Your false labor experience

ashes0601

Last night was the first night I actually had contractions (real ones from what I've been reading) but they were about a minute apart and only lasted for 10-12 mins and then tapered off.

Just out of curiosity - for you mothers out there, what was your experience as to when you started false labor (or labor that just tapered off) and the time table between to when you went into real labor?

I know your experiences directly mean nothing to me because everyone is different but I am just curious. I am 40w3d today.

logarithm3

Thanks for starting this thread! I had the same frustrating experience yesterday.

I'm 40+5 and was woken up at 2 am by strong cramps (FTM so I'm assuming it's what a contraction feels like?). Anyway, I decided not to wake up DH but to get up and walk around to see if it was the real deal.

Sadly other than a few more cramps here and there, nothing developed

I comforted myself with 4am cereal instead.

ashes0601

Yea I was sitting on the couch and they just kept coming - and then they disappeared

lakesideknitter

FTM here, but I've also been having contractions off and on for the last 2 days. Have had Braxton-Hicks since week 20 or so, but these are completely different. They start like a really strong period cramp, then my abdomen gets super hard and uncomfortable. For me, they each last a minute, at about 7 minute intervals, for a couple of hours and then they taper off. It's a bit too early for LO to arrive right now, but if it happened this weekend, I'd be happy. I'll be 39 weeks on Sunday. Of course, it could mean absolutely nothing, and I could still end up going overdue. Who knows. I'll have a cervical check at my appt tomorrow morning, so I'll find out if these contractions are doing anything.

Ashleyw

I've been having them for 4 days!!! I will have contractions for 2-3 hours then they just die off. Last night I had them 4 minutes apart that lasted for two hours. Then those died off, I went back to sleep, woke up to worse ones 2 minutes apart that lasted 1.5 hours. I really thought it was go time, 4th time mom here. But those just died off! This has never happened to me before I am beyond frustrated.

blackcat3163

All these little November babes are pranksters! I had it last night about every 5 mins really strong squeezing with period type pain then I must have fallen asleep and woke to nothing again....

ColoradoHiker

Me, too!  This has happened twice in the past week to me.  The first time, I had a mixture of Braxtons and real contractions (they hurt, the Braxtons were just a tightening feeling), and they were widespread, then became 5 min apart for an hour, before spacing out again and eventually stopping.  Sunday night/ Monday morning, I had mostly Braxtons, but with a lot of pressure on my lower back.  That lasted about six hours.  I didn't time them, as my midwife suggested last week to not do so until I hit the point of contractions that left me unable to talk while they were happening.

I'm 38+2, so it's not a big deal that they're just practice, but I'd rather skip the back pressure again, that was incredibly uncomfortable!

strimble26

I am on week 3 of prodromal labor. Almost every other night I get timeable, crampy contractions that last for up to 2 hours. My uterus actually feels bruised from all the false labor. I am a 3rd time mom and my other labors went fast, so my MW wants me to come back later this week and possibly break my water since I am already 4 cm dilated. I am afraid once I do go, it may end up being an unintentional home birth.
But with my first 2, I only had one or two bouts of false labor and had my babies within a few days of it.

wimamaof2

Mine started last night around 10pm. From 4:30 am to 7:30 am they were very painful, lasted about 30 seconds every 5 to 7 minutes. We called the doctor and ended up going to labor and delivery...it was a false alarm. We're home now. Hopefully, next time it happens, we get to come home with our baby in our arms.

sadyy131

Left work with contractions so painful and intense, I was literally throwing up and shit my pants (sorry gross). And then after getting home and soaking in a bath, they got significantly less painful but we're still happening so I called the doc and they said to come in. When I get there the nurses are like "you're only 2 cm and 75% effaced so they must have been Braxton hicks). These were no Braxton hicks I tell you, I literally couldn't talk. I felt like they thought I was crying wolf. It was so frustrating and apprently early labor can go on for weeks so I'm pretty bummed out.

chein1

One week. It was the longest, draining week of my life. When active labor started, she was here in under an hour.

taykerslake

@sadyy131 I am always nervous to get checked out when I think it's the real deal because I know that a lot of the time our hospital thinks we cry wolf. I'm sorry that happened to you. It's like they don't understand all the things our bodies go through with pregnancy. Even when some of them are mothers theirselves

kidcapri100

Lurking and thought I would share my experience from the D15 board as it looks like my little guy will likely be a N15 baby!

I had quite the bout of false labor over the past 24hrs. Went into L&D triage after my doctor sent me there due to painful crampy bowel movements and possible AF leak at 36w 5d.

Upon arrival my BP shot up and contractions started to build on the monitor. After an hour, the contractions became consistent and an hour after that they were definitely labor contractions coming every 2 minutes. This lasted for 8 HOURS. I only effaced 10% and dropped 1 station after all those hours of intense contractions (I apparently had the most intense contractions across the board at L&D last night). I was at 3+ cm, 90% effaced and station 1.
The doctor gave me a morphine cocktail to help me get some sleep and it did wonders! Not only was I able to feel some pain relief, but my contractions started to become less frequent. By 7am they were only 1 in every 10min and intensity was far less.

I was discharged around 11am even though I am now at 4cm, 100% effaced and station +2 with a bulging bag. Doc thinks I'll most likely be back over the next few days to deliver.

Anyone else have essentially 11 hours of a "false alarm"?!

