My Dr. doesn't want me to go in to "Active Labor", due to a high-risk pregnancy / placenta accreta. I have a scheduled C-section in a few weeks, but yesterday he told me he thinks I will probably go into labor anytime between today and within the next week, so will just do the C-section earlier. (He wants me to get to the hospital asap at the very first signs of labor, so we can get my blood matched and ready, team of doctors ready, etc. Also doesn't want me to get too far in to labor and have a uterine rupture, or the placenta rip away, etc.)
I definitely know what "Active Labor" contractions feel like. But my question is - How do I really know when I'm in "early labor"? It would be great if I had a sure sign, like my water breaking, or losing the mucus plug, but I know this doesn't always happen. It seems so tricky to tell the difference between braxton hicks / false labor contractions and real contractions when they are early on. Any way to truly tell the difference when it's "early labor"? Are there any other signs I can watch for, so I can hurry up and get to the hospital without getting too far into labor? Thanks!!
(p.s.- I asked him if we could just move the scheduled c-section date up, so I wouldn't have to go in to labor at all, and I got the impression that he's not allowed to move the scheduled date up any sooner than 39 weeks. I'm at 37 weeks right now.)
Follow-up: Alright, so instead of trying to second-guess my Dr, I decided to call him up and tell him I'm confused, and ask him why we are waiting for labor when he doesn't want me to go in to active labor. He feels that it's more important to leave the baby in as long as possible, which in his opinion is 39 weeks, to avoid the risk of any immaturity. If I do happen to go in to labor before then, he said not to look at it like an emergency. I live 5 minutes from the hospital, and he thinks it's no big deal if labor does start before the c-section. He also said he thinks it's better for the baby to stay in the womb for a bit longer if it can work out that way. So I guess I need to just *relax* and stop worrying about it so much. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, and also giving me tips on what to look for!
I would go if you THINK you are starting labor.
Early labor for my daughter felt like menstral cramps and I was sick to my stomach - but I was sick for 9 months with her. I could eat and walk, but I had to stop when the pains hit. It was worse pain than braxton hicks.
Well considering the seriousness I would error in going in even it I thought they were braxton hicks. I would much rather have the hospital tell me I am not in labor than to find out the hard way I was, ya know?
Are you sure it wasn't a go to the hospital at the first sign, *wink wink*, kind of thing. Like he can't schedule it before 39 weeks but if you are already in the hospital we can go ahead?
I started dilating at 28wks. so i was put on bedrest and given pills to stop my contractions. at 36wks I started walking everyday 4hrs a day and walking up and down stairs. at 37wks i had my son. i laid in bed for 5hrs with what felt like really bad cramps. it hurt whenever my husband would move in the bed or i would move. I kept going to the bathroom as if i had to pee. I waited to long to go in because i figured my water would have broken. after 5hrs of torture i finally gave in and went to the hospital. I was 7cm dilated. Even at 28wks i could feel myself dilate and that when i went in and said somethings wrong! Very rare to feel yourself dilate. Labor pains are so much worse than "braxton hicks contractions" real contractions dont go away and they get worse each time. hope it helps :)
I can't answer your question, but I will tell you that some hospitals are not allowing doctors to schedule c-sections before 39 weeks. Not even by 1 day. I would have turned 39 weeks on a Saturday, so I wanted to schedule my c-section for the Friday before, but my doctor said that hospitals are restricting that, so I had to schedule it for Monday. (Ends up he came the Monday before anyway so it didn't matter).
For me I had cramping and bleeding. I was about 31 weeks or so. Lost the plug and so was put in the hospital for 10 days on complete bed rest but he was born the 11th day so they couldn't stop it. That was a long time ago so maybe they can do more for that now. I would just watch for contractions, cramping, bleeding, or other signs you have in labor normally. Early labor is just real labor too early really. Otherwise just don't think about it and don't sit and worry.
**Here is a link for you about contractions:
http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/true-false-labor
Ask your Doctor what to look out for..... and how do you know if you are in "early labor."
Just ask.... your Doctor.
