Help with labour contractions!

[flyingjase]

I know there are a few midwives on here and would appreciate some advice as my wife can't get hold of her midwife this morning.

She is 10 days overdue with our second. Yesterday she started having contractions at around 5pm which went to 5 mins apart and 50 seconds long by midnight so I took her into the hosppital.

On the way in the car, in all stopped. They started at the hospital when she was walking around but seemed to stop as soon as she sat down.

At 4am the hospital sent us home and gave her some co-codamol to 'slow things down and let you get some sleep'

This morning, nothinng is happening. Is this normal??? Is there anything else we can do?

Yours very frustrated....she is desperate to get this over with.

[mattikake]

Er, dial 999?

[flyingjase]

mattikake said:

Er, dial 999?

Thanks for that rather unhelpful comment

Luckily for us, we managed to get hold of the midwife and she is coming around this afternoon

[Pixel Pusher]

Sounds like Braxton Hicks. Practise contractions.

Won't be long now though.

Best of luck to you & your good lady.

[ewenm]

My OH was having lots of intermittent contractions when a week to 10 days overdue - in the end they induced the birth as they don't let it go past 2 weeks overdue here apparently. So whatever happens, it'll all be over soon!

[williamp]

flyingjase said:

mattikake said:

Er, dial 999?

Thanks for that rather unhelpful comment

Actually this was the best comment. You wife is about to go into labour, and you post this on a CAR forum?? Not even phone NHS direct? Speak to your GP?

[ewenm]

williamp said:

flyingjase said:

mattikake said:

Er, dial 999?

Thanks for that rather unhelpful comment

Actually this was the best comment. You wife is about to go into labour, and you post this on a CAR forum?? Not even phone NHS direct? Speak to your GP?

It's not really. Phone the midwives is the correct action - they are used to parents in a panic. The OP has done this and is seeing the midwife this afternoon, so now he's asking for the experiences of others.

[flyingjase]

Thanks guys - real world experience is always comforting at this rather stressful time!

She's booked in for an induction on Sunday but we really thought it was going to happen last night.

[ewenm]

flyingjase said:

Thanks guys - real world experience is always comforting at this rather stressful time!

She's booked in for an induction on Sunday but we really thought it was going to happen last night.

Sounds very familiar - incredibly frustrating and stressful but (un)fortunately it seems to be normal.

[Pixel Pusher]

OP, you're "South Bucks"?

Going to Stoke Mandeville?

Edited by Pixel Pusher on Wednesday 11th May 12:14

[gowmonster]

could be worse, could have asked on facebook.

[flyingjase]

Pixel Pusher said:

OP, you're "South Bucks"?

Going to Stoke Mandeville?

Edited by Pixel Pusher on Wednesday 11th May 12:14

No although that is our nearest hopsital

We are going to the JR as we've been on a research project there - a world wide study on fetus developmemt

[Pixel Pusher]

flyingjase said:

Pixel Pusher said:

OP, you're "South Bucks"?

Going to Stoke Mandeville?

Edited by Pixel Pusher on Wednesday 11th May 12:14

No although that is our nearest hopsital

We are going to the JR as we've been on a research project there - a world wide study on fetus developmemt

Top place. Don't forget plenty of change for the car park!

Wish you all the best.

[K77 CTR]

Since when has giving birth been an emergency? Ambulances are not there to ferry women in labour to hospital. On the odd occasion when labour progresses faster than normal or there are complications then it is appropriate to phone 999 but not in normal labour.

Sorry on phone and have lost the quote about calling 999

[mattikake]

K77 CTR said:

Since when has giving birth been an emergency? Ambulances are not there to ferry women in labour to hospital. On the odd occasion when labour progresses faster than normal or there are complications then it is appropriate to phone 999 but not in normal labour.

Sorry on phone and have lost the quote about calling 999

Funny how such a simple and obvious comment gets so many responses.

Since when was the very real possibility of death NOT an emergency?

Since when were ambulances NOT there to ferrry people in danger of death do and from hospital?

How do you know if labour progresses faster than normal before the event as been completed?

And most of all, and as said, why post on a car forum asking for urgent childbirth advice?

Me confused.

[flyingjase]

mattikake said:

Funny how such a simple and obvious comment gets so many responses.

Since when was the very real possibility of death NOT an emergency?

Since when were ambulances NOT there to ferrry people in danger of death do and from hospital?

How do you know if labour progresses faster than normal before the event as been completed?

And most of all, and as said, why post on a car forum asking for urgent childbirth advice?

Me confused.

re:999 maybe it's just me (and the poster of that comment) that has seen the ads / posters but there is time to call 999 and labour is not it unless there are serious complications - it's wasting their time, tax payers money and potentially causing someone else to die becuase an ambulance doesn't get to them quickly enough.

Re: your motor forum comment, if it offends you then don't venture into non motoring sections of PH. PH started as a TVR mailing list, it's moved onto something much greater that has topics from Home & Gardens to Health. Cars is the thing that binds us all together.

I'm constantly amazed by the knowledge, information and support that can be gained from this site. I've recently saved a fortune on a building project becuase of a post I put up in the Homes section (a non motoring related section)

We don't all have to agree but as I'm not a member of Mumsnet (or any other online forum) PH is where I turn for help and advice.

When you have kids you may understand how stressful and uncertain a time labour is - I just wanted some real world sharing of experience and reassurance. I got both.

Thanks to those that responded.

We are now having more contractions, now 7 mins apart that started again an hour ago

Let's hope it happens tonight!

[mattikake]

Fair enough. I hope it all goes well for you both (or all 3!).

It remains that of all mamals (and most of all life bar the extreme), childbirth for humans is the most dangerous because of our large brains and heads. It has the highest mortality rate. It's not the sort of thing I'd leave to chance by a system that won't supply enough widwives to give parents-to-be all the attention the risks birth needs. A system that you have paid your taxes for in advance for this supposed healthcare. You're entitled to call for an ambulance if you no other choice but to post on a car forum.

[Coco H]

I am sure when I was expecting my maternity notes said you can call 999 and ask for a "maternity ambulance". I don't understand whether they understand this is not a normal ambulance or they understand it is not an emergency. I never found out and I imagine most people get driven to hospital by their partners etc.
(I did call 999 when I was prgenant as I passed out for some time on the bathroom floor and couldn't get up as I was not able to walk at the point without sticks and I thought I had broken something.It's a long story)

[ewenm]

mattikake said:

Fair enough. I hope it all goes well for you both (or all 3!).

It remains that of all mamals (and most of all life bar the extreme), childbirth for humans is the most dangerous because of our large brains and heads. It has the highest mortality rate. It's not the sort of thing I'd leave to chance by a system that won't supply enough widwives to give parents-to-be all the attention the risks birth needs. A system that you have paid your taxes for in advance for this supposed healthcare. You're entitled to call for an ambulance if you no other choice but to post on a car forum.

He said that they'd organised for the midwives to visit yesterday afternoon and came on here to ask for the experiences of others.

"No choice but to post on a car forum"

[NoelWatson]

mattikake said:

It remains that of all mamals (and most of all life bar the extreme), childbirth for humans is the most dangerous because of our large brains and heads. It has the highest mortality rate. It's not the sort of thing I'd leave to chance by a system that won't supply enough widwives to give parents-to-be all the attention the risks birth needs. A system that you have paid your taxes for in advance for this supposed healthcare..

Very true. NHS sucks big time in this respect (in my experience)