Lots of Contractions but Nothing Consistant

The longer you can go without your water breaking the better. Contractions may be intense before the water breaks, but breaking the water speeds everything up, that's why they generally break the water for you when pitocin is involved. The times when my water broke on its own the baby came very quickly after, because I'd basically done all my laboring and it was time. The longest labor (around 26 hours of active labor before water broke), my husband felt was actually our gentlest birth with the least amount of bleeding afterward. (I was exhausted :) I don't think its uncommon to labor the way you described...so much better when the water breaks on its own :)

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Sorry to say, but some people can contract for weeks w/o making any real progress or going into labor.
Good luck with this, the longest most tedious part of the pregnancy :)

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I had contractions on and off from about a 38 weeks and was dialated to 2 and 75% effaced the whole time and actually went to the hospital after they went on for about a week but was sent home b/c they weren't constant enough and later my Dr said it was fine, and i didn't go into actual labor till 3 days before my due date.

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I think I started contracting with my 2nd at about 37 wks and went to the hospital 3 times because I was sure it was the real thing! They had me walk, stripped my membranes, told me to go have sex, nothing worked! Thw contractions weren't consistent and I was stuck at 2-3cm. Finally 3 days after my due date my water broke and about 4 hrs later my daughter was born =)

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If you are like me, I was expecting labor to move along much faster with my 2nd and subsequent children, but unfortunately, what you're experiencing mirrors my experiences with my 2nd and 3rd babies.

With my 2nd baby, I had pretty CONSISTENT contractions 5-7 minutes apart for 12 days (!), dilated at a 3. I went to the hospital a couple of times only to be sent home. On the day that she was born (which was actually my due date), I went to my regularly-scheduled doctor's appointment, having contractions that were barely noticeably more painful, and maybe only a minute closer together, only to be told I was dilated to a 5-6 and to go to the hospital for delivery. Once there, my doctor broke my water, and my daughter was born about an hour later (total time at the hospital was maybe 2 1/2 hours).

With my 3rd, I was determined not to go to the hospital unless I knew I wouldn't be leaving. I also refused to pack a bag, though I finally did one night when I was having contractions 5 minutes apart for 8 hours, only to have them stop. (At least I didn't go to the hospital!) As with my 2nd, I was dilated 2-3 cm, but taking forever to progress beyond that, despite the contractions (inconsistent this time). I was really set against inducing because I prefer to deliver without drugs, my doctor convinced me that we could do an induction that wouldn't be much different from a natural delivery because of the progress I had already made, so I agreed to do so at my next appointment--4 days past my due date. However, on that day, I was having some contractions, nothing especially painful, but at least about 5 minutes apart. I actually called my doctor's office to see if he wanted me to wait for my appointment that afternoon at 3:30 or to come in sooner. Thankfully, he said to come in then, because he checked me and I was dilated to a 5, so he sent me to the hospital. My water didn't break until I was ready to push, and the doctor barely made it in time to catch the baby because I only pushed a couple of times. I was at the hospital for less than an hour when my daughter was born! Also, for what it's worth, I never even used the 3rd level of breathing exercises with my 3rd baby.

I hope you find my experiences reassuring. I know at this point you're just ready to get that baby OUT! But just hang in there with your body, and your sweet baby boy will come out when he's ready.

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Happened to me with baby #2 also. Had contractions for over a week (starting at 37 weeks)---sometimes very strong. Twice, so strong, we had a false alarm and went to the hospital. Once on a Monday and second time on a Wed. As soon as I got there and got into a room, everything stopped. Doctor said, "don't worry, those muscles are practicing for the big day."
Third trip to the hospital was that Thurs. evening, about 8 days after all those contractions started.

Got to the hospital at 6:15pm, was in a room (again) by 6:35 pm, water broke the second I climbed into bed at 6:40 and had a baby boy in my arms by 7pm.
The delivery went smooth and so quickly. There was no time for drugs---it was just time to "push."
Doctor said, "Wow! Those muscles sure had a lot of practice."

I hope you feel more normal, now, after hearing other stories. Best of luck!

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I did that with my second child-(I have 4 total) I had contractions for a few weeks- hard ones that would completely take my breath away and wondered why stayed at 2-3 for a few weeks- a lady at church that was a doula said that if I wanted them to fall into a pattern I needed the baby's head to drop a little more- she told me to get on an exercise ball for an hour or so and just rotate my hips on it- booyah- it worked- not only did it put me into labor but it actually relieved my back pain- I was in my hospital at 12:30 and he was born at 2:02-Good Luck and congrats on another precious life!

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Normal for me. I would have contractions, true and frustrating contractions for up to 4 weeks before birth - slowly dilating. Very slowly dilating. It's frustrating but happened to me for 2 out of 3 pregnancies. Keep yourself distracted during this time.

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It's totally normal to do this in the weeks leading up to labor. At 37 weeks you really want that baby to bake as long as possible. There's a chance of immature lung development in babies born at 37 weeks, so you certainly don't want to rush things. Boys especially are known for having immature lungs at 37 weeks. Anywhere from 38-42 weeks is considered "fully baked" but only baby can truly decide when the right time is!

My advice is that when you are contracting like that, you should just sit and relax. Your body knows what to do and is just preparing. If it's time, sitting and relaxing won't affect your contractions - they'll keep getting stronger and longer because it's "TIME". When you're in pre-labor, if you sit and relax, chances are your contractions are going to be random and sporadic, not increasing at all.

Just wait for the time that your contractions stay long and hard, getting shorter in between contractions, but having the contraction for longer periods of time, consistently. Then you are in labor. Don't go to the hospital until then.

There is no reason to start pitocin just because you are dilated to a 3. WIth my first, I was dilated to a 3 and 80% effaced for 2 weeks before my due date, and still went a week past my due date. so yes, i walked around dilated to a 3 and 80% effaced for THREE WEEKS! I just knew I was having that baby any day, but wanted to go natural....well, I'm just a "slow laborer". With my daughter, I was dilated to a 2 and 80% effaced for the 2 weeks before her due date, and went a week past again. With my third, I was dilated 1.5 cm for a couple of weeks, before the day that I really went into labor.

Labor is a marathon, and sometimes it takes a while. With my second child, I had to go to the hospital early on because I was GBS+ and the OB wanted to make sure I got all my antibiotics. I went as soon as my contractions were consistently 7 minutes apart (as per my OB's orders). Once there, my contractions did slow down. They knew I was in "real" labor and didn't send me home, but when the word "pitocin" was uttered I told them, "Absolutely not." My labor picked back up by early morning, and I progressed from a 6 to having her in less than 40 minutes. Labor slows at some point. Rushing it with pitocin is not necessary and just complicates things and often leads to more interventions (don't get me wrong - it IS necessary sometimes, and that's why it was invented, but it is grossly overused). Be ok with your labor taking a while, and realize that contractions do slow down in the middle of labor. Get up and walk around during labor to help keep them consistent, rather than allowing the doctor to rush things by giving Pitocin. Breaking the waters often does speed up labors, but it doesn't mean it HAS to be done in order for your labor to progress. It's really much better to allow the waters to break on their own. Often that doesn't even happen until baby is ready to come! It just means everyone involved needs a little patience!

Good luck to you. Just relax and let that baby boy bake a little longer! You're totally normal.

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You left out a very important detail... Has your baby dropped yet? What station?
My guess is your getting there but you still have couple weeks to go if she's not dropped.

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