Question: For All Moms With Babies! Signs of Progression.
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tiggerhammon
Posts: 2,211 Member
Okay, I am just really curious. I am sure there will be a large variety of responses and know that every woman is different and every pregnancy is different. This is kind of a poll, for my own curiousity, how it all worked out for you ...
With my first baby, I showed no signs of progression until about 10days before due date. My cervix had softened and I was dilated to a 1. Never progressed further than that, never lost my plug and my water never broke. Went 5 days overdue and had pitosin to stimulate labor.
With this baby, I was told 10 days ago (about a month before due day) that my cervix had softened a little and that was all. Last appt, 3 days ago, I was told I am thinning, cervix is soft and I am dilated to a 1. Dr says it doesn't mean anything except that my body is progressing well. It could be tonight, it could be 4 more weeks!
With my best friend, who recently had a baby, she went in to an appt 3 weeks before due day and Dr said cervix was softening and that was it. He said she would probably be a couple more weeks. Her water broke that night and baby was born the next morning.
Another friend - cervix was soft, she had thinned out, baby was down and she was dilated to a 3 at her appt 3 weeks before due day. Dr said it would be any day - she went 4 days over due!
So, I want to hear your story of progression. Were you showing signs of progress before baby was born? Did you show signs for a long time before anything happened? Did you progress more and more at each check up? Or did you reach a certain point and stop? Did your water break on its own? Did you lose your plug before or after going in labor, and how long before labor or how long after going into labor?
Anyone willing to share these bizarre details? That would make my day
With my first baby, I showed no signs of progression until about 10days before due date. My cervix had softened and I was dilated to a 1. Never progressed further than that, never lost my plug and my water never broke. Went 5 days overdue and had pitosin to stimulate labor.
With this baby, I was told 10 days ago (about a month before due day) that my cervix had softened a little and that was all. Last appt, 3 days ago, I was told I am thinning, cervix is soft and I am dilated to a 1. Dr says it doesn't mean anything except that my body is progressing well. It could be tonight, it could be 4 more weeks!
With my best friend, who recently had a baby, she went in to an appt 3 weeks before due day and Dr said cervix was softening and that was it. He said she would probably be a couple more weeks. Her water broke that night and baby was born the next morning.
Another friend - cervix was soft, she had thinned out, baby was down and she was dilated to a 3 at her appt 3 weeks before due day. Dr said it would be any day - she went 4 days over due!
So, I want to hear your story of progression. Were you showing signs of progress before baby was born? Did you show signs for a long time before anything happened? Did you progress more and more at each check up? Or did you reach a certain point and stop? Did your water break on its own? Did you lose your plug before or after going in labor, and how long before labor or how long after going into labor?
Anyone willing to share these bizarre details? That would make my day
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In England, most midwives will not do a sweep until you're 7 days overdue, so there's no way of knowing how your cervix is and how dilated you are. They don't like to do internal exams because of risk of infection.
I've been overdue with all 3 of mine. I had a sweep at 7 days over with my first and was told my cervix was totally closed. My water broke the evening of 9 days overdue. I'd had no signs at all, I hadn't lost my plug or anything. I didn't have contractions until the next morning, and he was born that afternoon.
I had a sweep a week overdue with my 2nd. Again I was told my cervix was totally closed. I went to be induced the evening of 11 days overdue and my cervix was still totally closed. I was given a pessary, just a little tablet thing they put my your cervix. I had another one the next morning. After a 4 and a bit hour labour my daughter was born. So I'd had no signs at all. My waters didn't go until about 2 minutes before she came out.
With my third I lost some plug at 2 days overdue. Had a sweep at 8 days over, and was 1-2cm. I had backache the next day, and went into labour about 4pm the day after that. My waters had to be broken before she was born.
Most areas now won't induce until 12 days overdue, unless you have a medical reason like gestational diabetes or pre eclampsia.0 -
Here in New Zealand you don't have any physical examinations at all unless there's something in particular they're checking for. All exams are sonar.
