i had semi-painful contractions for a couple hours a day starting about 8 days before she was born. sometimes it would start in the middle of the night, sometimes right before bed. at my 40 week appointment they gave me a NST and i was having contractions about 3-5 minutes apart- the nurses were so excited, but i was not because i had been having them for days already. they would just come and go.
when i finally did go into labor, it was actually the same thing- contractions that were only mildly painful but definitely regular: 5 to 7 minutes apart. i had that for a couple hours before my doula came over just to visit and she did the ankle pressing trick and my contractions turned painful within 2 hours and i had the baby that night.
i don't think there's any way to know for sure, its just annoying when you are trying to sleep but you can't because you are wondering if its gonna be the real deal this time. hang in there! and if you are ready, try the ankle trick!!
Me 35 Dh 34
born May 05
born Dec 06
July 09 4 wks 3 days
Oct 09 6 wks 3 days
born July 2010
born Feb 2012
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I had a couple of days of it with my 1st DD. She was born a few days before her due date.
I had three weeks of it with DD #2. It started at 35 weeks and lasted until 38 weeks (when I gave birth). They started every night, were regular, painful, and made gradual but slow cervical changes. My labor with her was very fast - three hours from start to finish. I was a mess during these weeks though. I couldn't sleep at night and I was exhausted from the frequent contractions.I started having contractions with DD #3 at 38 weeks. Once they were frequent and strong enough that L&D admitted me, but, by the time they administered the four hours of antibiotics/IV fluids (I was GBS+), the contractions had stopped and they sent me home. I continued having contractions every night which fizzled out by morning until I was induced at 39 weeks. They may have continued for longer.I've actually had some bouts of it already with DD #4. So far they don't appear to be making any cervical changes. They start at night, go on for a few hours (usually they are 5-6 min apart, lasting over a minute), then fizzle out.
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I've definitely been wondering about this too! I have had a bit of what I think is prodromal labor... only at night. Last Saturday night I had about four hours of intense cramping/contractions/diarrhea starting at about 4 am which fizzled out by morning into nothing. Then last night I had a similar thing happen, although it was more like what I would imagine early labor to be- more widely spaced cramps/contractions, more in a pattern, accompanied by back ache, etc. This started a bit before three and went on until 8:30 or later this morning. After that I still had a few contractions and mild back ache but it got less and less as the day went on. :(
Its really disappointing to think that 'this is it! I am going to have my baby today!' and have nothing come from it. Plus not getting any sleep. I kept hoping that the contractions would start back up again sometime today, but nothing has happened.... So I will keep waiting!
It is good to hear everyone's experiences. I think I have realized that there is no normal. Everyone is different and every pregnancy for every person is different... so I can't really 'expect' anything, except that eventually I will have this baby and I just need to be patient until then.
Thanks so much for asking this Austingirl! I hope your baby comes soon so you don't have to deal with this anymore!
edd 1/27 born 1/28 naturally after 42 hour labor!
I hope you guys don't mind me piggy-backing on this thread. Reading all about your prodromal labor stories has me even more worried about my labor experience this time.
With DS my water broke at 37 weeks, contractions started (or at least I started feeling them) around 2 hours later, but they just felt like mild cramps. I was in active labor at the 3 hour mark and had the baby at 4 1/2 hours.
I'm nervous that my water won't break with this little girl, and I won't know that I'm in labor until it's too late (I live 45 minutes away from our hospital). Given how fast my contractions escalate, my plan was to go into the hospital as soon as I had any inkling that I was in labor... but what if I go through this prodromal labor that could last days or weeks??? Aside from my fear of leaving the house too late and giving birth on the highway outside the sketchy strip bar (bad enough if my DH is with me, way worse if I'm driving myself alone!), my other fear is that I will get prodromal labor contractions, and we'll rush to the hospital multiple times for false alerts. Now granted, that's not too bad if I get prodromal labor when my husband is home to watch our son or help me make arrangements for a sitter... but if this little girl comes early while my husband is gone for training, I'll have to drop my son off with a friend, call a dog sitter, call my doula, and rush to the hospital on my own -- I don't want to do that to my friends multiple times, especially if it's 2am ;)
Does anyone have any advice for me???? (Sorry to hijack the thread... just thought someone here might be able to calm me down ;)).
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Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. ~Romans 12:12~
aprilFool, no great advice as I was in a similar situation (quick labors, lots of prodromal labor, live 30 minutes from hospital + having to deal with childcare). I determined that I would go in if contractions lasted 2+ hours and were getting progressively stronger/closer together. That seemed to work ok for me, though I still ended up only being in the hospital an hour before having the baby. You're welcome to read this last birth story and see if it helps any!!
Oh, I also decided that if I felt remotely pushy before leaving the house, I'd just stay home and call an ambulance. I did NOT want to have my baby on the road.
Thanks Susan... I did read your birth story :) After talking to DH, he is now really nervous, too, that I will wait too long and either have the baby at home or on the road by myself (if she comes before 37 weeks). If we had to call an ambulance, more than likely they'd take me to the nearest hospital which is NOT my hospital, but I suppose a roach-infested hospital with doctors who don't support natural birth is better than an unassisted birth at home??? Tough call ;)
I didn't have a lot of early labor with DS, but I know I could this time - hence why I'm nervous ;)
Thanks for your stories, everyone. I tell you, sometimes I wish my water would just break because at least then I know I'd have to go into labor soon either on my own or via induction. And that means I must be desperate because I don't want a induction.
Aprilfool, good luck. If I go into labor at work I'll be close to the hospital, but it's 30+ minutes from my house and I worry about getting there in time too.
aprilFool, for me, I figured that pushing time with second+ vaginal births is usually pretty short, so I figured I'd be calling the ambulance to "clean up" and transfer me for a stitch up - at that point, natural birth it would be anyway! I'd rather have the baby unassisted at home than in the car on the side of the road.
Good luck to you and to austingirl!!
As of today I'm up to 1 cm, so I guess that's good at least. I know it doesn't necessarily mean much, but I'm thinking the contractions I've been having are doing a little bit of good.
What's the difference between this and braxton hicks?