Just out of curiosity, are you planning for a natural birth?

Congratulations on your baby’s birth!

So, I really do hope and actually *think* that you have had that child by now! And I also hope you or your hubby was able to recognize any “differences” that turned your labor into birth before it happened! That really is one of the biggest challenges about this labor pattern. I have a friend who accidentally had her baby at home because of this labor pattern (everything turned out okay). She’s *planning* a home birth next time!

Please let me know if you post your birth story! I want to read it!

Just for the record, my amazing Bradley teacher does accept my experiences and validates them, even though she has rarely come across this sort of thing prior to me. She has been a great support! I too, however, have made some somewhat far-reaching plans to become a Bradley teacher myself as soon as this little one is old enough to allow me to do so. I absolutely love the Bradley Method. My husband practiced it through the pregnancy and birth of his second daughter from his previous marriage, and therefore was the biggest reason that we participated with this pregnancy.

Thank you for your compliments about the detail in which I describe my experiences. I do think it’s so important to describe every feeling, twinge, etc in great detail so that others can relate. Your blog helped me understand this, as perhaps I would not even have known I was experiencing prodromal labor without wading and relating to your experiences!

Just to update you, as of a week and a half ago I was checked by my midwife (not very Bradley but glad I did it!) and I was found to be 50% effaced. This is a relief to know that all of these contractions are doing something. I go back on Monday and hopefully will hear more progressive news. Any way we slice it, at least we know the baby is coming soon, however earlier this week I did hit a bit of a road block because I started to feel frustrated at all the starts and stops. There have been a few nights where I really truly thought that we would be making the call to the midwife. I have to admit, I am a bit worried that I will not be able to recognize hard labor in time.

My contractions occasionally stop me in my tracks and I have difficulty breathing and talking through a handful of them per day. I also awaken to the really intense ones a few times each night. This has all been going on for 5 weeks now, with each week increasing slowly in intensity (the frog effect!) so I do feel like the only woman out there who has experienced prodromal labor for this long! How did you do it when you had no one to relate to? My due date is technically May 13th, however I have thought that we were off on dates the entire pregnancy, so if we are off by about 4 weeks, then I would be due this weekend, which feels “right” according to what my body is going through. I would love to hear your thoughts on this! What changed for you on the day or days leading up to hard labor, anything that you can remember distinctly?

Thanks so much for letting me know, and again for writing your blog. I can’t wait to hear how your upcoming pregnancy & labor go!

I can relate to your referece of your Bradley teacher being unaware of this labor pattern. Mine doesn’t even believe it exists–still! (Part of the reason I am becoming a Bradley teacher myself–the word needs to get out.) I have found this to be the general attitude of “people who know.” It is what sparked me to create my blog in the first place.

I enjoyed reading this post, and am linkng to it! You describe your experience in great detail, and that is important for others searching on the internet to see if they’re crazy! I imagine this post will be a validation to some of my readers as well!

I do hope you’ve cooked that baby longer. . . I’d love to hear how it all goes/went!