Most information about labor and delivery is based on averages, norms... MOST ladies have the following type of labor... But, having had 3 kids, and having talked with multiple other mothers, there is one thing I have learned... Not all labors follow the "norm." There are quite a few out there that are totally different. If you know nothing about labor/delivery, this can be frustrating. How do you know when to go the hospital? How do you know "This is it..."?
Many ladies have rushed off to the hospital, only to be told they are having false labor. That is the last thing you want to hear in "your condition." There is a little known type of "false labor" that all you ladies need to know about in case it ever happens to you. Here is my story, and the information that I found out afterwords that explained it all...
There is a type of labor called "Prodromal labor." Often misdiagnosed by medical professionals as "false labor," this labor is anything but false (although it is a bit deceptive... Editor: To say the least!)
1. The first sign of prodromal labor is regular contractions. These contractions may be in a "normal" pattern, or they may be somewhat random, but the contractions do not stop.
2. The second thing of note is that the contractions "feel like real labor." They do not go away, and can be just as intense as the hardest labor a woman can experience.
3. The third sign of prodromal labor is that, even though the contractions may last for several days, even a couple of weeks; there is little to no noticeable sign of progress. The doctor will "check you" and say, "not dilated" or "no effacement" or "still at 1 cm - same as last 3 weeks..."
All these characteristics mean it is quite difficult to know when the baby is really going to come. However, the last and final way to know that you had prodromal labor instead of false labor happens quite suddenly - at some point, the labor changes from being seemingly unproductive to causing extremely rapid changes in your body. Once progress starts being made, it is quite common to go from 1-2 cm dilated to delivery in only a couple of hours. Some report that they dilate from 0-10 in 45 minutes or less.
If you think you are having prodromal labor, there are some things you should do:
1. Don't worry. Worrying about it will only make it worse.
2. Have plans and back-up plans for when labor really does start - make sure you (and your partner) know what to do in the case you are not able to get to a doctor or midwife on time.
Editor: 3. And rest, rest, rest! Whenever you can, however you can. You may not be able to sleep during the night, but you need to keep your energy levels up if you are in Prodromal labor so that when the time comes you will be able to cope with the final stages of your L&D.
Thank you Green Giraffe for this awesome information! Don't forget to visit her post for her story and experience of prodromal labor.
xxx,
b.
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