Question, for anyone who has experienced back labor: what does that feel like? I always imagined it would be a crampy ache in the lower back that comes and goes like contractions. But for over an hour now I have this constant crampy ache in my upper back. Moving around and repositioning is not helping. This doesn’t sound like back labor does it? Ugh so uncomfortable trying to get work done.
@MichelleAG05 7/17 would most likely be my induction date also (and my dads birthday). I think you’re right. I should just start planning off that. I feel like no matter how much early labor I have, this is never going to happen.
@zande2016 It does not sound like it to me..at least for me back labor was a very sharp and intense pain in my lower back that lasts for however long the contraction is..it is not an achey soreness but rather *pain*. It might be different for everyone but it straight took my breath away. It was waaaaaaay worse then any of the normal period style contractions ever thought of being. I have quite a high pain tolerence and it took me out of the med free labor game quick! I’ve heard switching to an all fours to get pressure off the back helps or counterpressure with massage but I was hollering for an epidural before I could get that far. Good luck!!!
Thanks @hillbillywife@BrittG13 I figured back labor would be much lower and more intense, this weird achy cramping just won’t let up though! Gonna soak in the tub again tonight.
+1 for what @BrittG13 said about back labor. Felt like someone was stabbing me with a knife in the low back/pelvic region. Luckily for me I only had 3 of those back contractions.
Was in the hospital all night with contractions about 3 minutes apart lasting almost 2 minutes each. Wouldn't dialate past 3 cm so im home now. At this point i dont even know when i would head back since contractions are already so consistent Maybe Ill be meeting this little one soon!
I have had the weirdest day today. Started getting a lot of menstrual type cramping after bloody show yesterday, and then started to lose more blood, though it was brown. Called OB's office just to be on the safe side, and they asked me to come in so they could check out the bleeding and do another NST to check out contractions and baby movement.
So I go there via public transit in a torrential downpour, with my DH driving to meet me there just in case. I'm losing more bloody mucous, but the midwife checking me out says my cervix feels completely closed. (Ugh, how can it be closed after all the cramping I've had!) However, the NST does show that I'm having pretty regular contractions. So she calls the hospital where I'll be delivering and asks if I should have my c-section done tonight. While she's waiting for a response, she tells DH and me to walk for around an hour in the mall across the street (because it's still pouring) to see if that will open my cervix a bit. She tells DH to go ahead and have lunch, but tells me to start fasting in case I have to have my procedure done tonight.
It really sucks being pregnant and hungry and having to walk, but we do it and then return. I have more bleeding and my cervix is still closed. The OB on call at the hospital says it's really crazy there, and if we were to go there, my procedure could be really delayed anyway because a lot of women were giving birth there today. Midwife asks how uncomfortable I'm feeling--I say mild to moderate--so she suggests I go home and eat and wait it out. She adds that I should have a low threshold for calling back and asking to possibly be admitted--if cramping or contractions wake me up tonight (as they did a bit last night) and I can't sleep, I should definitely contact them.
The medical team thinks I'm in early labor, but isn't positive. But happily, they did say I should get bed rest and take it easy in the hopes of stalling the procedure until my scheduled time on Monday, though they acknowledge I might have the baby sooner than that. So I get to stop work earlier than scheduled--this morning was my last day!
By this point I'm starving and have never been so happy to have Chinese food for lunch. Who knows when the baby will be here--at least my hospital bag is packed!
@sm05-2 what an ordeal! Why did the midwife want you to dilate if you’re having a c section though? I hope things either calm down until Monday or labor becomes clearer - this limbo is no fun.
On a a side note, I keep seeing/hearing things about hospitals being super busy with babies coming right now and I’m getting nervous about the hospital being full when I go into labor! I’ve been told June is super busy but July slows down so I hope that’s true. (I just don’t want to get stuck with the room without a tub, or even worse, having to share!)
@kissableviv I'm trying to be patient and remind myself that there is still lots of time. I feel fine so I'm in no real rush.
What's stressing me out a bit is that this is identical to how I felt with my DD at this point. With that pregnancy I never had a single contraction till I was on pitocin for 12 hours AND had my water broken by my OB.
I know that it's not a huge deal if I have the same experience again and that delivery was totally fine but I would love a much more natural process this time.
@sm05-2 good luck! Also, excuse my ignorance but why are they making you walk to dilate if you're having a scheduled CS?
