Dilation....curious, curious....

Lol, I don't know how you can get yourself one of those. I had a MW appt on the Tuesday at 40+5 and had my 3rd S&S and was already 3cm. Went into labour in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and had him Wednesday lunchtime. Don't know how that happened though. I remember coming home from my appt and being soooooo frustrated cause i was so close to being in labour, but just not there yet. Didn't feel any niggles or anything till Tuesday night either.

Nicky- yeah that's what I mean lol  I"ve just had a ocuple of friends go into labout and 'already' been dilated! Whereas I had some bad ass painful contractions for ages before only getting to 1cm and wondered how I got to have the pain free 'didn't know I'd dilated' option!!  

I do/did a lot of walking whilst pregnant, no more than usual though (don't drive so bus/train/walk everywhere!) and I had done a fair amount of walking the day I went into labour - getting last minute baby gear!)

Tbh once my waters broke, my contractions were really all over the place so I thought mw would be like "You're only 1-2cm dilated" instead of 6cm! She was amazed I wasn't screaming! Anyway she broke the rest of my waters and then stretched me half a cm and then I jumped in the tub, walked around the hospital a few times, back in the tub, around the hosp... Took me 4 hours to get to 7cm and was still 7cm 3 hours later... In the end I had some syntocin (sp?) and an epi and 2 hours later, epi had worn off and I was fully dilated so could push!

From about 37 weeks though I did feel like she was going to just fall out lol! She was born 39+1.

pfft, well my cervix was clamped so tight it might as well have had a padlock on it!

K, I am ordering one of these "didnt even know I was in labour and oh look I am already dilated" labours this time too!

I am visualising it opening like a flower in bloom

I don't know if im reading the question properly but with Ty I was 4cms dilated for 3 and a half days,and it still wanted to chop the lower part of my body off it hurt so much when proper labour started

I did EPO and also visualised my cervix opening and softening, was 3cm for at least a week before being induced... Didnt have any niggles or BH or anything. I will wish for you to have one of those K!!

Oh and Westiesgirl, I will have one of those next time thanks!!!

With Madison i had my waters broke and then contractions started but not too painful until i got to the hospital and i was 8cm (2 hrs from waters breaking) ... got very painful after that for the next hour.


Second labour i went into labour... thought they were just really long BH, got to hospital and was 4cm (50 mins after starting) relatively painless, waters broke at 4cm and she was out 8mins later... now that one was a bit quick and the last 8mins was overwhelming

melnel wrote: Yes but was it painful getting to 4cm's????? I think (and correct me if I am wrong here K) but its the OMFG what did I do to deserve this kind of labour and only being 1-3cm dilated she is wanting to avoid LOL

2 weeks of contractions, that hurt but weren't enough to dilate further, yep, it wasn't pleasant

With DS (my 2nd child) my midwife checked me mid morning when I was 40+3 and she couldn't believe I hadn't had a show, leaked water or any contractions yet because I was already 4cms dilated and 50% effaced.  She was certain I would be going into labour any minute but as far as I was aware he was staying in there indefinitely, I had no idea my body had been doing all that prep already. 

I had a show at 3am the next day and went into labour at 4:30am (40+4) and was holding DS by 9am.  My waters never broke, he was born in the bag (I don't recommend that if you can avoid it, a dry labour is not fun when you get to the pushing part).

My labour with DD was different.  I was in labour for 8 hours before I went to hospital, my waters broke as we passed the Basin but I was only 4cms on arrival.  The only similarity was how quickly I went from 4-10cm.

I guess the main differences were DS was my second child and they say ther 1st stage is shorter the second time around (IMO there was no 1st stage with DS), I had accupressure with DD to induce labour and she was 5 days early whereas DS was 4 days late, I tried nipple stimulation to bring on labour with DS.  I'd had a whole month off prior to DS's birth whereas I was at work when I went into labour with DD.

melnel wrote: Yes but was it painful getting to 4cm's????? I think (and correct me if I am wrong here K) but its the OMFG what did I do to deserve this kind of labour and only being 1-3cm dilated she is wanting to avoid LOL

Um yeah that's EXACTLY what I meant Mel...you know me so well hehe

I woke up from a nap with ONE period like cramp then BOOM full on labour that hurt like , well...you know what it hurt like!  And a good few hours like that and never got past 1cm . Once I had the syntocin (sp?) I was at 10cm within 4 hours though.

I did heaps of walking with DD and it didnt work so well in opening my cervix, so maybe I should keep listening to the hypnobirthing tapes and  imagine my cervix opening painlessly etc....and use EPO....and then cross my fingers lol.