In the very early stages of labour, your cervix softens and becomes quite thin. This can go on for hours; days even. During this early stage you may feel nothing at all for some time. Eventually, you might feel some pain and discomfort but there is no pattern and the contractions are irregular.
There is no set time for how long prodromal labor lasts. Labor varies from person to person and from pregnancy to pregnancy. For most people, prodromal labor begins once you are close to full term (37 weeks). One episode of prodromal labor can last up to several days at a time.
For most first-time moms, early labor lasts about 6 to 12 hours. You can spend this time at home or wherever you're most comfortable. During early labor: You may feel mild contractions that come every 5 to 15 minutes and last 60 to 90 seconds.
If your baby is not born after approximately 20 hours of regular contractions, you are likely to be in prolonged labor. Some health experts may say it occurs after 18 to 24 hours. If you are carrying twins or more, prolonged labor is labor that lasts more than 16 hours.
What are the risks of prolonged labor? Failure to progress during the first stage of labor rarely leads to complications, although it's often mentally and physically draining for the parent. Prolonged labor during the second stage is more serious because it increases the risk of: Infection.
Many women stay at home during early labour. This is often the longest part of the birthing process. It may last up to 2 to 3 days. Contractions are mild to moderate and shorter (about 30 to 45 seconds).
This is perfectly normal. The duration of the latent phase of labour can be variable. It may last for 24 hours or more and can be tiring for you. It helps if you can stay as relaxed as possible during this part of your labour and remain at home in comfortable surroundings as long as you can.
The prodromal phase can typically last anywhere from 24-72 hours, although it can also come and go throughout the day. If you are laboring with your second, third, or later baby, you may be susceptible to prodromal labor that comes on at night and fades by morning.
There are a number of potential causes of FTP, including (1) uterine contractions that are too weak or too infrequent; (2) the baby is not in the right position or placement (malpresentation, such as breech birth); or (3) the baby cannot fit through the mother's pelvis or its shoulders get stuck (shoulder dystocia).
Prolonged labor can result from a variety of different issues, such as fetal malpresentation, issues with uterine contractions, cervical dystocia or stenosis, and cephalopelvic disproportion. Both fetal malpresentation and cervical dystocia may result in obstructed labor.
2 Although most cases of prodromal labor only last a few days, some people experience weeks of it. Aim to rest as much as possible during this time—you'll need your energy for active labor.
Our general rule is to sleep as long as possible if you're starting to feel contractions at night. Most of the time you can lay down and rest during early labor. If you wake up in the middle of the night and notice contractions, get up and use the bathroom, drink some water, and GO BACK TO BED.
Know the signs
contractions or tightenings. a "show", when the plug of mucus from your cervix (entrance to your womb, or uterus) comes away. backache. an urge to go to the toilet, which is caused by your baby's head pressing on your bowel.
Also remember that sometimes prodromal labor will spontaneously turn into real labor once the baby is positioned well. Don't miss the signs that your body has transitioned into real labor. Talk to your midwife team if you have any questions about your progress.
For many women, the earliest sign of labour is a cramping feeling - a bit like period pains. You may also have a bit of pain in your lower tummy or back. It's also very common to experience diarrhoea or to feel sick or nauseous.
Early labor contractions can feel like gastrointestinal discomfort, heavy menstrual cramps or lower abdominal pressure.
Labour can sometimes be slower than expected. This can happen if your contractions are not coming often enough, are not strong enough, or if your baby is in an awkward position. If this is the case, your doctor or midwife may talk to you about 2 ways to speed up your labour: breaking your waters or an oxytocin drip.
Spending most of your time in bed, especially lying on your back, or sitting up at a small angle, interferes with labor progress: Gravity works against you, and the baby might be more likely to settle into a posterior position. Pain might increase, especially back pain.
“How long it will last is extremely variable,” says Arntfield. You could spend up to 48 hours in this phase, which can be intense and draining but isn't generally cause for concern. The second phase of stage one is active labour, which begins once your cervix dilates to four centimetres.
Side-lying release
Not only can this position be used to help engage the baby into the pelvis and to encourage cervical dilation, but it can also be used during labor to help ease discomfort.
Staying at home ensures an uninterrupted stretch of time when labor can unfold naturally and in a relaxed way. All evidence indicates that when a woman feels safe, unrushed and supported, labor will usually progress on its own.
Do contractions make you feel like you have to poop? For lots of women we surveyed, yes. The most common analogy moms used to describe the sensation of the pressure they felt during labor (even before the pushing stage) – all decorum aside – was thinking about having to poop.
If you have even one of these signs and symptoms of preterm labor, call your provider right away: Change in your vaginal discharge (watery, mucus or bloody) or more vaginal discharge than usual. Pressure in your pelvis or lower belly, like your baby is pushing down. Constant low, dull backache.