@zande2016 and @runsomewhere, that’s a good question about dilation. The midwife said it would help determine more positively if I’m in labor. You’re both right that they wouldn’t want me to dilate too much, and in looking back at this afternoon, it does seem odd.
@runsomewhere crossing my fingers that you’ll get the more natural process you want!
@zande2016 Interesting about what you heard about hospitals being busy now—I wonder if it has to do with July vacations? Maybe psychologically women want to get their babies out before then? Though I know that’s kind of a crazy idea in and of itself.
@zande2016@sm05-2 DH and I went on our hospital tour and the doula who was touring us also said that the hospital is most busy with babies in the summer! Interesting!
It could partly be the full moon, but also the hospital tour guide told us a lot of women who are teachers and have summers off try to have their babies in June. She also said 9 months after holidays like Christmas and valentines are big, but those don’t conincide with summer. When I was in L&D last Friday it was a madhouse.
39 weeks today (actually 39 weeks this past Tuesday if I’m counting by my MW’s clock.. which at this point I am.) I’ve had zero labor signs in the past few days after a solid week of what felt like early labor. Soooooo frustrating! I can’t wait for my appt tomorrow morning to see if I’ve made any progress and hopefully get a sweep. Bless you ladies who aren’t in a rush... I’m dying here!
@zande2016 that’s interesting that they said July is slower than June, I would have thought there would be more babies with the heat.
@zande2016 I had back labour with my twins. It felt like someone was ripping my spine out through my lower back. I was crawling across the bed trying to get away from the pain pre-epidural.
I’ve been having some mild cramping and lower back pain the last few days at night but nothing timeable or significant. A little bit I’d like to get her out before July 1 with residency change over happening but I don’t have much say lol.
Another cervix check today and no progress she said at my next appointment on Tuesday we will start talking about induction. In the meantime I guess it’s time to ramp up my attempts to dilate and get my cervix ready. Sex sex sex and walking walking walking. She suggested accupuncture and a massage. Guess I have to try To find time and money for that. Starting to get really nervous and anxious about being induced.
@canucklehead123 my H goes to town on them during sex. I think he knows that's gonna get shut down for a year once the baby comes and I'm breastfeeding so he's definitely been paying them a lot of attention. And I've been letting him in the hopes it'll help lol. I guess I could try pumping but I feel like that's something I'd try the night before going in for induction. Maybe I'll check with the midwife on that.
I'm seeing my OB at 11. I want a cervix check but I don't know if he will do it since I'll be 38 weeks this weekend. I'd be shocked if anything was happening but I still want to know.
@zande2016 I get heartburn in my back, specifically at the same level as the bottom of my ribs in the front, but in my back. It sometimes even travels up between my shoulder blades. Maybe that's what you're feeling?
@zande2016 kind of jealous that you can still think about having sex. At 3cm now and still having important obligations between now and due date we are too scared to have sex and induce labor!
@runsomewhere - I was the same as you with my first - felt no contractions at all until they "suddenly hit" 2.5-3 minutes apart, even though the monitors showed I was having them before. My docs suggested that I either have a high tolerance for pain, or just don't notice. Since then I've paid closer attention and there are times when I think to myself "Oh, that's a weird position he's holding" or "That's uncomfortable, I need to move positions". Turns out those are BH contractions. Maybe you're the same? Sharing in case it helps ease your mind. Hopefully you do get a cervix check today if you decide that you want one!
@flockofmoosen3 I hope your baby stays in until you're ready! If I weren't facing induction - possibly a week from today - I would not be forcing myself to have all the sex. Don't get me wrong, I actually do enjoy it once it gets going, and I know after baby we will have a 6-8 week dry spell, but everything is so sore right now and I'm so exhausted. I'd be happy with like once a week haha. If you're missing sex though, I don't think occasional sex will put you into labor... Who knows though. These babies just do what they want it seems.
The end is so hard. I feel for you @zande2016. I have a question, how do you know if you lose a piece of mucous plug or if it's just discharge? I pooped (tmi) and I looked in the toilet and saw a fairly small bit of mucous, it looked like light yellow rubber. Thoughts?
I've been having BH contractions and some cramping that feels like I have to poop or period cramps
@brookp Idk that mucousy looking discharge is considered normal so I always count it as plug. I haven’t had any discharge like that until now. But maybe I’m thinking wrong?
When I lost my MP it actually started as smaller pieces I would lose but mine was very distinct that's what it was. It was brown in color and stringy in appearance. The night my water broke I lost what had either regenerated or what was left of it in full but also mixed with bloody show. Not sure if it indicates labor is near since they can regenerate but FWIW I had been losing mine just the week prior to my water breaking when i lost the entire thing.
