Second baby due imminently and really confused!

[Scuttlemum14]

Hi all,

Newbie here. Really need some advice. This is my second baby due in 4 days. My waters broke with my first ten days early and contractions started straightaway like shooting pains up the foof (sorry!). This baby everyone is surprised it's not come but more importantly I'm so confused! I keep getting extremely painful braxton hicks, Monday night and now last night, they are horrendous period pains with low down back ache and start regular then tail off. Monday night I thought was the real deal as have been losing bits if mucus plug for weeks and I has some blood mixed in but then bh's went irregular. After two hours I thought sod this I have a 2.5 yr old I need sleep and they stopped. Last night they were even more painful (and I'm not wusey as did sons birth with gas and air only) but I stubbornly laid down and went back to sleep!


I am so utterly frustrated that I don't know what is going on. It's like I don't know what a contraction is.
I will add this pregnancy in general has been totally different due to a lot of illness and I currently have a head cold-could this be stoping labour as my body is fighting it??

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

it sounds like latent labour to me. ive not experienced it myself yet, as I went straight to 2/3min cxns with dd, but many on here seem ti be slowly labouring for days. I really feel for you and can only suggest paracetamol and warm baths to help ease the pain enough to sleep.

It sounds like your body is gearing up for the labour, butthat it could take a few motre days. whens your next MW appt?

[Mumof3xox]

Sounds like slow labour

Not much you can do really, just try and rest

I had this for three days with dc1 and a week with dc 2

[Scuttlemum14]

Mw is Wednesday my due date where I'll probably accept the sweep. I'm hoping for a homebirth and due to various issues with in laws on holiday and my mum due to go when I'd be due induction I'll be honest I really hoped it would be here by now! I was actually crying in the shower and keep getting quietly upset as I'm so frustrated I don't know what's going on and also because I hoped it would be here while in laws are away (mil really upset me with her comments re baby). I feel like baby wants to get going but my head and body aren't letting it!

I didn't have any strong braxton hicks Tuesday Wednesday or Thursday though? Just these random extremely painful ones Monday and Friday nights for a few hours. I mean I just don't trust my opinion anymore! I was trying to tell dh that I never had this and they feel
Like the real deal and he just patronises me saying every pregnancy is different, they're braxton hicks as they aren't continuing. I could scream how the heck would you know you didn't birth our eldest you fool! I mean seriously they huurtttttt!

[Scuttlemum14]

Thank you for your advice as well ladies :)

[BellMcEnd]

Oh poor you. I was just like this with DS3. Soooo frustrating! I don't know if it was the catalyst or just coincidence, but he arrived pretty speedily after I skipped around our local country park. Not with a skipping rope, like you would at the age of 6 in the school playground. DH was and I must have looked properly odd but as I went into labour and had DS3 in 2.5 hours at home, who cares!

Good luck and let us know how you get on

[Scuttlemum14]

Haha may have to give that a go then!! I was dancing to toy story you got a friend in me with 2.5 yr old the other day..thought that might work ?? no such luck though!

[mrscog]

Have you tried sex? It won't be romantic but it might help speed things along!

[Scuttlemum14]

Yes didn't work :( short of things I don't believe in like pineapple and castor oil etc iv tried everything. My heartburn has been better for a week so it seems baby has dropped more, especially as was 3/5 at last mw appointment. Worse thing now is I'm really constipated, I literally think my bowels are crushed! Movements from baby are also massively down for days now. It did the conga before way overactive, now I get a little bits but not like before. Overall I know it sounds stupid but I'm
Concerned as to how the hell you can have one baby pretty early and the next is bordering on late (due in 3 days) my husband is 6 4 XL and I'm tiny size 6-8 5 3 and started this pregnancy underweight with thyroid problems. There literally is NO ROOM in there so why isn't it coming out and instead just stupid little twinges here and there for weeks!!

[MagnificentMaleficent]

I think you should call the labour unit about the reduced movements, it will put your mind at rest and give them a chance to check out all is okay.

