37wks & no dilation yet

mbon · August 2014

I know it's not necessarily an indication of how soon baby will arrive but w/ my 1st 2 pregnancies I had some progress by now, so I'm just feeling a little disappointed. Maybe once baby's head drops really low (Dr said it isn't super low yet) things will go fast. I thought for sure after a trip to the hospital @ 35wks w/ 10hrs of braxton hicks contractions that this baby might be working on an early arrival. Anyone else in their 2nd+ pregnancy that isn't progressing at this late stage?

Everyusernameistaken · August 2014

I was closed up tight at my exam 3 days before I went into labour with my son (on my due date). Dilation means nothing, you could walk around at 3cm for weeks or just go into labor like I did. And as pp said, 35 weeks is early...you could still have another 6 weeks to go!

mbon · August 2014

I might not have worded my post correctly. I'm definitely not worried about not dilating, just bummed that nothing is going on yet. I'm just getting impatient & of course I compare to my other pregnancies which I know isn't necessarily something to go by cause every pregnancy can be different. So I was just curious if others had similar experiences where they had no dilation until closer to delivery.

Everyusernameistaken · August 2014

As I mentioned, I had no dilation at 39+4 and three days later I went into labour. So anything's possible!

MrsLaLaBug · August 2014

Why you people want your babies to come early is beyond me. You made the choice to have a baby... you do the time. No one is comfortable. No one is patient. Suck it up, buttercup. You have 3 weeks left.

ashiscute · August 2014

I was dilated 1 cm at 37 weeks with DD and she was born at 40 weeks exactly. So naturally I expected to be dilated at 37 or 38 weeks with DS and I was not. I was a little disappointed not because I wanted him to be born early but just because that 1 cm feels like progress (even though it isn't). Anyway, I was almost 1 cm with DS at 39w4d and he came on his own at 40w2d.

I know it sucks but it's almost over.

Unknown · August 2014

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mb314 · August 2014

aditigirl said:

You aren't even full term. Cool your jets. You have (hopefully!) another 3-5 weeks left.

It's a little early to worry about this (and it doesn't mean anything anyway). I was barely 1 cm at 9 am the morning of my last appointment, and without any natural or medical induction techniques, I had my son in my arms less than 24 hours later.

thegoodpotato · August 2014

Like a PP, I was closed tight the night before I went into labour with my first. She was delivered at 41 weeks in about 4 hours.

With my second, I had an internal exam right before my induction (at 41.5 weeks) and had no dilation. She came in 3 hours.

I really don't know why doctors bother doing internal exams prior to labour. It doesn't seem to give any indication on whether labour is imminent or not. I never had one with my first until I was admitted for false labour, and didn't have one with my second until 41 weeks when I got a membrane sweep.

At 35 weeks, I wouldn't expect you to be getting ready for any kind of labour.....

PrimRoseMama · August 2014

Since you've been pg before you should already know that any dilation before active labor is a bonus & not the norm.

Cervical thinning & dilation really means nothing without active, productive contractions. I walked around at 5cm with both babies, but no active labor to get the party started. Minor contractions that fizzled.

It wasn't until active, sustained, intense & productive contractions that I made any more progress. So, you could walk in actively in labor & complete in 2-4 hours. Or you could be like me the second time around: walk I'm at 6cm & take 14 hours to complete the second time around. My first labor was 4 hours total.

You just never know. You've got at least 2 more weeks to full term. Relax.

vrj0522 · August 2014

My cervix had not ripened nor was I dilated when I went to see my OB at 39 w 2 days. Then 3 days later I delivered my son. It doesn't have to happen weeks in advance for labor to occur.

MrsDL · August 2014

I was "about 1/2, maybe 1 cm " per the L&D nurse when we went in for delivery with DS. I was 40 weeks 6 days, they admitted me, I accepted the Pitocin an delivered later that day. It's different for everybody, little or no progress early or even on your due date doesn't mean a thing.