With my first I went in for a check up 10 days before I was due and was told my blood pressure was through the roof and they'd like to see if they could induce me, just in case it was pre eclampsia. So the doctor checked and found I was already dilated 3cm. I had had no pre-labour symptoms at all. She did a stretch and sweep (removed the mucus plug) while she was there hoping it would get things moving, but it didn't bring on labour naturally. I was induced three days later and was 4cm by then. I was holding my daughter 1.5 hours after being given oxytocin.
With my second I saw my doctor a week before my due date and I asked her to have a check of my cervix as I was positive I was in pre-labour and was really uncomfortable and was wanting to have the baby sooner rather than later. Sure enough, I was dilated nearly 3cm but couldn't have a stretch and sweep as I was Strep B positive. Induction was booked for four days later (I'm an ancient mum (almost 40) and here, if you ask nicely, you can be induced up to two weeks early purely because you're old). On the morning I gave birth I was 3cm so they broke my waters and got me to walk about expecting labour to start naturally. Four hours later I had progressed very little (one minor contraction) so they gave me oxytocin and Zara arrived 45 minutes later! I pretty much went straight into transition and there was no time for the epidural to kick in.
So, no, didn't lose my mucus plug with either and I have no idea how late I would have been with either child if I'd let things take their natural course. I never 'dropped' with either either. I would have liked to have experienced going into labour naturally but, then again, given that once I finally get going things happen really, really quickly and it could get a bit frantic trying to make it to the hospital in time.
I was told you can be massively dilated many weeks out from your due date and it doesn't mean the baby will come early. You can lose you mucus plug weeks early too. You can also lose some amniotic fluid, without your waters breaking fully, without going into labour well before you give birth.0 -
As Dawnie said, we don't tend to have physical examinations over here in the UK until after due date. My first daughter arrived on her due date, so I have no idea what my cervix was like before that!
With my son, I had an attempted sweep at one day after due date, but it could not be done as my cervix was completely closed and anterior. I had no symptoms or signs really (or at least every time I thought I had then nothing happened!) and tried everything suggested pretty much as I was so fed up! But my waters broke spontaniously 5 days over due, I was 3cm dilated two hours after that when I went to the birthing centre and he was delivered an hour and a half later...0 -
I started contracting, had the bloody show and lost my mucus plug with my first 4 days before my due date. It was new year's eve and my husband was very excited to have our first born on 1/1/11. I went in after timing my contractions, they checked me and I was 2 cm dilated. The contractions were not serious so they sent me home. the next day the contractions would not ease, we went in again and they sent us home again. On the third day I went to see my Dr (he was not the one who was going to deliver me). He did the internal ultra sound and the contractions check. He told me that though the baby's head is pushing and is engaged, my contractions are very weak. I told him very clearly that "You gave me a due date of Jan 3rd and I want you to make sure I meet that" I was very persistent, lol. He suggested castor oil. I went and had 60 ml of that with mango juice and honey. One hour later the REAL thing started. I didn't want to be sent back home again so I refused to go to the hospital just yet. One hour later my mom and my husband insisted that I don't look like I can take this anymore and they didn't want to see me deliver on the living room floor. They practically dragged me to the car. I reached the hospital and I was 8 cm dilated and was sent to the delivery room immediately. 4 hours later I had my son.0
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WELL if you want bizzare details.. Lol.
I read online that having sex can soften your cervix. So my boyfriend & I did, and took a nap immediately after. (I was 38 weeks). I fell asleep at about 10am and woke up from my nap at 1pm because I was having really bad pain and couldn't get comfortable. So I got up to use the bathroom and what not. When I went to pull my panties back up I noticed they were soaked, and so were my pants. So I took them off and changed. WIthin about half an hour I had a big glob of orange mucus looking stuff in my new panties. SO I changed them and got new ones, and hung out in my rocking chair (meanwhile the contractions were getting worse and worse) so then I had a pizza in the oven with Cayenne pepper on it (spicy food to speed things up) and when I went to get up from my chair I felt a gush, so I checked and I had mucus and things running down my legs, so I ate real quick and got ready to go to the hospital (meanwhile STILL getting all wet from the babies first sac rupturing.)
