Contractions 7 minutes apart

I was just sent home from the hospital, I am so disappointed, my contractions are 7 minutes a part and I guess they really want them to be 5 or less apart before they keep you.  I went in because of severe back pain

I am 2 cm, and 39 weeks,  anyone have experience like this and how long until you actually had your baby??

[AbraB]

I can tell you the story of when I had my first daughter.  Around 11 am on a Thursday I lost my mucous plug.  I went in to the hospital, and they said I was 1 cm dilated.  I really couldn't feel contractions cuz I was too excited!  I was sent home.  About 4 pm that day, I started to get them more regularly.  They became more painful.  I wasn't supposed to go back in til they were 3-4 mins apart.  So, around 8 pm that night and after soaking for a while in the bathtub, we went back in to triage.  ( I was 39 weeks that day!!  = )  ) I was still only 1 cm dilated, and they told me I was in false labor.  (I thought...BULLCRAP I'm in FALSE LABOR!!!)  It was painful, and I knew it was more than the normal braxton hicks.  They gave me sleeping pills to go home and get some rest.  So, around 11 pm, we went home to sleep.  SLEEP MY BUTT!  I was up all night...in between the contractions, I felt as though I could sleep forever...but then as soon as I'd get comfortable, another contraction would come.  Around 6 am, I just couldn't take it anymore...my water hadn't broken, and I didn't want to go back and be dissapointed again, but we got there, went to triage, and I was 9 cms dilated!!!  I didn't even know it!  I was so excited.  At noon, my little girl was born!  Take it all in stride...hang in there...and ENJOY being at home laboring, it's much better than being at the hospital and being stuck in a bed.  I could lay on the floor, lay in bed, rock in my recliner...anything I wanted to do...even my kitty would sit in my lap...enjoy...and your baby is on the way!  Best of luck to you!