Contractions Have Slowed Down

If you are worried. Get on a fetal monitor. Don't guess. Just go. The worst that happens is that they send you home because you are fine. Just go.

Hi G.: Congrats on your son and soon-to-arrive daughter. My advice, such as it is, is obviously predicated on everything being fine with your baby in utero, with no signs of stress or reduced movement due to anything other than no darned room left to wiggle around! :)
First, a reminder that for all the advances of medical science, doctors still don't know what exactly causes a baby to be ready to be born. Due dates are actually suggestions, with a two week parameter before and after THE BIG DAY. So although you, your doc and the little wheel said you were due yesterday, your little pumpkin may not feel fully baked.
Now, on to the fun of a VBAC. Even though you have a C-section scheduled, there's nothing that says you can't unschedule it. Sure, your doc would really like an undisturbed Easter/Passover, and sure would you, but that early labour, although it seemed unproductive to you (only 1 cm!!) you may now be fully effaced and baby may be more engaged. I suffered mightily through 12 hours (I counted every one) of labour with my son, during which I only got to 3 or so cm, and in retrospect, I should have kept my butt at home, swam or had a bath, danced or watched a movie -- done anything to ignore the contractions while giving them time to work.
It's a bit of a paradox. You can't rush your labour -- and you want to help it along by walking or resting or whatever your body needs. If you don't have a doula, just take it one contraction at a time. If you're tired and hurting right now, go to bed. You don't have to be awake for the times between the contractions. Maybe baby isn't wanting to be born until Monday (when there'll be a fuller staff at the hospital, by the way).
I have several friends who did VBACs and they were all glad to have had the experience. Labor can suck, because it is, after all, work! But you planned on going a different way with this birth, and you have to give yourself the gift of time to let it happen.
Not gonna lie (4 kids -- three drug-free, last two twins) -- every single time I was in labour, I kept thinking, "this is ridiculous ... I can't do this ... what was I thinking? I don't want to get a baby out of my body right now ... let it/them stay in!" All that stuff is going through your head and it's noisy in there. :)
Whatever you do, you do. But you had a wish to labour and deliver. Be gentle with yourself -- and it does help reduce the perception of pain (and thusly, the pain) to say during each contraction, "this brings me one step closer to meeting my daughter" while simultaneously puffing out your belly and opening your mouth. Sounds wacky, but it works.
Good luck!! REST!!
Write me back if you have any questions! If you're still slowly labouring tomorrow, visit me at One Hot Mama in Studio City.

Hi G.,
First of all I hope everything goes wonderful with your delivery, however it may be. It's very normal to have contractions and hardly dilate. With my first my water broke and I was induced. I had horrible contractions after they induced me and I still only dilated to 3cm. Needless to say, I had a C-section. With my second I started having contractions the beginning of February, some even came 5-7 mins apart and very uncomfortable, but right as I would start to time them and get ready to head to the hospital, they would stop. I wasn't due until March 11th and had my scheduled C-section set for March 4th. I thought for sure she would be here earlier with all my contractions, but I only dilated to 2cm, so I had her on my scheduled day. Goodluck!

When I had my 7 month old, I woke up with contractions at 5 in the morning 5 days after my due date. This went on for 10 hours, pretty consistent contractions, maybe 5 to 10 or so minutes apart, and then they stopped. How disappointing that was, but my midwife (I had a home birth) said that some people do have false labor like this, and it can still be days before the baby comes. I didn't dilate more, and only effaced another 10% from these contractions, and although they were somewhat painful, they were good practice for the real thing. I went out for a really spicy dinner with my husband and we went on a walk, and then the next morning at 5 am (same time, which was weird), my water broke and I went straight into active labor. I was so glad for those early labor like contractions, otherwise I wouldn't have even know what light contractions were like. Hopefully you are really close, and labor will start soon. Also, if you really want a VBAC, I think you should skip the scheduled c-section and try to do it, and don't induce again!! Inducing often causes c-sections because of the drugs they use (like pitocin lowering the heart rate of your baby), often stalls because your body and/or your baby isn't ready, and I've heard it is much more painful than natural labor since you don't have time to let the contractions build so you can get the hang of them. I do know women that have had VBACs at home (actually HBAC) and in the hospital, and they were really happy with their choice, and I must say that natural labor is awesome. Painful yes, but if you just focus on each contraction and have a wonderful supporting person, it is doable. Good luck.

My labors are always slow slow slow to get started. Have they started pitocin? I would encourage that to get things moving...

As you know, every woman is different, and each pregnancy is different. So I say go with your gut. I think it's admirable that you want to do it naturally. Many women labor for a long time and come out fine. My labor from the first significant contraction to the finish was 42 hours. I had some contractions a day before which stopped, and at midnight the slow labor began with contractions of varying strength and length. The next day we went to L & D (under my doctors orders) and got sent home. If I had stayed they probably would have induced which may have led to a C-section, so I am thankful I went home. It was a long labor and I had 4 hours of pushing, for pain relief I had a TENS machine (which I got from England where they are used frequently). All in all, I was glad to do it on my own and in my own way. The long labor wasn't as bad as it sounds, I feel lucky as it could have been worse. My advice is let your body do what it's going to do, relax as much as you can, keep that baby happy. If you can't cope with it or you are too exhausted, then use the hospital facilities offered. Good Luck to you, women are very strong beings.