I got to the hospital at about 6pm, and was 4cm dialated when I showed up, and I was having pretty strong contractions. By 10pm my contractions were so strong I couldnt breathe. At about 1050, I HAD to push. And I pushed until 11:06 and my little man was here.
Before my baby was born, at all my prenatal appointments, I was never checked. But from what I have been told, I had a very quick and easy labor, and I did it with 0 meds at all.0 -
With my first I was dilated to 1 and my OB told me I likely wouldn't go into labor in the next week. The next morning at 5 am my water broke but I still had no contractions. At 5am the next day they gave me Pitocin and I delivered at 8:41am. I had no signs ahead of time, no contractions, no mucus plug, I didn't even notice when baby dropped.
So far this time I've been losing my mucus plug over the last 2 weeks, having contractions though not regular, and baby dropped weeks ago. Last week I was 75% effaced and 2 cm dilated. I go in this morning for another appointment so I'm hoping to hear good news!0 -
With my first I was dialated to 5 for about a month and was having braxton hicks contractions for the last 3 weeks. I was 5 days overdue when my contractions became stronger and we went in. My water broke in the hospital right as the doctor was turned to get the tool to break it.
With my second I still had 5 weeks and the doctor stripped my membranes for some reason. He didn't say why just did it while checking me. That threw me into labor and I had back labor for over 30 hours. I went into labor at 10 am, went to work for the day, got home and at 3 am my water broke and I was headed to the hospital at 9 am. He was born face up so had to be turned and only 5 pounds.
This one I hope is more like my first because that one was a cake walk.0 -
Sadly, I had no signs of progression. I went 40 weeks without a single contraction, I never dilated, and my baby never dropped. I had an ultrasound the week of the due date and the kid was as high as could be. Although I wanted a natural delivery, we decided at that point to do a C-section. So 2 days before her due date, I delivered a 9lb 3oz baby girl via C-section requiring vacuum assist to bring her down. Looking back I'm thrilled we went that route, as I'm sure the vaginal, non-medicated delivery I wanted would not have been as pleasant as the C!
(She measured about 2 weeks ahead the entire pregnancy. If I wasn't an IVF patient--knowing the exact moment of conception--I would've had a much earlier due date based on the 12 ultrasound measurements.)0 -
With my first, I dilated to a 1 for 2 weeks and went to a 2 1/4 and had bloody show. My water broke that night but I wasn't dilated any further. They did an epidural and pitosin.
My second I got to a 3 before my water broke at 3:45 in the morning. My doula came up and diud everything she could to get me to start having contractions but my just wouldn't do it. Went to the hospital 12 hours later for pitosin, found out I was still at a 3. They started pitosin and 6 hours later here he was!0 -
I didn't have any internal exams until I went into labor but I know I wasn't dilating ahead of time because I didn't have any dilation with both of my natural births until labor got really intense.
I had contractions for a few weeks leading up to labor. My water also broke both times days ahead of the actual birth, which was annoying because you can't just go about your business with broken water and contractions, but my contractions just didn't want to get serious.0 -
I don't remember losing the mucus plug but I think I was a little dilated and effaced at the last office visit that I remember. I can't remember numbers or anything lol. But my water broke on its own at around 10pm on the night of my due date. I had been having some contractions throughout that day. I remember insisting I had to go home now while we were at a friends for dinner and my husband just kept talking while I insisted that I needed to go home:P I was getting ready to get in my bed to try to rest when my water broke, hadn't been back home long. I told him this time if I tell him something like that he better listen haha0
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Both times I had dilated a tiny bit at my last couple of weekly appointments, but I wasn't wasn't walking around 2cm dilated or anything. I was also fully effaced by my last appointment pre-labor with both babies.
