30 hours of contractions... then they stop

To preface this, I am 41weeks 1 day, and I have been 3cm and 90% effaced since 39 weeks 3days. My doctor told me then that things should happen "within the next 48 hours". So clearly I have been expecting this to happen for a while now and already frustrated as it was...

So Friday night at 8:30 I started getting contractions every 8-15 min. Some more intense than others... and I was also getting severe crotch pains along with the contractions. Everytime I went to the bathroom (TMI warning) I noticed more mucous coming out. So I figured my cervix was opening and things were progressing.

I woke up about 6 times throughout the night. I stayed up from 3-4 am to try and time the contractions and they seemed to be coming every 7-8 min.

Went back to bed and woke up and they were still coming regularly... so I showered around 11am, got the rest of my stuff ready for the hospital, got changed and all ready to go... then they slowed down!

A couple hours later they started coming back again and speed up... Around 3:30 they were coming every 4-5 min. Not extremely painful, but still very uncomfortable. I decided to call the doctor. He said to wait until they were coming every 3-5 min for an hour and they should be painful to the point where I can't talk through them.

Then over the next few hours they slowed down... and eventually were coming only every 15-20 min.

I decided to go to bed... I had a few that woke me up in the middle of the night but only seemed to be coming once an hour or so.

This morning I woke up feeling crampy and achey but no contractions. I started hysterical crying... I am just so emotionally drained/, hormonal and tired from getting woken up by contractions and I feel so frustrated.

Not to mention I texted like everyone in my life yesterday to give them the early heads up so then EVERYONE was calling me/ texting me and checking up on me and giving me their opinions about what I should do when I told them what was happening.

Anyway I just needed to vent. I am just so DONE! I feel like its never going to happen!!

Re: 30 hours of contractions... then they stop

Do you feel like complete cr*p? Like more then "I'm over it cr*p" but like just a$$? I hated life at the end. I felt contractions for awhile and had some other reasons that I had to go to L&D about 5 times and was always sent home. The last time I went I was 2cm and 75% effaced and they were JUST about to send me home. I started crying to the nurse. I just couldn't take it anymore and that particular day I felt like I wanted to crawl into a hole and this baby was never coming out. They came back in to check my fluids and low and behold, it was go time.

Labor is the craziest and most amazing experience you will ever have! Everyone is different but I've never heard anyone say "eh, it was boring, no big deal." Hopefully within the next 24 hours it will start up again and progress quickly. Good luck!

30 hours of contractions... then they stop

I had the same thing happen to me. Contractions stopping and starting for days. It was driving me nuts. And it always happened at night so I was exhausted from not sleeping. The big difference for me was is was my 2nd and my 1st came fast so I was told not to wait and go to the hospital. But I never knew when to go! When I finally decided to go I was 3cm 70% but contractions were so inconsistent just like yours, but they kept me bc of my previous delivery. After hours of walking I still wasn't progressing. When they finally got a room for me they broke my water and started pitocin. I had DD less than 2 hours later. I don't know how long it would have lasted if they didn't intervene. I was exhausted and had been up for 24+ hours. As much as I didn't want to be induced I just couldn't do it anymore.

Maybe give your doctor a call and tell them what is going on. You are going to wear yourself out like this. It is so physically and mentally draining!! Good luck!!

Message edited 11/10/2013 11:59:45 AM.

Re: 30 hours of contractions... then they stop

I'm sorry, it's so frustrating towards the end. Are you comfortable enough to go for a nice long walk? Stay close to home, maybe go around the block a few times? Try and keep busy, take a nice warm bath and maybe even have a little red wine. You're sooooo close, and trust me it will be worth it! DD was 10 days late, I feel your pain!

Re: 30 hours of contractions... then they stop

I was induced recently and started having regular contractions with pitocin. I had been having irregular contractions since 35 weeks. After 10 hours on pitocin I was only at 4cm 100%. They gave me an epidural and broke my water and by 4 hours later I was 10cm

Just so you know even with pitocin my contractions did not get bad until I was almost 10cm. I was able to talk through them and walk (until I got the epidural). Only time they were really bad was during pushing for 4.5 hours (still so damn proud of myself for that even though ended up with a csection) .
Maybe you just need a kickstart?

Re: 30 hours of contractions... then they stop

I wonder if you had the baby yet, since this is from yesturday.

This happened with my second DS. Contractions started at 10pm at night. They where getting stronger and where about 8 min apart. It lasted for 3 hours and then just stopped. I went to doctor in the morning and they said it was false labor. This was my second and I new exactly what a real contraction felt like. I went home and around 1pm that day they started up again and where super strong but still about 10 min apart. I was talking to my mom around 4pm telling her how strong they where and I can't believe there not closer together. She told me to just call and go to doctor. I didn't want to go since the doctor told me on the phone that they where too far apart. Well I called and lied and said they where 5 min apart.
I get to hospital and the contractions completely stopped. If I had one it was a good 20min apart. They hook me up to monitor and where going to send me home. I was so frustrated I wanted to cry. They did and internal before I left and to their surprise I was 100% effaced and 5cm. They admitted me and contractions came back. They came back to examine me and hour later and I was 8cm. I went fast!! Thank goodness they didn't send me home. Not sure if I would of made it back.