I'm wondering if my labour is starting!

[cupcakesgalore]

I'm 39 wks and my other 3 were all overdue so it's prob. a false alarm. Last night i felt unwell and couldn't eat dinner and had lots of painful B.Hicks. I woke up at 4.45 this morning to go to the loo and when I got back into bed started getting really bad period like cramps and pain in my hip and inner thigh. It was really sore and i needed to get up and onto all fours. It lasted for about 3 hrs, but by the time i'd managed to get breakfast for the other 3 seemed to have subsided. Felt twingey all morning and I've been resting a bit on the sofa infront of Beebies and am getting uncomfortable contractions. Don't feel great either. I wonder if this might be the start - or if I'm fgoing to have sev. wks of pre-labour like symptoms!

[lulumama]

it might be, if you have a baby in a few hours, that is a fairly good indication

twingey is good

BH are good


shall i suggest sex & nipple stim??

potter around and you'll know when you need to pay attention

is there any regularity to the pains you are getting? how long htey lasting?

[cupcakesgalore]

You can suggest sex and niple stim - but not sure it'll happen!! Far too tired! DH is finishing his papers for his MSc viva next Mon. so exhausted and doing full time job and I'm hoping baby might wait until next wk. before making an appearance - so we can both get some sleep! The pains aren't regular but fairly constant discomfort at the mo. Mind you, with my last labour they weren't particularly reg. - that is x-amount of mins. apart - even when I went into hosp. and was def. in labour. Is that normal for some people?

[lulumama]

it can happen, yes, was actually discussing that on a thread last week .....

have you had a show or leaking, is it better if you move aroudn?

[cupcakesgalore]

No show or leaking, but not unusual for me. Moving doesn't stop the pain but being on all fours makes it comfier.

[lulumama]

do you know what position the baby is in ? ie back to back, or LOA?

[cupcakesgalore]

think it's on it's side - back to my left hip. is that ok - assume it will turn with back to my abdomen? I've got an anterior placenta this time so wonder if that iwll make a diff.? Lots of pain in my hip though.

[lulumama]

anterior placenta can make a difference to the lie of the baby

if things carry on, with the constant discomfort, you could give your midwife a call

[lulumama]

got to get ready for school run, so will check in later !

[lulumama]

hope you are ok xx

[twoplusone]

Hope you are ok Cupcakesgalore, just seen this.. You may even be holding your lo by now...

[MelissaM]

Hope you are ok too cupcake. good luck

[cupcakesgalore]

Hi all. Still here! The contractions subsided overnight but I'm feeling pretty rough today. Not at all hungry and v.v. tired after y'days escapades! The baby was 3/5s engaged on Tues. but I'm wondering if it's gone further after y'day because today when I walk it feels really sharp and uncomfortable at the front of my pubic bone and my B. Hicks are v.v. strong. I suppose this could go on for wks. Is pre-labour commonly more noticeable and stronger with subsequent pregnancies do you think?

[lulumama]

hi

sorry you feel rough

you might have this for a while yet, but it all helps, getting baby engaged, and in a good position, cervix is softening , and moving,so don;t be too downhearted, you are nearly at the end xx

[cupcakesgalore]

Thanks Lulu. sometimes it's had to keep sight of the fact that the end is near! This will be my last pregnancy so I think I should try to enjoy what's left but running around after the other 3 (although they're fantastic) - and afternoons spent lying under chairs pretending to be Mulan's horse isn't quite the thing for me at the mo.!!! I'll let you know if anything else kicks off!

[pollyanna]

I don't want to depress you, but this went on for about a week with my 4th - every night I thought I was in labour and then contractions would stop in the early hours. I was exhausted by the time I actually went into labour!

[lilylilyrose]

Sorry to hijack - lulumama, what effect can an anterior placenta have on the lie of the baby? Is it more likely to be posterior? (mine is anterior, I am curious!)

[cupcakesgalore]

Pollyanna - not good news but what I sort of expect! I think it's the fact that it is so tiring that makes it worse. Although I'd like to have this baby sooner rather than later, I really feel too tired to go into labour at the moment! Lily, with the ant. placenta, my understanding is that often baby prefers to face the placenta and may therefore be more likely to be in a posterior position. I'm sure Lulu knows more about this than me though.

[lulumama]

can possibly make a breech or posterior position a little more likely, but not inevitable.....i think there is some good stuff about this on the homebirth site......also means you might not feel kicks until a bit later on as placenta acts as a cushion!

[twoplusone]

goodluck cupcakesgalore..

[flightattendant]

Cupcakes, I was deadly tired for about 3 days before labour, so maybe it's a sign?

[lilylilyrose]

Thanks lulu! Cupcakesgalore - good luck

[wishingfourgotone]

Hi i felt like this for full two weeks before i gave birth!
My dp was called home several times his work was not happy