The Labor Thread

mhilpisch10

@mamadomino how are you feeling this morning? 

mamadomino

@mhilpisch10 totally fine with no contractions.  Calling the doc office today to ask the nurse their thoughts, but no contractions since last night.  Thanks for asking! 

vampirina

Question for BTDT moms: Do babies move a lot or not much at all before and during labor?

mamadomino

So I talked to the nurse who talked to the on call doc, since mine is off today.  They said since I'm having contractions nightly at the same time and they are increasing in intensity they suspect I am doing too much.  The nurse said showering is fine, avoid going up and down stairs and lifting.  So now I'm all upset because how the eff do you do that with a toddler?! 

mamadomino

@PoodleDoodleOoo I didn't notice any change in movement before I had my son. 

drmh22

@mamadomino that's rough. Do you have anyone who can help you wrangler the toddler when you would otherwise be on your own? 

camichael84

PoodleDoodleOoo said:

Question for BTDT moms: Do babies move a lot or not much at all before and during labor?

My daughter moved a ton after contractions started. It was something I had never thought about or imagined happening, so it really stuck out to me. I didn't notice any change in movement prior to labor.

ETA: My water broke first, so I don't know if I was feeling her more because there was less fluid. Or if that is even a thing regarding feeling movement.

mamadomino

@drmh22 my parents keep him two days a week while I was working and now for doc appts.  I'll probably have to hire someone to come help. 

mhilpisch10

@mamadomino I wish I could help you! You don't happen to live in MN do you? 
@PoodleDoodleOoo my first didn't move much during labor, my second moved a ton!! So much movement and he was so low bc he was literally coming out. It was weird actually haha. 

Ssoccerball

Last Monday, I thought for sure that labor was starting.  I had hours of contractions, a strong backache, lots of poops, etc.  When I went in for my dr. appt. on Thursday, I found out that baby B, who was formerly breech, had turned head down and that they had both dropped as low as they could go (which wasn't a surprise to me...I can actually feel them moving in the crease of my thigh, which is really weird).  I was also dialated to a 2 cm.  

Now I'm having a ton of cramping and backaches.  I have contractions throughout the day.  Is it likely just from them dropping or is it possible to start labor a week before you actually go into labor?  I never went into labor with my first kids so I have no idea what to expect. And I think I'm irrationally worried that I'm going to miss all the tell tale signs because it's been going on for a week or more.  

mhilpisch10

@Ssoccerball definitely could be labor. Maybe your water will break which would make t much easier to know if it's the real deal! If you are far enough along stay active and if you can't walk through contractions id go in. 
Time them if you can and call your doctor if it feels like it's happening. They are really helpful on the phone. 

drmh22

@mamadomino when does school start in your area? You may be able to find a young kid to help for cheap, someone whose parents want them to have some responsibility over the summer. You can be there to supervise so you could potentially go fairly young.

Ssoccerball

@mhilpisch10, I'm actually hoping that my water will break!  I don't even care where I am!  It would make it so much easier to know that it's "real labor" and not just the extreme discomfort that I've been living with for the past week.  

mhilpisch10

Ssoccerball said:

@mhilpisch10, I'm actually hoping that my water will break!  I don't even care where I am!  It would make it so much easier to know that it's "real labor" and not just the extreme discomfort that I've been living with for the past week.  

Yes! It helps so much!! I hope it becomes clear. How far along are you? 

drmh22

@Ssoccerball @mhilpisch10 My water broke last time, albeit just in a trickle, and I still wasn't sure what it was. I thought maybe I was just peeing myself. I was SO embarrassed going in to L&D. 

Ssoccerball

@mhilpisch10, I'm 34 + 3.  I've read that 36 is the average for twins and my doctor will induce at 38 if I haven't gone on my own.  

mamadomino

@mhilpisch10 Wisconsin, so not THAT far!  But not the part of Wisconsin that's near MN! 

@Ssoccerball I feel like a ftm again with these twins.  I didn't have any contractions or trips to l&d or anything until I was really in labor.  This is so hard to figure out!  For what it's worth, when I called the nurse today she was really reassuring and said I did the right thing by calling.  If you're unsure, definitely call! 

@drmh22 school doesn't start here for a few more weeks I don't think.  I'll start asking around or post in some online groups and see if I can find a kid to come here.  I think if they could play with Dom for 3ish hours in the morning, I could do lunch and then he naps around 1.  And then there is only a couple hours until dh gets home. 

mamadomino

@Ssoccerball I can feel one of my twins in the crease of my right thigh and the other like in front of my ribs on the left side.  It's so freaking weird.  There's just baby EVERYWHERE. 

Ssoccerball

@mamadomino, ha!  I know.  The first time I felt wiggling in the crease of my thigh, I thought surely something was going to pop out of it, alien style.  Babies aren't supposed to be there!  And don't get me started on the ways in which my belly is constantly changing shapes.  One day, I have a giant lump on the left, the next day, I'm all basketball in the middle.  It's a total surprise when I wake up every day.  

mhilpisch10

Bumping this up in case anyone wants to use it. 

Emillz5

Last night I kept having horrible Braxton Hicks and would have to jump out of bed and walk around to make them stop. I've still been having them pretty consistently today too. I know they aren't real labor contractions, but was this a sign that labor was near for anyone else?

seitzy3

@Emillz5 unfortunately everyone's body is different. Could mean labor is close for some and not for others. I have literally had non stop BH (very painful) for the past two weeks and still only 2cm with no sign of labor in near future. I was just at the doctors today because I thought I was in early labor yesterday. nope! Just good old BH. 

I mean techinally if you are 36 weeks plus then labor is always near  

Emillz5

@seitzy3 I'm sorry to hear that I hope they start to get better!  

