Trip to Labor and Deliver????? Experienced mothers or physicians etc.??

Question

Went to labor and delivery tonight cause i noticed i was having contrctions 5 minutes apart...although they were not painful ...just uncomfortable.....sure enough i was having them some 5 minutes apart some 3 and some only 1 minute...but they said even though they are close they are not tru labor or they would be more consistant...so they checked me and i am 60% effaced and only 1cm....however, i hear that being 60% effaced is good for a 1st time pregnancy even though i am only 1cm because the more effaced you become the quicker you dilate...soooo....just curious on what everyone thinks of all this....will i have my baby real soon...i am due in exactly one week....they also said the babies stationed at -2.....thanks...just curious

Answer 1

Well anytime now, your stationg is great! Oh and contractin are always painfull, pain like you have never felt...it will start in your back and wrap to your tummy tighting as is wraps around, and consistant timming that is a true contraction. Maybe your water will break & you can than just head up, much easier that way.

Answer 2

Most first time mothers do not dilate much until they get completely effaced, so being 60% effaced is great! Active labor is usually considered to be when you are completely effaced and about 4 cm. dilated. My general rule of thumb that I tell all of my first time moms is that when they are having contractions every 5 minutes (that is from the start of one contraction to the start of the next, NOT the time between) and each contraction is lasting at least 60 seconds, and they have been every 5 min X 60 seconds for one hour then they are probably in active labor. This is when I would go to their home to check them. (At this point they usually have to focus on contractions and can't talk or walk while one is going on. Then I KNOW they are in active labor!) Until you get to this point the best thing to do is eat, drink plently of fluids, pee often, AND GET SOME SLEEP! Labor is hard work and your body needs fuel and rest to work at its best.

Claudine Crews CPM, LM

PS: -2 station is a little high in a first time mom. They are usually down to about 0 once active labor is established. When the head comes down more you will probably efface and dilate more. You could have your baby tomorrow, or in 2 weeks! No way to predict - sorry.

Answer 3

Well-1st labors tend to be a little longer in duration. With my first daughter I walked around nearly 2 cm dilated for about two weeks-and never went into labor on my own. I had to be induced with her.
-2 station means the baby has not yet begun to move down the birth canal. Unfortunately that is another indicator labor has not yet started.
It's common to have contractions in the last couple of weeks of pregnancy. Contractions that bring about actual labor are more consistent in the timing-and when they are consistently less than 5 minutes apart-meaning you've had atleast 8-10, or your water breaks, or you are in alot of pain-then is the time to go to the hospital. I wish I could tell you that yes, it will be soon, but it is really not predictable-even for your doctor. With only a week til your due date it can't be that long, though! Good luck!

Answer 4

Sorry that you are going through the nerve wracking experience of not knowing. I was induced early with both of my children so thankfully I avoided this. Only thing I can say is that it is bound to be soon. They can only let you go over your due date by 7 days.
Braxton Hicks are heartbreaking because they can mimic labor very well. But that is good. It means when labor does start, your body will be responsive. Try to take this time to sleep and to rest. You will need as much as you can to make it through a delivery. Labor for the first child isn't like you go in, lay down and push. It takes a LONG time and by the time you get to about 5 CM's you will know what true labor is. It takes time to get there and you'll have much more to go after that. Try to do some of the labor at home. It's better to go in more dialated and closer to that 3-4 mark then to rush in at 1 cm and wait to be sent home. If you can walk them off or if the contractions get better if you lay down on your left, they are just braxton hicks.
If they start from your back and radiate to the front and down your legs... those are the ones you want to keep your eye on.

Good luck.

Answer 5

You contractions should be more regular, like 8 mins apart for a bit, then 7 for a bit then 6, than 4, etc. Not 5 then 8 then 3 then 5. They will gradually go down. You're getting there though, try having sex or eating spicy foods, even a bumpy ride, with a lot of caution. My husband took me for a ride on a really bumpy road and I went into labor that night! Just be very careful, Im not talking about some outdoor adventure, just a slightly bumpy ride in a car. You'll get there though I know its hard to be patient, you're excited but also uncomfortable and miserable and then excited!

Answer 6

-2 station means the baby hasn't dropped yet. Stations go from negative to positive (the pelvis is 0). + stations mean the baby has is engaged (+4 is crowning). You may have a while to wait yet as some women walk around dialated from weeks. I was 80 % effaced a week before my due date, but delivered 2 days late. It is difficult to wait, but well worth it. Good luck!

Answer 7

I was 5 mins apart 5 cm dilated and I had no pain but what felt like menstrual cramps - not bad at all.

Soooo, for some women contractions are not painful until right at the moment of birth.

Congratulations! seems like you will become a Mom soon.

Blessings

Answer 8

It all depends. It could be a couple of hours or a couple of weeks. When your contractions are getting close and they are very painful you are in labor, then go to the hospital.

Answer 9

MY contractions were not painful till I hit 5cm , I just had a weired feeling..like a tingle in my stomach. You should be ready to go soon.. Congratulation!!!