I would just go to the hospital, even if you think, you are in labor.
AND... HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THERE?
You need transportation. Please don't drive yourself.
I hope you have people on call for driving you or your Husband can get you QUICKLY.
I have had c-sections with each of my pregnancies. One was an emergency (in which my daughter was 1 week early of my due date), and one was a planned c-section with my son.
Per MY Doctor... he does planned c-sections at 38 weeks. BECAUSE, it is to prevent premature labor and/or rupturing.
And by 38 weeks, it is safe for baby.
My Doctor, is a very well known Doctor here... and very experienced in his field and highly respected.
Per my 1st child... I went into labor 1 week early with her. I lost my mucus plug with that one, and that SAME day, I went into labor.
Contraction are different from Braxton Hicks. By now... at your being 37 weeks pregnant... I would think that ANY contractions.... would be your indication to GET to the hospital. At this point, 37 weeks, don't think "Braxton Hicks"... think, LABOR contractions.
*Per your Doctor's advice: I don't see why... he is telling you to go to the hospital if you think you are in early labor. Instead of just scheduling the c-section earlier. I mean, once you DO go into early labor.... you ARE in labor. And that sort of defeats the purpose of a c-section. Because once you ARE in labor.... you are in labor. And time will be wasted, by the time it takes to get to a hospital, checking you in, and prepping you for the surgery... and meanwhile, you ARE in labor, already. And for some, once in labor... a birth can happen quickly. Thus, the c-section might not be in time????
Hmmm, early labor for me...
I felt my uterus contracting regularly. Every 3 minutes. There was no pain at that point. I just felt the pressure. My water didn't break until I was in active labor, and I never lost the mucus plug.
I know it's different for anyone. But for me, I had a baby 26 hrs later.
You will probably have Braxton-Hicks everyday until the baby comes... I would not go running to the hospital for that. The difference is tha Braxton-Hicks are not painful, they are not regular, and they dont continue or increase in severity. Real contractions are painful, regular and will continue no matter what you do (sit, walk, lay down). I have always felt the real contractions in my back as well as my stomach, the BH kind I only felt in my stomach.
I had 2 c-sections. My first was an emergency c-section since I had been pushing for several hours and the baby was not moving down and then started to have distress with his heart rate. So I did go through most of the fun labor stuff even though it ended in a CS. For me, I dialate very quickly - faster than I notice the contractions. I did lose my mucus plug that evening and then around 2am woke up with contractions. Got to the hopsital at 4am and was already 7cm dialated!
My second was scheduled but I did not make it to the scheduled date. (delivered at 38 weeks 1 day). A couple of times I experienced false labor (that did not happen with my first) where the contractions were somewhat painful and regular but I was not dialating. Both times they gave me IV fluids and a shot and stopped the contractions. Then one day I had a little bleeding... at first it was like just brown discharge. The next day it was a little pink in the morning, then by afternoon it was red, kind of like a period. So I went to the hospital and was already 5cm dialated so they went ahead and prepped me for the CS. I did not even feel the contractions until I was in the pre-op room waiting for the surgery!
So everyone's experience is a little different. I know it sounds weird but for the most part, when it happens, you will just know. When in doubt, call your OB and see if you should go get checked out.
It's been my experience that when a doctor says "you will go into labor between now and..." that you won't.
I once had a nurse tell me that the difference between real contractions and braxton hicks was that brxton hicks started from the bottom of your uterus and moved up, or that the entire uterus got hard all at once and that a real contraction started at the top and moved downward. That seemed to hold true with me. if you put your hand on the top, with your baby finger just above your belly button and wait for a contraction, if you feel it on the upper part first, then moving downward, it is a contraction.
Some people may post that it is an old wives tail, and it may be - but it also may give you a clue...
Can you rent a contraction monitor for at home use for the next couple of weeks? I don't know if they work as far along as you are but friends who were being monitored for premature delivery were sent home with monitors, which were covered by their insurance. They were earlier in their pregnancies through (25 weeks or so) so I don't know if they do them this late or if B-H will interfere.