I have an appointment on Wednesday so I will be able to see how dilated I am, if at all. I'm 36 weeks and 2 days so getting very anxious!!

izzetoot

So... I think im having contractions but not sure.  I was induced with my first and had what felt like bad period cramps for about an hour before they gave me an epi and I felt nothing the rest of the way.  For about an hour now I keep getting sharp intense spasm-like pains on the top of my stomach under my rib cage and around the sides.  Kindof like pulling a muscle. But no cramping pains like I experienced before.  And a little pressure way down low and inside (like I have to poop)   And baby is kicking and jabbing me like crazy.  Normal? Thoughts?

mamadomino

@izzetoot the only way I can really tell a contraction from all the other crap happening in my belly (except the big ones, those are clear as a bell!) is that my whole uterus is rock hard.  

izzetoot

I think they are too sporadic to be contractions.  Just another form of BH I guess? I put my feet up and drank a bunch of water and they've settled down quite a bit.  Geez... that was weird...

mamadomino

Very weird! Glad they've settled! 

mommytimesfour

izzetoot said:

So... I think im having contractions but not sure.  I was induced with my first and had what felt like bad period cramps for about an hour before they gave me an epi and I felt nothing the rest of the way.  For about an hour now I keep getting sharp intense spasm-like pains on the top of my stomach under my rib cage and around the sides.  Kindof like pulling a muscle. But no cramping pains like I experienced before.  And a little pressure way down low and inside (like I have to poop)   And baby is kicking and jabbing me like crazy.  Normal? Thoughts?

I can always tell a contraction apart from anything else by the tightening of my entire belly. Contractions can feel so different from one person to the next, so it's hard to really say if what you were experiencing were actually contractions. I'd download a contraction timer app and time the pains and see if there's a pattern to them. If there is, they're probably contractions. Not necessarily the real deal though. 

AshleyB09042015

I don't know where I should put this so Ill start here since its about labor. Im 36 weeks today. I just found out about an hour ago that Im being induced on Wednesday next week. They are starting with cervidal for 2 hours then going to Pitocin. Im being admitted since I have really low fluids. (My Dr said sometimes they send you home after inserting cervidal to wait for labor to start but they wont send me home)

Any tips, tricks or info that might be beneficial for me? Im a little terrified as a FTM.

RG1

@ashleyb09042015 No advice since I'm also a FTM, but you'll be 37 weeks which is great!! I am excited for you, but I understand you're scared. We'll be thinking of you!

mhilpisch10

@AshleyB09042015 I hope everything goes well over the next week. I'm not sure if you will be able to move around after they start the induction, but I would definitely recommend moving around a bit if you can. Might help things along. We will be thinking of you! Sorry I don't have any experience with that. 

Tippy05

@AshleyB09042015 - I was also induced due to low fluid with my first.  They started me on cervadil the night before and then was given pitocin in the morning.  It was a long day!  Try to get as much sleep as you can, when you can.  So exciting!!  Take care of yourself and know that soon you'll have that baby in your arms!!

mommytimesfour

AshleyB09042015 said:

I don't know where I should put this so Ill start here since its about labor. Im 36 weeks today. I just found out about an hour ago that Im being induced on Wednesday next week. They are starting with cervidal for 2 hours then going to Pitocin. Im being admitted since I have really low fluids. (My Dr said sometimes they send you home after inserting cervidal to wait for labor to start but they wont send me home)

Any tips, tricks or info that might be beneficial for me? Im a little terrified as a FTM.

Good luck! I was induced with my first and second baby, and it couldn't have gone smoother. 

OBMommy

Last week, I had nothing ready and found out I was a 3 and 60%...this week I have everything ready and have made no change. I swear, babies refuse to come if everything is in place and you're ready. I was really not wanting to work the next two weeks!

mommytimesfour

Bump. Please post anything labor related here! 

sunshinern96

I'm having menstrual type cramping that is radiating to my lower back. It isn't really consistent but is happening at least every 5 mins or closer. Feeling a lot of pressure from baby's head (he dropped a couple of days ago). On Monday, my OB said my cervix is really soft and 80 percent effaced but not dilated yet. She also said his head is really, really low. 

I'm also feeling a little nauseous. Drank water and am laying down now to see if I feel better. Right now I'm not in pain, just uncomfortable. Baby is still moving around like normal.

Does this sound like early labor to anyone? With DS1 my water broke in the middle of the night and I never had my own contractions--so I only know what pitocin contractions feel like. I have no idea what early labor feels like but I am thinking this could be it...I'm hoping that once I rest a little I'll feel better. 

marajay6

@sunshinern96  - unfortunately, only time will tell if this is really labor or not. I would also start to wonder if pain that felt like menstrual cramps was labor because that's what it felt like when I had my son and I have never had BH's that feel like that. But some women have had BH contractions that feel like menstrual cramps. So like I said, only time will tell. Good luck!

And if it is happening every 5 minutes or so, time them!

Sarafuss

@sunshinern96 I felt the exact same way on Tuesday and almost went in to L&D.  I took a shower and laid down and they subsided.  So as @marajay6 said, only time will tell if your contractions pick up and get more painful and consistent.  Or they could fizzle out.  

mommytimesfour

@sunshinern96 it sounds promising, but like others said, only time will tell. I would definitely start timing and paying attention to any changes in intensity. Try taking a hot shower along with rest and see if they fizzle out. If not, it might be the start to the real thing. Keep us updated! 

sunshinern96

Thank you guys for the advice! They are a bit less intense now that I have been laying down, and coming about every 5-6 mins now. I think things seem to be calming down but I will keep you updated if anything exciting happens!