From you exper. How long at 3cm before labor?

BlessedBottomz · 06-14-2007, 12:37 PM

My first client went to the doctor yesterday and is 3cm. In your experience, with first time moms, how long can a client stay at 3 before labor starts? She feels minor contractions here and there, but nothing regular. She is doing EOP as well.

syncreo · 06-14-2007, 12:42 PM

She could go into labour in the next hour or not for a couple of weeks. It is not uncommon for women, particularly first time moms to dilate prior to going into continuous labour. I try to focus moms on how beautifully their bodies are doing the work of labour without them really knowing it. I try to use these opportunites to further build their confidence in the wisdom of their bodies and to try not to focus on timing. Things are already happening they don't need to figure out when it is going to happen! I encourage them to trust the unfolding process.

tlcdoula · 06-14-2007, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syncreo

She could go into labour in the next hour or not for a couple of weeks. It is not uncommon for women, particularly first time moms to dilate prior to going into continuous labour. I try to focus moms on how beautifully their bodies are doing the work of labour without them really knowing it. I try to use these opportunites to further build their confidence in the wisdom of their bodies and to try not to focus on timing. Things are already happening they don't need to figure out when it is going to happen! I encourage them to trust the unfolding process.

dorothyh · 06-14-2007, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syncreo

She could go into labour in the next hour or not for a couple of weeks. It is not uncommon for women, particularly first time moms to dilate prior to going into continuous labour. I try to focus moms on how beautifully their bodies are doing the work of labour without them really knowing it. I try to use these opportunites to further build their confidence in the wisdom of their bodies and to try not to focus on timing. Things are already happening they don't need to figure out when it is going to happen! I encourage them to trust the unfolding process.

What she said!!!

I had a client last summer who went 2 1/2 weeks at 3cm, my sister also stayed at 3cm for a couple of weeks. I don't see it as any indication of when she's going into labor at all.

Mile High Doula · 06-14-2007, 12:49 PM

I have had a client sit at 5cm for 3 weeks before going into labor. Her dilation really doesn't tell you a thing about when it will happen, just that things are beginning to happen. When they start getting anxious because they are dilating, I try to remind them that it's GREAT that they won't have to go through this part during their labor but that it could still be a while before labor actually begins and to not change anything that they are doing. Some of my clients have told their hubbies to stay home from work, they stopped doing all kind of things, etc. They did this in anticipation for labor and if they constantly focus on labor or every contraction, it's going to be a long few days or weeks! Good luck! Just try to get them to understand that it's great things are happening, but it could be today or weeks from now.

amymaew · 06-14-2007, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dorothyh

I don't see it as any indication of when she's going into labor at all.

I was 3cm from 28-42 weeks with Keith. My current client has been 3cm for a little over a week and is still hanging in there. I just tell her it's 3cm less that she'll need to dilate in active labor.

loveslabor · 06-14-2007, 01:22 PM

I've been sitting at 3cms now for 2 weeks now. Still waiting.

Babycatcher · 06-14-2007, 02:31 PM

I had a friend sit at 4 cm for the last 4 weeks of her pregnancy. (Stretchy 6) She said she was going to just be walking along one day and have the baby just fall out!! LOL

doula Michele · 06-14-2007, 02:39 PM

My own personal experience.. i sat about 3cm for about 3 weeks with each pregnancy. Lots of regular BH ctx both times as well.

helpinghands · 06-14-2007, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babycatcher

I had a friend sit at 4 cm for the last 4 weeks of her pregnancy. (Stretchy 6) She said she was going to just be walking along one day and have the baby just fall out!! LOL

Not to detract from the thread but just curious.. what actually happened at her birth?

It has been my experience that my clients (and my own personal experience) that once I go into active labor I go fairly quick (a few hours or so). The only time it seems to take longer is when moms are overwhelmed by the sudden active labor and opt for an epidural around transition or complete. I see more malpositioned babies and/or assisted deliveries then. I just wondered what others experience has been.

Babycatcher · 06-14-2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wombservice4you

Not to detract from the thread but just curious.. what actually happened at her birth?

It has been my experience that my clients (and my own personal experience) that once I go into active labor I go fairly quick (a few hours or so). The only time it seems to take longer is when moms are overwhelmed by the sudden active labor and opt for an epidural around transition or complete. I see more malpositioned babies and/or assisted deliveries then. I just wondered what others experience has been.

Her water finally broke and no contractions ever started, so she had to have pitocin, but it was a low dose and I think her labor was only 7-9 hours long, but I can't remember which! No idea if baby was malpositioned. She was also almost completely thinned out the last month.

With her last baby She sat at a 3-stretchy 4 for 2-3 weeks, but she has hypertension (not pregnancy related) and her BP was getting very dangerous so they had to induce a week early because the meds were not working anymore.
That labor was only about 9-10 hours. I don't think position was a problem with the last one. I am guessing she just opens up early?? She said it happened with the first baby, too (she has three) but I don't know much about that birth.

Even though she had pitocin, she labored naturally with all three and they were born without assistance. She had a midwife for all three.

DoulaCBE · 06-14-2007, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlessedBottomz

My first client went to the doctor yesterday and is 3cm. In your experience, with first time moms, how long can a client stay at 3 before labor starts? She feels minor contractions here and there, but nothing regular. She is doing EOP as well.

weeks, months.
I had one client at 4CM for over 3 weeks.

amy323 · 06-14-2007, 03:40 PM

I had an incompetent cervix that required a rescue cerclage at 19w. When it was removed at 37w, I dilated to 3cm within 30minutes and stayed at 3cm for 1 week, then went to 4cm for 1 week. We induced at 39.2 due to high blood pressure so who knows how long I would have been at 4cm :-)

My first client is also at 3cm, but with the contractions she's been having for the past couple of weeks, her doctor is expecting her to go within the next week.

All the best!

doula Michele · 06-14-2007, 04:10 PM

My labours were very short. When labour actually started I went into active labour right away, since my cervix was already thin, and I was dilated so much before hand.
For me it was great and not overwhelming at all, but that is my personality... Lets just do it and get it done. So that is the way I labour also. Others may find they like to ease into it.

fearlessbirth · 06-14-2007, 04:16 PM

Through reading and experience I have found that until reg ctx start, dilation isn't really an indication of anything...other than the cx is open!

My first client's water broke and when MW checked her she was closed tight and hardly effaced and her baby was born 6 hours later. Another client was 4cm for a month, sat anxiously awaiting, and ended up being induced at 41 wks and had a c-section for 'failure to progress' (although, between you and I, they were pretty impatient and I feel if mama was up and about baby would have eventually come)....