The first time I had my 38-week OB appointment on a Tuesday afternoon, and she said I was probably going to go the full 40 weeks. The next day I lost my mucous plug, and I went into labor around 11:30 that night. My older son was born on Thursday morning around 10:30 at 38+5.
The second time I had my 39-week OB appointment on a Wednesday afternoon, and she'd scheduled me for an induction at 40+1 if I didn't go into labor on my own earlier than that. She also stripped my membranes, and that made me crampy all evening. At 11:30 that night I started having contractions, and my younger son was born on Thursday morning around 4AM at 39+4.
The second time I lost my mucous plug on my birthday, 13 days before my son was born. (I was all excited that, based on my previous experience, I might go into labor right away and have my baby on my birthday. It was not to be, I guess!) My sister had the same experience. With her older son, she lost her mucous plug and went into labor that night, but with her younger son she lost it 2-3 weeks before he was born.0 -
With my first I went 3 days overdue. The morning of 2 days overdue I was watching "A Baby Story" and bawling WAY too much. Emailed a friend and told her I could tell labour was coming, just based on my hormones. Lo and behold, went to the bathroom a little while later and there was one tiny drop of pink on the TP. After supper that evening I started having weak, sporadic contractions, much like the Braxton Hicks I had been experiencing since week 22, except these ones weren't triggered by exercise like they normally were. Started seeing brown/pink mucus on the TP that night, and my contractions didn't let up until about 4 or 5am (still weak and random, and I got no sleep while DH snored away beside me!) Finally dozed off, but had to get up a couple of hours later to make it to my already scheduled OB appt. Sitting in the waiting room around 9:30am my contractions started again, still weak, but about 3 mins apart. My doctor checked my cervix and gave it a sweep (the only time she did this - I turned down her offer the week before to be checked/have my membranes swept), said I was 3cm and baby was at "zero station", as in right there, waiting for room to squeeze through. Went to the hospital mid-late afternoon, not because I was in pain, but because my contractions had been regular for so long we decided we may as well go and see what was going on. My LO arrived just before midnight, but I'm sure if I hadn't had the epidural (eventually needed it after my water was broken and the contractions suddenly became really painful) she would have arrived sooner. The epidural slowed down my labour so much that I needed Pitocin to get it going again. Oh, and LO also dropped at 37 weeks. It wasn't visible on the outside (I checked my pics), but I could tell she'd dropped because I could breathe again and my waddle got worse. :laugh:0
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My first child I began dialating at 34 weeks. I also bagan losing my plug around 36 weeks it was a little here and ther til I lost a big amount of it around 38 weeks. I was 4 days over his due date when he was born. My second I had no sign no dialation nothing. Then one night contractions began and I had her 2 weeks before her due date. With this one I feel good. Its been a pretty good pregancy people tell me that because my last was 2 weeks early I should expect that with this 1 but I don't want to get my hopes up. Thought that would be nice. My OB hadn't plan to check me until 36 weeks but now knowing my history she said she probably will at 34 weeks. Also I never noticed "the drop" with my second. But yes with my first.0
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THis is my first baby...the only signs I had was that I was dialated to a 2 and 80% effaced for 3 weeks before. My water broke on her EDD and then contractions started.0
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It seems that none of it is reliable. I have heard of women being dilated, thinned and baby completely dropped for weeks ahead. I thought that at least the mucous plug meant something, that if it went then labor was soon but it sounds like that could happen weeks ahead too.
If there is no apparant rhyme or reason to any of it and it doesn't benefit the doctor in any way and means nothing - why do they even check?0 -
At my 38 week appointment, the dr said I was 60% effaced and 1 finger dilated. He moved my appointment for the next week one day earlier (Wed instead of Thur) and gave me 50/50 odds that I'd make it to the appointment. I didn't; she came three days later.
