When Will Labor Begin?

If you read the books you'll learn that every pregnancy is different. Don't sweat the small stuff. You'll know when it's time. No one has a crystal ball on this stuff and you'll be fine.

How exciting! I was in a similar situation. About 3 months prior to my delivery date I was were you are. With one month to go I was dialated to a 4 and about 90% effaced. I had been told I was going to come early. But my little guy didn't arrive until his actual due date. And is perfect

After two pregnancies, I found that it's best to not even try and guess when the little one will appear! I bet you could see 10 different doctors and get 10 different answers. I always just thought that when the baby was ready she would come and I shouldn't try and figure out when that would be as it would drive me crazy and make me craby in the meantime. I went in for my 38 week checkup for my fist daughter, and I wasn't even dilated to a one, not effaced at all, and 2 hours later at work my water broke! I went to work thinking I'd be there for another 2 weeks, and bingo! I laugh now thinking how they say it's what, 15% whose water breaks on their own, and I was the lucky one who had it happen at work! Luckily I had on black pants. Keep that in mind! Good luck and just enjoy these last few days/weeks. You'll have a lifetime with this baby, so rest, get sleep and when he/she is ready, they will come!

I was exactly the same as you! Dilated to 3 and 80% effaced at 36 weeks. By 37 weeks I was dilated to 3 and 90% effaced. I had to go in 2 days early for my 38 week appt. and I started spotting in the office, was still dilated to 3 and was 100% effaced (37 wks. 5 days). The next morning my water broke at 7:15am and by noon I was holding my baby boy! I had a quick and easy (relatively speaking of course) labor. Hopefully, you'll have the same!

Sounds like the 2nd doctor is more on target with what can happen. I was dilated and effaced with my 1st and had him the day after his due date.

Oh my, where do I begin? To be honest, the only thing those stats tell you is NOTHING. You can have that baby now or next month and it's both "normal" and "expected". I don't know why they do those checks (I refused them for my second child) because all they do is put you on an emotional roller coaster and what 9-month pregnant woman needs another reason to stress and think about when the baby will come. That baby will come when he/she is ready no matter how dilated or effaced you are at this moment. If you want to look at it positively, think that it is 3 cm and 80% effacement your contractions don't have to do during labor. But that doesn't mean you'll have a quick labor either. With my first child, I was 2 cm and 100% effaced at my last check and after many painful laboring hours at home, I went into the hospital and was still only at 2 cm. If I had never been checked, at least at that moment I could have thought that all that work had completely effaced me and dilated me a little. Instead, I felt a lot of defeat. So, I never knew how far I was dilated with the second child and I was glad for it. Every body and every baby is different. No experience can tell you when your baby will be born or how long your labor will last. Likewise, no one can tell you how to best care for your baby.

I was the same my doctor told me I would go early, but I was 6 days late!!! It was really frustrating. My doctor even stripped my membranes twice and she still didn't come. I will tell you this though and I don't know if this will happen to you, but when my water did break on that Sunday morning things went really fast, I was in labor and delivery from start to finish when she finally came out for 8 hours. I was very lucky for my first baby. I stood on my feet for most of my pregnancy and I think that all that pressure might have had something to do with me being dilated to a 3-4 and 80% effaced at 36 weeks.

i was in a similar situation with my first, but not quite as dilated as you at 36 weeks. i gave birth at 37 weeks on the nose, and labor was about 4 hours start to finish. :)

of course, it's different for every mom. a good friend of mine, who was teacher prior to being a sahm, went 3 cm, 90% for a week or two before finally going into a lengthy labor.

i wish you a quick & painless labor & delivery! :)

good luck!
J.
mom to chase (3.5)

Yes, I was 1-2 cm and 70% effaced and I had tons of contractions for weeks before I had my daughter. And I still had to get the gel treatment to get things moving 5 days after my due date. Unfortunately it simply means your body is getting ready for labor, but no timeframe. Just plan on going overdue and you won't be disappointed if it happens, and if it happens earlier, then great!

I had a similar experience with our first child (now 17!)and ended up delivering her 1 week after her due date. My nephew's girlfried just gave birth to their precious new baby boy after walking around dilated to 2 and I'm not sure what percentage effaced (but quite a bit) for a month! Best of luck!!!

You may not notice the contractions.

When I was pregnant with my second, my doctor was monitoring me because of gestational diabetes. She had me come in and get hooked up to a machine where I would push a button every time I felt a contraction. I never pushed the button. When she came in she asked why I didn't push the button and I told her that I never felt any contractions. Well, apparently what felt like my son kicking was actually contractions! They were just so light that I had no idea.

May God bless you with a easy and swift delivery and a beautiful, healthy baby.

At about my 36 week appointment I was informed I go start labor ANYTIME. I then of course told my husband who was ecstatic and every day he could tell me it would be ok to have the baby that day. In the end, she wasn't born until the day before my due date.

I have a friend that was dialated and effaced quite a bit like that for a full month. But, the closer to your due date that baby stays in, the better! My son was born at 36 1/2 weeks and we had a really tough time breast feeding because sucking reflex doesn't really kick in until later. I know it's exciting and waiting is excruciating, but hang in there! It WILL happen.
Can't wait to hear about that baby when it's born!!