My partial mucous plug today was definitely what I would describe as a brown slug, and I remember losing some like it within days of labor with my previous two. Today I also had a little bit of bright red mucous right before the plug fell out. It was the first I have seen of it this pregnancy.
Contractions were waking me up all night, but they are irregular in timing and intensity. I have no idea if they are going to fizzle out or continue. Also have diarrhea. Getting anxious.
I'm kind of in the same boat as @brookp I'm afraid. Currently 1am and I'm pretty sure I've been experiencing contractions on and off all day but kind of consistently since dinner. They are still 30 seconds but they are stronger than what they were earlier this am or even this evening. They come every 6-8 minutes. Also had a bit of diarrhea, but no leaking of fluids or mucus plug.
I know this may very well be false/early labor but I'm super annoyed because I'm up and I'm probably going to be up all night and a zombie tomorrow.
Thankfully my doctor's appointment is at 830am so we'll be able to see contractions on the monitor if that's what it is (if these pains are not contractions, I'm kind of at a loss!). Praying I get to sleep a few hours!
Re: It's Labor Time!
I feel like no matter how much early labor I have, this is never going to happen.
So I go there via public transit in a torrential downpour, with my DH driving to meet me there just in case. I'm losing more bloody mucous, but the midwife checking me out says my cervix feels completely closed. (Ugh, how can it be closed after all the cramping I've had!) However, the NST does show that I'm having pretty regular contractions. So she calls the hospital where I'll be delivering and asks if I should have my c-section done tonight. While she's waiting for a response, she tells DH and me to walk for around an hour in the mall across the street (because it's still pouring) to see if that will open my cervix a bit. She tells DH to go ahead and have lunch, but tells me to start fasting in case I have to have my procedure done tonight.
It really sucks being pregnant and hungry and having to walk, but we do it and then return. I have more bleeding and my cervix is still closed. The OB on call at the hospital says it's really crazy there, and if we were to go there, my procedure could be really delayed anyway because a lot of women were giving birth there today. Midwife asks how uncomfortable I'm feeling--I say mild to moderate--so she suggests I go home and eat and wait it out. She adds that I should have a low threshold for calling back and asking to possibly be admitted--if cramping or contractions wake me up tonight (as they did a bit last night) and I can't sleep, I should definitely contact them.
The medical team thinks I'm in early labor, but isn't positive. But happily, they did say I should get bed rest and take it easy in the hopes of stalling the procedure until my scheduled time on Monday, though they acknowledge I might have the baby sooner than that. So I get to stop work earlier than scheduled--this morning was my last day!
By this point I'm starving and have never been so happy to have Chinese food for lunch. Who knows when the baby will be here--at least my hospital bag is packed!
On a a side note, I keep seeing/hearing things about hospitals being super busy with babies coming right now and I’m getting nervous about the hospital being full when I go into labor! I’ve been told June is super busy but July slows down so I hope that’s true. (I just don’t want to get stuck with the room without a tub, or even worse, having to share!)
@runsomewhere crossing my fingers that you’ll get the more natural process you want!
@zande2016 Interesting about what you heard about hospitals being busy now—I wonder if it has to do with July vacations? Maybe psychologically women want to get their babies out before then? Though I know that’s kind of a crazy idea in and of itself.
I can’t wait for my appt tomorrow morning to see if I’ve made any progress and hopefully get a sweep. Bless you ladies who aren’t in a rush... I’m dying here!
@zande2016 that’s interesting that they said July is slower than June, I would have thought there would be more babies with the heat.
I’ve been having some mild cramping and lower back pain the last few days at night but nothing timeable or significant. A little bit I’d like to get her out before July 1 with residency change over happening but I don’t have much say lol.
I have a question, how do you know if you lose a piece of mucous plug or if it's just discharge? I pooped (tmi) and I looked in the toilet and saw a fairly small bit of mucous, it looked like light yellow rubber. Thoughts?
I've been having BH contractions and some cramping that feels like I have to poop or period cramps
I know this may very well be false/early labor but I'm super annoyed because I'm up and I'm probably going to be up all night and a zombie tomorrow.
Thankfully my doctor's appointment is at 830am so we'll be able to see contractions on the monitor if that's what it is (if these pains are not contractions, I'm kind of at a loss!). Praying I get to sleep a few hours!