Trip to L&D...I'm in early labour!

Missus123 · January 2012

I've been having some dull period-like cramps for a while and then had what felt like a real contraction around 3am. I was able to get back to sleep but they woke me up again around 7am. There was a definite start and stop to the contractions so I thought it might be the real thing. It wasn't terribly painful but very crampy and in my lower belly/hips area. We timed them and I was having cramps/pain for about a minute each time and they were coming about every 5 mins! After about 1.5 hrs, I got a shower and we got ready to head to the hospital. I also started to pass bloody mucous which I thought was the "bloody show" I keep hearing about (TMI!).

When we got to the hospital, they hooked me up to the monitors and took my blood pressure. Everything looked good and it turns out I was only having "little" contractions. The nurse said they need to see "nice, big, painful ones" before they know things are progressing. When I was checked, I had only dilated one more cm (now at 3cm) and no additional effacement (now at 80%). So it wasn't enough to say the contractions were doing anything.

The nurse said to go home and wait it out until contractions are more painful - like I can't talk through them. And the contractions need to be more all-over my stomach and have a squeezing feeling, not just the horrible period-like crampy feeling I'm having. It's good to have that description to go by as I move forward. Though, it seems these cramps are getting worse and more and more uncomfortable and painful. I already have to stop what I'm doing and focus on them and breathe differently to get through. I'm going to be such a wimp when it comes to the "real" contractions and active labour!! At least I'm on my way!

bobbi5342 · January 2012

Hang in there! And good luck!

Rsoc23 · January 2012

OMG! this is me exactly! It is so frustrating--hang in there and GL!!

talitha712 · January 2012

Hang in there. And for the record, I NEVER had the kind of contractions you were told you need to have. When I was in labor mine only felt like period cramps. I'd been having them on and off most of the day but didn't think much of them because they didn't feel like I'd been told a contraction feels like. They only became painful about 30 minutes after my water broke, but even then they still just felt like really bad cramps. I was 8cm and 100% effaced when I showed up at the hospital less than an hour after my water broke.