OVERDUE AND OVER IT!

I LOST MY MUCUS PLUG YESTERDAY AND SOME IS STILL COMING OUT TODAY BUT ALMOST STRAIGHT AFTER I STARTED TO LOOSE IT I WAS HAVING PERIOD LIKE CRAMPS... THEY GOT STRONGER AND WERE COMING AROUND EVERY 10MINS OR SO... I WASNT PAYING TOO MUCH ATTENTION BECAUSE I DIDNT WANT TO GET EXCITED IF NOTHING ENDED UP HAPPENING...

SO THE PAINS LASTED PRETTY MUCH ALL DAY AND INTO THE NIGHT AROUND 1-2AM.. I ENDED UP FALLING ASLEEP AND WOKE BACK UP AT 5AM TO GO TO THE TOILET AND FELT ANOTHER BUT SOMEHOW GOT BACK TO SLEEP AGAIN THEN DIDNT WAKE TIL 10AM AND THE PAINS WERE GONE...

iVE HAD A FEW TODAY ON AND OFF BUT WHERE DID THEY GO??
WHERE THEY CONTRACTIONS OR JUST CRAMPS???...
THE MIDWIFES WONT DO AN INTERNAL UNTIL I GO TO THE HOSPITAL IN ACTUAL LABOUR SO I HAVE NO IDEA HOW EFFACED OR DIALATED I AM...

iVE HAD THE MINOR CRAMPS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS NOW BUT THESE WHERE DEFINATELY DIFFERENT.......

THOUGHTS...?

[chapina]

It could be that you are at the early stages of labor, and the cramps you are feeling were actually contractions. I know that before I went into labor I felt this pressure on my lower back and period like cramps. These cramps as they progressed kept getting more and more uncomfortable, not painful but uncomfortable. They would come in waves and then disappear. Good Luck and best wishes you are getting close :]

[LosingMyMindInGA]

It does sound like early labor.  At this point it's not unusual for contractions to be sporadic, especially in a first pregnancy.  Get out and walk, walk, walk.  The more you are up and moving, the easier it will be for your body to do what it needs to.  Let gravity help.  Bounding gently on a birthing/excercise ball helps too.  

It's getting close and I wouldn't be surprised if you have this baby in the next 2-3 days at the most.  WALK WALK WALK, as uncomfortable as it is, it helps.  Doesn't mean you have to move fast, just move. :)  

[Rebekahjade]

Ok so i should be getting up and trying to keep the contractions coming... but everytime i go to bed thats when they go away it happened again yesterday they start to come again at night and are going for like a couple of hours.. i try to stay up and bounce on the ball and count them and they were still coming at every 10mins then 7mins... and they were more painful than the first night.. then nothing..?? Im still noticing lots of blood tinged discharge but sometimes i will feel just a big blob come out and its just the discharge.... could i maybe be leaking fluid? Would i definately know if that was happening?

[LosingMyMindInGA]

You won't necessarily know for sure if you are leaking fluid.  It's possible that, at this point, you could be leaking. If you just have a slight tear the leakage would be small and could be disguised by the discharge/mucus plug.  A trip to L & D for a swab test could tell you for sure.  I would definitely try to keep walking and doing as much activity as you can during the day.  But make sure to get your rest as well.  An exhausted Mommy doesn't make for an easy labor.  It can actually hinder labor and cause it to stall so get plenty of rest too.  Do house work, finish getting things ready for the baby.  Whatever keeps you occupied and moving :)  

[chapina]

If you see blood tinged discharge it could be your bloody show, and as far as the leaking fluid it might be your bag of waters breaking. When I went into labor I felt and heard like a pop and a little water trickled out. Within 20 minutes it became gushes coming out as if I were peeing myself, but I just couldn't stop it from coming out. Like the  Losing said, a trip to L&D would help, to make sure if it really is fluid.

[Rebekahjade]

Thank you so much for writing back to this. I ended up going to the hospital tonight with my mum and it was just the mucus but i am definately contracting so i just have to wait until they get longer and stronger! :)
Hopefully little Harmony is here soon!

[LosingMyMindInGA]

Glad you got some peace of mind and have a better idea of where you are now.  Did they check to see if you had dialated or effaced any?

[angel994]

if you lost your plug you need to go to the hospital. once the mucous plug comes out then you become susceptible to infection. your baby will have to be delivered within the next 24 hours or it will become a  most uncalled for situation that can actually cause severe harm to both you and your baby. do not take a bath at this poit. it is critical for you to get to the hospital immediately. i apologise if I have alarmed you. but they tell you this in the classes they give in the clinic to the pregnant women that I have gone to with all of my pregnacies.

[angel994]

also I was late with my first two kids. if you are overdue you can induce your own laborwith physical stimulation as long as you have not and still dont have any pregnancy complication, such as preeclampsia, breech birth meaning the baby is feet down or the cord is not in a dangerous position etc. i am a big believer of natural medicine. a friend of mine who delivered my also late 2nd child told me that when the doctor gives you pitocin to induce your labor it can cause complications. but if you are already in labor then your labor stops then it is considered safer for you to use the pitocin. the doctor also said that within a few hours if your waterbag has not broken then they have to break it for you. as i said earlier i was late with my first two. my daughter was 2 weeks and a day late and my son was a week and a day late. they had to induce me with both babies. then my midwife tells me when i ended up pregnant with my 3rd that it is perfectly safe to use physical stimulation as long as there are not any complications. and thats how my 3rd was born 2 days before his due date. all of this eccept infection I have gone through. so I am speaking from experience. now I am 6 weeks and 4 days according to ultrasound with twins.

[angel994]

some people dont notice when they leak but if you are not sure they can test it at the hospital. also your labor can stop if you are stressed or worried. this happened to me with my 3rd. i was in labor on the bed and my labor stopped so I took some deep breaths went to use the restroom snuck a glass of water and started using the stimulation techniques that the midwife showed me. each time it would stop or slow down I would use the techniques again. within the next 3 hours i heard my little boys first cry

[LosingMyMindInGA]

I'd like to clear something up here about the mucus plug.  The mucug plug coming out DOES NOT MEAN you are susceptible to infection.  This is NOT a breach of your bag of waters.  Women have lost their mucus plugs at 30 weeks and still went overdue.  The mucus plug can regenerate itself.  Loss of the plug alone does not consistitute a need to run to the emergency room!

As for naturally inducing...you CAN do nipple stimulation, having intercourse, walking, etc.  I would NOT advise using castor oil or any of the other old wive's tales.  HOWEVER, if your baby is not ready to come out then none of these will work. Pitocin isn't a preferred way of induction but it is considered safe.