I should also state that I have a short cervix so we knew I would most likely dilate and efface early (just happy that it looks like he will hang in there until 37 weeks!)

lyankowi

Oct 30 I was having false labor. Every 10-15 minutes and only lasting max 30 seconds. Called OB they told me if I went in I would be induced because I was 4 cm from last OB appt, I waited. I had a few Oct 31 same thing I could walk and talk through them so I stayed home. At my next OB appt they told me if I go to L&D I can refused to be induced. Last Friday I had contractions about 10-15 minutes apart lasting about a minute from 11:30am to about 7pm but they fizzled out too. Then Nov 8 I started thinking I was having false labor again. Contractions 10-20 minutes apart lasting 1-2 minutes. I stayed up until 1am to see if anything happened she was born the next day. I had false labor for about a week, but it started after I asked him to strip my membranes, he also did that twice per my request.

Shellie123

I've had it since Saturday after losing my plug. They were quite bad last night then nothing this morning. Started again about 3 hours ago. No clue what it means or whether I'll go soon i suppose you just have to wait it out. 40w 1d today. Definitely got worse after membrane sweep. I always thought it was much simpler than this. Waters break, go to hospital and give birth. It's quite draining as the contractions are bloody painful and can't sleep while they're happening! I did read that if you have a slow labour the active labour is actually a lot quicker but who knows. Not going to let it bother me. Waited 9 months and can wait a little longer.

AshleeM7784

I had pre-term labor at 30 weeks and was put on bedrest for 6 weeks. Then, starting at 37 weeks, I had false labor every day for 2 weeks. I would wake up with timetable strong contractions lasting anywhere from 2-6 hours then tapering off. At 39 weeks my blood pressure spiked and my dr decided it was best to induce (I had pre-e with my first and it was quickly developing with this pregnancy). It did not take much pitocin to kick my body into actual labor (I had already had 4 hours of contractions that day) and delivery went really smoothly, I think thanks in part to the prep work my body had been doing for the previous 2 weeks!

thefithuntress

Had my first taste of this nonsense yesterday with oddly localized contractions. So happy to have a doula to keep me from going insane! I texted her and she had me sit in the tub for a while until they fizzled into nothing. It was definitely an eventful and eventually frustrating 4 hours. This is nothing like the movies!

dramaphile

thefithuntress said:

Had my first taste of this nonsense yesterday with oddly localized contractions. So happy to have a doula to keep me from going insane! I texted her and she had me sit in the tub for a while until they fizzled into nothing. It was definitely an eventful and eventually frustrating 4 hours. This is nothing like the movies!

You and me both last night. 2 hours of contractions at 3-5 minutes which sped up to 2 min when I went for a walk. Midwife on call suggested a bath, and they slowed to about every 8 min. Sped up a bit when I got out, checked in with the midwife again at 10pm and she said go try to sleep, and contractions stopped overnight. Ah well, someday.

taykerslake

This nonsense has been giving me irregular contractions since 8pm last night. Currently 7am my own time. I know it's not real labor, but my body is so exhausted from being woken up all night. I have an appointment later today, so I'm hoping doctor checks if I've made any progress lately.

RobinaCee

taykerslake said:

This nonsense has been giving me irregular contractions since 8pm last night. Currently 7am my own time. I know it's not real labor, but my body is so exhausted from being woken up all night. I have an appointment later today, so I'm hoping doctor checks if I've made any progress lately.

Sounds exactly like my night. On my way to my Dr's appt in an hour. So frustrating!
Good luck

taykerslake

RobinaCee said:

taykerslake said:

This nonsense has been giving me irregular contractions since 8pm last night. Currently 7am my own time. I know it's not real labor, but my body is so exhausted from being woken up all night. I have an appointment later today, so I'm hoping doctor checks if I've made any progress lately.

Sounds exactly like my night. On my way to my Dr's appt in an hour. So frustrating!
Good luck

Good luck!! Let's hope our babies stop giving us grief and turn it into the real deal!!

rachswi

Mine may be grounded when he finally comes out. Contractions started at 4:30 yesterday and still haven't completely fizzled out. But I'm not making any real progress, either. It's been almost 23 hours and I'm only 3cm dilated. So frustrating. And painful.

SoFlaMommie1128

Been experiencing time-able contractions on and off since 6:30 a.m. yesterday. Why don't they teach you about prodromal labor in the classes? This sucks! I'd so much rather have the real deal (as painful as it must be) than this constant, agonizing "is this it?" feeling. The last thing I want is to go to L&D again (I've been sent home before) for another false alarm. Called my OB and they said just stay at home until they are 5-7 minutes apart for one hour and painful.

Ceridwen77

I was in prodromal labor for 4 days. When I transitioned to the beginning phase of labor it was obvious. As "real" as prodromal contractions felt, when I actually went into labor there was a notable difference.

SoFlaMommie1128

Ceridwen77 said:

I was in prodromal labor for 4 days. When I transitioned to the beginning phase of labor it was obvious. As "real" as prodromal contractions felt, when I actually went into labor there was a notable difference.

What was the most noticeable difference, @Ceridwen77?

Ceridwen77

SoFlaMommie1128 said:

Ceridwen77 said:

I was in prodromal labor for 4 days. When I transitioned to the beginning phase of labor it was obvious. As "real" as prodromal contractions felt, when I actually went into labor there was a notable difference.

What was the most noticeable difference, @Ceridwen77?

Just the way they felt. The real contractions were more intense, even in early labor. They were also much more easily timeable than what I had during prodromal.

dramaphile

My real contractions felt very different than my prodromal labor. My BH were mainly in the center of my belly, and the real contractions were strongest in my lower abdomen and much more intense. It was definitely easy to tell the difference between the two.

SoFlaMommie1128

dramaphile said:

My real contractions felt very different than my prodromal labor. My BH were mainly in the center of my belly, and the real contractions were strongest in my lower abdomen and much more intense. It was definitely easy to tell the difference between the two.

Yep. That's exactly what I've been experiencing for the last 3 days (lower abdomen, intense, definitely not BH) and they still aren't leading to actual labor...