Early Labor - Hayden,ID

You are only 31 weeks, know you have complications, thought you might be in labor, the hospital told you to come in and you took a bath! I'm the mom of a preemie and let me tell you-get your butt to the hospital and get checked out! If I had done what you did I would have had a 28 weeker on my hands!

It doesn't matter that YOU don't want him in the NICU. If you stay home and do nothing when they could prevent premature labor and help get his lungs ready that's exactly what is going to happen. You can not be cavelier about these things.

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I too am pregnant with my 4th baby and have had more fears and anxiety with #4 than I have with all 3 of my first preg combined. I know alot of women who have either lost or delivered thier babies early in the past year. My midwife said that if I have any concerns at all even if it is a decrease in movement, to call and go to triage to be monitored. It is better for me to have peace of mind and not be stressed and anxious than to overlook a real problem.
So, Go in and get checked. If anything you will get peace of mind!

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Chill, hon. Ten bucks says you just dilated to about 3 or 4. I had EXACTLY the symptoms you described, at about 31 weeks as well--and I delivered at 41 weeks, totally complication and medicine-free, to a healthy boy.

With my second boy (22 mos apart), I had the diarrhea thing/pressure stuff at about 32 weeks. He was born at almost 42 weeks. Again, med-free, healthy.

BTW, I walked around dilated to four for WEEKS on end. I also walked around with that pressure feeling for at least 2 weeks before delivering. I'm betting you'll be just fine. Don't let the alarmist tales freak you out.

I used to work in labor and delivery for 5 years as a tech. But didnt have similar experience with my own. I would say your best bet is to go to the hospital so they can check to make sure everything is okay. With the baby as early as it is, you want to make sure everything is good because if you deliver that early chances are there may need to be some type of intervention for breathing or something and its definitely better to be safe than sorry. No need to feel like you are bugging your midwife or another doctor. Its your baby and only you know how you normally feel so if you are feeling the slightest bit insecure, by all means go to the hospital or the doctors office. Hope that helps.

Call your midwife, call the hospital. What happens today will affect the next twenty years of your life. Go now

You are not "bugging" your midwife if you think you are in early labor! You should have called her before you called the hospital. She is your primary caregiver and is best-suited to evaluate whether or not you need to have medical intervention. Sorry...don't mean to scold you...but, OF COURSE the hospital is going to tell you to come in.

I had all those symptoms + really painful contractions before I realized I was in labor with my first. By now, you know that every pregnancy is different...and each one comes faster than the one previous. Is it possible that you have your due date wrong?

It could simply be your body entering the home stretch. My baby dropped way down low about 35 weeks...I delivered at 37.5. From what I understand, it is liekly to happen sooner with each one.

Good luck and CALL YOUR MIDWIFE...especially if she is anything like mine with the email! ;-)

EDIT: I really wasn't "fussing" at you...but, unless you're also being treated by an OB, the hospital isn't necessarily the best person to assess your situation--it isn't about MD vs. midwife. It is about the caregiver that has been with you throughout the pregnancy. You chose a midwife for a reason...call her.

Tone can get lost in the written word. We all need to remember that.

I am certain your midwife wants to know all of this! She is responsible for your health and the health of your baby and she can't do her job unless you tell her exactly what is going on, as soon as it happens. She is also the best person to advise you about whether to go to the hospital. Call her now!
Ok I just re-read your post and realize that you have emailed her. My point is that in your condition and with your history, you should bug her and she should want to be bugged. You need to voice your fears and recieve advice and reassurance, and she needs the information.

K., the hospital might want to give you some medicine to help your baby's lungs mature just in case you deliver earlier than you should for this baby. I disagree with you being fussed at for calling the hospital. It's not anyone's place to tell you that you should have called the midwife first. It is YOUR decision and your right to go to the hospital and let THEM assess your pregnancy. This is not a contest between midwifery and MD's - this is your baby's life and future you are dealing with.

Your symptoms are a sign of impending labor, so getting checked out at the hospital is best for your baby. If you can hold on long enough to make it to 37 weeks, or whenever your midwife can deliver you, that would be wonderful. But make sure the baby is okay - the hospital has equipment that can help determine that.

D.

K. - I haven't had early labor; just the opposite my girls were 7 days late, 10 days late and 14 days late, so I'm expecting #4 to follow suit. ;) But I just wanted to let you know that I would have done about the same thing. I would have called my midwife and tried to slow everything down. In fact, with my last labor, it wasn't getting anywhere, so my midwife gave me some homeopathic meds at the birth center before she sent me home with the instructions to take a bath and then try to sleep. I had a whole labor ahead of me and had already been awake and dealing with contractions for over a day. I'm sure that if I'd have gone in to a hospital they would have done the opposite and given me pitocin to get things going. My baby was completely healthy!

Keep your midwife abreast of everything you're going through, but I know the feeling of wanting to stay away from the hospital. Blessings on keeping baby in the oven a bit longer! Don't over do anything- put yourself on house rest!

No similar experience, but just wanted to let you know my thoughts are with you and your little one. :)

I haven't had this experience, but did have a lot of false labour with my second pregnancy from 35 weeks on (I was pregnant with twins, though). Every time I went into the doctor or hospital I apologized and they always told me not to apologize, that it's better to be safe than sorry. So, I say you're paying your midwife, so call her! That's what she's there for! This is probably the only way you'll get real peace of mind and if you need to keep off your feet for a bit, she'll be able to tell you that...

I wish you luck of course. I do think you should go in and get checked out, better safe than sorry. and you are not bothering them, hell it is their job they knew they would get phone calls all hours of the day and night before they signed up for this job so no worries! they wont care, and if they do then i would get another dr. for the next baby. side note...wow 4 kids that close together you sure have your hands full: lots of work to do and even better lots of love! happy early mothers day! Please call them, as much as you would like, no worries they are there for you!!! xoox