G.,
This is all within the range of normal. It sucks, it hurts, but nothing is happening. I know, I went through it with my first. Long story short, started with labor pains on a Saturday, and he was born on Thursday. 5 nights of pain, I was finally induced, had an epidural, it wore off...I pushed for 2 hours and 55 minutes.
Just do what your doctor tells you, and trust him or her completely. The only thing that matters is your baby. Forget what you planned, and just go with the flow. I know this may not be what you want to hear, but I'm just being honest.

Oh you poor thing... I actually experienced something very similar. I labored for 5 DAYS!! I started my strong labor contractions on Tuesday late afternoon and had them every 20 minutes or so then there would be an hour of space in between. WEdnesday came and I experienced the same thing with contractions being about 12 minutes apart. I called my doctor but he didn't want me to come in to break my water because I was not 37 weeks yet. Thursday came and it was still the same. I was exhausted. Friday came and they slowed down, Saturday night they picked up again and Sunday evening they finally were 4 minutes apart and I went to the hospital. I was dilated to a 7 1/2 and had my son an hour after arriving at the hospital. It was soooo hard but being that I had gone into preterm labor at 25 weeks and managed to make it to 37, I was thrilled and it was worth all the pain. I had a healthy baby boy. Hang in there if you can, you can do it (as long as the baby is fine)...hang in there!! Good luck to you!

I had something like this with my first baby. Since it was my first, I wasn't sure what to expect or exactly what contractions would feel like, but looking back, I realize I was having "practice" labor for several days leading up to the baby's delivery. I would have mild contractions about every 15 minutes for an hour or more. And every time they started, I would get so excited hoping this was it! But then they would disappear after a while. But once labor really started, boy did it start! I hope things get going for you soon so you can have the VBAC.:)

Hey G.,
I hope everything has picked up by now, but even if it hasn't here's some encouragement. First of all, they aren't doing NOTHING, they are doing LOTS. Every contraction you have whether it's 3 min apart or 60, they are doing something. They are exercising your uterus, preparing it for labor, and massaging your baby, getting it ready to breathe. Everything has it's purpose, even prelabor, which is what you are experiencing is called.

What I suggest you do, is go about your day. Seriously! Take a walk, go to lunch, maybe have some sex (which actually can stimulate labor), enjoy your time still pregnant and don't give up on your VBAC. Due dates are NOT that accurate, it is not your pregnancy expiration date, some babies just need more time and like to rev their engines. As far as pain goes, if it gets a little too much, try walking around (laying in bed will make it worse), lean on things, or take a bath. Try to do things that take your mind off it. This is coming from a women who's had two home births. You can do it!

Hi G.,

I hope you're well. As you can see from all the other responses, what you're experiencing is very normal. I just wanted to add a bit of my own experience to the mix. I have 3 children. With the first 2, I experienced NO false labor/pre-labor pains whatsoever, prior to going into full-blown labor. With both my water broke (only partially). The first was born 5 hours later, the second took 10 hours. Now for the third:

It was 2 weeks before my due date. I awoke around 5:00 AM one morning with the feeling of semi-strong period cramps. When I went to the bathroom, I had a bit of "bloody-show". From the beginning the cramps were coming about every 15 minutes and by 9:00 they were more like every 10. So we went to the hospital and after checking me and monitoring the baby for about an hour they sent me home. I believe I was only dilated to 2? Soooo we went shopping instead- We were shopping/walking for several hours and went on with our day. I had pains rainging from mild and bothersome to pretty strong and painful throughout the whole day. Then around 10:30PM, I remembered that our lactation consultant had mentioned that massaging the breasts was kind of risky when close to full-term because stimulating milk flow could begin labor contractions. Since I knew I was in labor already, I asked my husband to get the milk flowing. Within 10 minutes I was having extreme pains and we headed out to the hospital again. I was admitted at 11:30 and my baby was born just before 2:00AM.

If you still want to have a vaginal birth, you might want to do some of those things that are often associated with "helping" labor along (walking/cleaning/eating certain foods/breast stimulation/etc). As long as it doesn't put either of you at risk, it might be worth a shot.

Good luck to you and your new love.
-I.

I had this with my son. Went in on a Tuesday thinking we were good to go, then nothing by the afternoon. He didn't come till Sunday. Sometimes it just takes the body a while to get ready. Lots of walking and sex can get things going. I know sex is probably the last thing on your mind but it works (and fun too!)

I had contractions from midnite on a Thursday, constant constant... slowed down all day Friday. Picked up Friday night. Lasted all day Saturday, never did get closer than 5 min apart. Finally was admitted to hospital at 3 pm saturday and baby was here by 10 pm.
Sometimes it is a long process! no one told me the contractions could go on for days, boy was I sick of them by the end. I was so excited thursday night when they started and felt like "it's time!" Little did I know I was still two days away. LOL your little one will come when he/she is good and ready!

Not sure if your c-section was scheduled for this morning? Let us know what you decided and how you are doing. I just wanted to let you know that I had intense contractions for 3 weeks with my last pregnancy so anything can happen to you. Every night I would think this is it and then they would stop. With my first child as soon as I had my first contraction, that was it. I was a text book labor with her so it was really weird to have my contractions drag on and on with my son. Hang in there and go with your mamma gut and do what feels right to you.