Contractions which stop

Before heading to the hospital, call your physician or midwife to discuss your labor symptoms. It is common for first time mothers to make more than one trip to the hospital. If you are in early labor and sent home, the following activities may be helpful: walking, showering, resting, drinking fluids, listening to music, etc. Pre-labor can only be differentiated from true labor by an internal examination of the cervix. True labor contractions become stronger, difficult to talk through, last longer, and are closer together as labor progresses.

These will effect changes in the cervix, causing it to thin out and open while encouraging the descent of the baby through the pelvis. Most physicians and midwives suggest contacting them when your contractions are five minutes apart and lasting 60 seconds and you have had this activity for about an hour.

Your physician or midwife will instruct you when to leave for the hospital. If you are a first-time mother and are able to manage the contractions at home, new research is suggesting that first-time mothers should continue to stay at home until it is difficult to breathe through the contractions. However, if you live a great distance from the hospital, are concerned about not getting there on time or have other special concerns, plan on leaving sooner.

When you arrive in labor and delivery, a nurse will check your blood pressure, temperature, may obtain both blood and urine samples, and place devices on your abdomen that monitor the baby's heart rate and your contractions.

The nurse, your on-call physician, or midwife will then perform a vaginal exam to evaluate the dilation and effacement of your cervix. It is best to be admitted when active labor begins, especially if you are a first-time mother. In active labor, the contractions are less than five minutes apart, lasting seconds and the cervix is dilated three centimeters or more. However, if it is your first pregnancy or if you have not gone through prodromal labor in previous pregnancies, it might take a trip to the doctor to be sure.

The doctor or midwife will likely perform a pelvic exam to understand if your cervix has begun to dilate. If there is no sign of dilation, or if it is the same as the last exam or a very small change, then you are likely experiencing prodromal labor. Like stated above, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to tell the difference between active and prodromal labor without a pelvic exam by your healthcare provider. Remember — your healthcare provider hears this question all the time.

You are not alone! Like we mentioned above, it is not always possible to tell when prodromal contractions have become active labor contractions without a pelvic exam. However, if the contractions begin happening at very regular intervals under 5 minutes apart, they last for longer than 1 minute each, and this happens consecutively for over 1 hour, it may be time to call your healthcare provider.

He or she can let you know at that time if you need to proceed to the birthing location or just to have an appointment. During prodromal labor contractions, it is important to make sure you rest. Since there is the potential for active labor to occur not too much later, it is suggested that you conserve your energy for the actual labor and delivery.

Here are things you can try to do to keep your mind off of the contractions:. Beth Curtis, retired Midwife. Eat lots of high carbohydrate foods to ensure you have enough fuel and energy for labour, and drink plenty of fluids.

Ideal high-carbohydrate foods include beans on toast, cheese on toast, pasta, and scrambled egg on toast. You should follow your natural body instincts, eat when you are hungry, rest when you are tired. Relax as much as possible, have a warm bath or listen to music. Your birthing partner can help you keep calm and relaxed. It can be helpful if they massage your back if you have backache or suggest alternative positions to encourage labour to continue. Keep upright as much as possible as this will encourage labour and gravity helps the baby go down into your pelvis.

Swaying or rocking your hips can also help. You can also try a TENS machine now if you have one. However, although this can be an exciting time, remember to rest and not get overtired as you will need lots of energy later. You can take Paracetamol as directed as a simple form of pain relief but contact your Midwife if you need advice or reassurance.

Your body needs a lot of energy for labour, so fill your body with energy stores now. Take each contraction as it comes, every one is doing its job, and one closer to you having your baby in your arms.

Your contractions will gradually become stronger, longer and more frequent. You will know when you are ready to go into hospital, as you no longer feel comfortable in your own home.

If you live far away from hospital, make sure you leave plenty of time. Second and later babies often arrive more quickly.

Midwives are available on the telephone for support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and will provide you with information and advice. Sometimes labour starts early, before 37 weeks. If your Bishop Score is low and you and your baby are healthy, tell your care provider you would like to go into labor on your own.

If your doctor or midwife presses for an induction, ask about the risk of waiting to induce until your cervix is more favorable. Epidural: Some studies have shown that an epidural can slow down the pushing phase of labor, and while data is inconclusive on its effect on active labor and transition, many women report that their contractions weakened and spaced out after receiving an epidural, often leading to the use of Pitocin to get it going again.

This could be attributed to the restriction on a woman's ability to move and change positions, or it could be due to the fact that an epidural relaxes the uterine and pelvic floor muscles.

Emotional Stress: Underlying emotional or psychological stress can cause labor to stall or slow down. Also known as "emotional dystocia," this can be anything from an extreme fear of labor pain, not feeling safe, or lack of privacy, to trauma from prior sexual abuse. If you have any underlying issues you think could impact labor, notify your birth team partner, doula, doctor, midwife, nurse.

They will help you to deal with the emotions coming up during your labor, reassure you of your safety, and support you during the process. Baby's Position: How your baby is positioned for labor can affect the length of your labor.

A baby is considered "malpositioned" for birth when she is not positioned facing your back or left side. Correcting the baby's position could mean an easier, quicker labor. If you or your care providers suspect that your baby's position is causing issues with your labor, walking and changing positions can help correct this. If labor stalls, take heart in knowing that it's most likely temporary. If your care provider recommends Pitocin to get your labor going again, find out if it's necessary.

You can ask: Is my baby healthy? Am I healthy? What are the risks in continuing to labor without Pitocin?

If you and baby are healthy, you should be free to continue laboring without Pitocin. If your care provider recommends a cesarean , repeat the same questioning.