The same thing happened to me. Four weeks before my due date, the Dr. said to be ready at any moment...and we weren't ready yet!! So, we quickly got ready and then waited...and waited...still, nothing. Every appt., I was further along but still not feeling any contractions. Finally, the week of my due date, the Dr. said I was at 6-7cm, and the dr. decided it was time to get this baby out. They broke my water, and he was out 4 hours later.

The moral of the story...Don't worry! Enjoy the fact that you are "laboring" without any pain! The pain will come soon enough!

It's so hard for doctors to predict when your baby will come. I had the opposite happen. I was dilated 1 cm at 38 weeks and the doctor said that I would most likely not have my baby for a couple weeks. I went into labor four days after she told me that! I also never experienced any Braxton-Hicks contractions, so I wouldn't worry that you haven't felt anything yet. It doesn't necessarily mean that you'll be overdue. I wouldn't let the doctors worry you with their predictions. Baby will come when baby is ready and doctors won't let you go more than a week past your due date these days anyways. I also worked right up until the day I went into labor and am glad I did - helps keep your mind off of it. Good luck!

With my first son, I wasn't dialated AT ALL until I went into labor, and I went from not dialated at all to 10 in 9 hours. Very quick labor and birth.

With my youngest, I was dialated to 2 for 3 weeks! Then at my 38wk appt I was dialated to 4, and stayed that way and he was a week overdue, I went in to get induced, and when the doctor checked me for the first time, my water broke, and my son was born only 3 hours later. So that was an extremely quick labor and delivery!

I guess my point is doctors even don't really know. You could be dialated to 4 for 3 weeks and not go into labor, or not dialated at all and then suddenly go into labor.

Good luck with your upcoming birth!!

I was 2cm dilated for 2 weeks before I went into labor with my second baby. I didn't dilate at all before labor with my first. Every pregnancy is different. My first son was born at 35 weeks and had to spend a week in the NICU, it was awful. He has since had a few major health problems and is still only 17lbs at nearly 2 years old. Being a first time mom is so exciting but the closer to 40 weeks you can get, the better. My second son was born at 38 weeks and on the small side but much healthier.

Good Morning S..

I haven't heard from you in a long time. Glad to hear that things for the most part are going well.

I at my 35 week was told that I was 3-3.5cm dialted and 60% affeced. By week 38 I was still the same and just suffering from all the swelling and begged to be induced. But went into labor on my own when arriving at the hospital at 39wk to be induced.

Just relax while you can, it will happen and you'll know when it does. Take care.

I had a similar situation, although I was kept awake with false labor my contractions were so noticable. I stayed that dialated and effaced until 1 week before my due date when I was induced. I think it can be just so different for everyone. It would be so much easier if we knew! Good luck.

I went in for my 36 week and was dialeted 2 cm and 60% effaced. Then next week I was exactly the same. I was told by my Dr. that I would be right on time or late. Well, I wound up giving birth the next day. I didn't have any contractions until 1 hour before my son was born. By the time I got to the hospital I was 6-7 cm. By the time I got situated in the room and wanted drugs, it was too late. 6 pushes later and my son was 16 days early. Hopefully you'll have a short, easy labor! GOOD LUCK and Congrats!!!

I, too, was dilated at 36 weeks. I think I was 4 cm and 75% effaced, and the baby;s head was at 0 station. My midwife said things could stay that way past my due date, or I could go in to labor anytime--you never know.
I ended up having contractions and my water broke at 38.5 weeks. I thought labor would go quickly since I was already almost halfway there, right?! Too bad it doesn't work that way! Despite starting out at 4cm with no contractions at all, 24 hours of contractions every 3minutes had only made me progress 3 more cm. I finally had an epidural, took a nap, then my son was born 2 hours later.
So, all this is just to say that dilation and effacement before your due date don't really mean much. My friend, who was due 4 weeks before me, wasn't dilated or effaced at all, went 2 weeks past her due date, then had a very short labor with no drugs. The body is a mysterious thing!
Good luck with your labor and delivery--I'm sure your second graders are very excited for you. I was a 5th grade teacher, and my students were disappointed that my son was born during the summer so they couldn't meet him!

That sounds very very almost identical to my first pregnancy and I went on the due date given by the sonogramist (Sept 15). I stayed that way for I think two or three weeks. Hope that helps :)

S., We are in a similar situation. I'm 4 cm and due on the 8th. This is my 2nd baby and this happened with my first one too. I was 3 cm at 38 wks. and ended up going 5 days overdue. My water broke and we went straight to the hospital and I was already 6-7 cm and it was instantly intense, so be ready for the intensity to hit like a brick wall! I had contractions but nothing too intense up until that point. It only took about 4 hours for me to fully dilate then(then I pushed for 4 hours and baby didn't budge so I had a c-section, but hopefully your baby will fit through) Good news is your body has already started the process, I feel so lucky to not be one of those people who labor for hours and are only 1-2 cm!

The second dr is right - you could very well go past your due date even though you're already starting to dialate and efface. I rarely allowed the drs to check me before I went into labor because it's not really necessary and isn't a good indicator of when you'll go into labor. Babies come when they're ready. I have a friend who walked around dialated to 5 cm for weeks, and then was 6cm for about a week... but the upside to that is once she went into labor, her labor was only about 3 hours long.