ETA: Birth story here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1211846-the-arrival-of-charlotte0 -
It seems that none of it is reliable. I have heard of women being dilated, thinned and baby completely dropped for weeks ahead. I thought that at least the mucous plug meant something, that if it went then labor was soon but it sounds like that could happen weeks ahead too.
If there is no apparant rhyme or reason to any of it and it doesn't benefit the doctor in any way and means nothing - why do they even check?
SUPPOSEDLY if you start the "bloody show"/lose your mucous plug, labour is imminent (~24 hrs). True for me last time, but obviously not for everyone!
I don't know why some docs do so many checks, either. I was given the option, and I personally didn't want anybody to have their hands up my hooey for any reason if it wasn't absolutely necessary, so I declined all checks, except the one where I happened to be in the early stages of labour at my OB appt anyway.0 -
It seems that none of it is reliable. I have heard of women being dilated, thinned and baby completely dropped for weeks ahead. I thought that at least the mucous plug meant something, that if it went then labor was soon but it sounds like that could happen weeks ahead too.
If there is no apparant rhyme or reason to any of it and it doesn't benefit the doctor in any way and means nothing - why do they even check?
SUPPOSEDLY if you start the "bloody show"/lose your mucous plug, labour is imminent (~24 hrs). True for me last time, but obviously not for everyone!
I don't know why some docs do so many checks, either. I was given the option, and I personally didn't want anybody to have their hands up my hooey for any reason if it wasn't absolutely necessary, so I declined all checks, except the one where I happened to be in the early stages of labour at my OB appt anyway.
I agree, it's *supposed* to be a good sign!
Apparently you can lose pieces of your mucous plug, and it re-creates itself/fills in the gaps, so to speak, if need be. With my second baby (when I lost it 13 days before giving birth), I only lost it the one time. When I lost it and didn't go into labor that day or the next, I started Googling it and discovered that, according to women on many message boards, it varies pretty wildly. Same with having your membranes stripped... I went into labor that night, but according to Dr. Google it doesn't work that way for everyone.
So basically you can have certain signs, but all you'll know is that you're within a couple of weeks or so, which you knew anyway
In which case I have to agree, I'm not really sure why all the checks are necessary. I think going to the OB weekly is good for Doppler and BP checks, but beyond that, what's the point? Whether you were dilated or effaced a week ago has little to no apparent effect on how dilated or effaced you will be when you are in labor.
Plus those checks are uncomfortable and annoying (I despise stirrups!). I was always sore for a day or two afterwards, and when my OB stripped my membranes the second time - OW. (She didn't tell me she was going to do it; she just did it. She also knew I was ready, so, yeah...) On one hand I was glad she did it because it most likely got me set up to go into labor that night, but on the other hand maybe I'd have gone into labor anyway, and it was all that discomfort for nothing.
All I can say, though, to you ladies who are waiting on baby #2, labor should be MUCH faster than with baby #1. From what I've gathered, that's an *almost* universal thing. My first was 11 hours, and my second was 4.5 hours.0 -
I had a crazy fast progression for my first. My doctor started checking my cervix at my 35 week appointment. It was 1 cm at 35 weeks, 36 weeks, and 37 weeks. Then at my 38 week appointment the doctor checked and said "wow! you're 3-4 cm!" Because it was my first and I lived pretty close to the hospital, he said to go home (I had the day off of work due to an impending snowstorm). I had been having constant back pain and what felt like gas pains for about a week before, but no timeable contractions or serious pain. I felt uncomfortable all day, but figured it wasn't labor because I could walk and talk and actually sleep through the pain. I went to bed around 10, then woke up at 11:15 when my water broke. I got to the hospital at midnight, got checked, was 9 cm dilated (another "wow" from the doctor), had my daughter at 2:32 am.
If and when I have a second, I will need to go to the hospital at the first suspicion of labor, or else I might end up with an unplanned home/car birth!0