Latent labour is infuriating I know, bath and paracetamol or running up and down stairs and birthing ball depending on which course of action you want to take!!

Please contact a midwife though

[Scuttlemum14]

Ok thank you I will tomorrow for sure then. I know labour and babies and everything doesn't come with a manual, just never expected to feel like such a novice second time round!

[BakingBunty]

Poor you... How bloody frustrating! I wonder if the baby is back to back? Might explain the lower back pain and the long slow start. Hope things speed up very soon!

[LittleBallOfFur]

OP just a bit of reassurance for you - my first DS was a day early, my second was 14 days late! Like you I had twinges on and off for ages before things finally got going the night before I was booked in for induction.

Good luck x

[Scuttlemum14]

Oh thank you glad your second turned up! I'm
Beginning to think it'll never happen which is borderline ridiculous. I was wondering about back to back, out of curiosity what should I do if it is?! Could I try something anyway just to see if it works? I have so run out of room here my ribs are screaming from being pulled apart to try to make room!

[MagnificentMaleficent]

I had two back to back and no not really

Try on all fours with bottom in air. A lot of pain under ribs could be breech though. Dec speak to MW tomorrow.

[BiscuitMillionaire]

//www.spinningbabies.com If it is back to back.

I had warm up labour for a while with my 2nd.

[ZenNudist]

OP I could have written your posts about 6m ago. In fact I think I did! "So confused", "not able to recognise a contraction", "obv BH as not continuing". Ah I empathise. It takes ages to realise you're not having the same baby and the experience is going to be different.

When ds2 did turn up he did so at a time very convenient to me (subconsciously you could be holding out, perhaps your MIL issues not such a joke!). It was also very easy!! The BH had panicked me whereas real labour was easy to deal with by breathing through the pain. I had a home birth and I kept waiting for the contractions to get bad... They did but by increments and I was very in control. I reckon when it happens for you you will find yourself in a good place to deal with it as latent labour has geared you up.

Good luck, you'll do great!

[NancyJones]

If you're still waiting I'd get up to labour ward and checked for the reduced movements. You also need to ask for a good palpation as the stop/start not quite getting into established labour could be a sign that baby is breech.

Hope all is well!

[Scuttlemum14]

Thank you all, woke for two hours last night crying, what a total idiot over it all and the pain in my ribs it's like a band going the whole way round! I'm just so fed up and it's nice to know others know exactly what I mean! Definitely trying the mw today if she's in, if not I think it's the day assessment unit I call up at the hospital. Movements are there but I'm pretty surprised and how little they now are :(

[MagnificentMaleficent]

Have you been checked out?

[Scuttlemum14]

Hi yes had a ctg is it? Was fine but bump size stayed same at 36.5 and I'm 40 weeks wed so having scan tomorrow. I did also get a sweep and was 1-2cm and favourable but she said it could (likely) not lead to anything :/

[Mumof3xox]

Oh dear op sorry to hear your still waiting, but at least baby is ok

[Howly]

Hi scuttle

I'm having my first baby (dd Friday) but feel the same as you, been stop start on off for weeks, thought it was all ramping up sat but to no avail! I've been very active today and having cramping / period pains and bh but they amount to nothing! Mine also get worse when lying on my side at night! Getting very frustrated, baby not moved much today either! Grrr!

[Scuttlemum14]

Really howly sorry to hear that. When I spoke to a mw today she said it's more common with subsequent babies as the uterus is irritable?! Perhaps it's just luck of the draw then! Sweep clearly didn't work for me as despite some bloody show (?) nothing else happened. Back to another rubbish nights sleep then! Got to say I have major sympathies now for those that go overdue, it is far far worse!

[Mumof3xox]

Any news scuttle?

[Scuttlemum14]

No just still losing mucus plug with old blood (sorry tmi) but I'm well aware it's just regenerating! No cramps or anything really. Had a scan earlier today and baby was all happy, growth has dropped down quite a bit but I think try expect that at least they didn't comment on it. Bit weird that my ten day early ds was 7lb and they are estimating this one at 7 3 despite the ten day gap!