Thread: Prodromal Labor

I have seen some of you ladies mention prodromal labor, what is that? Is it like braxton hicks?

It's more productive than braxton hicks. It's the beginning stages of labor- basically, it's like braxton hicks contraction that are actually a part of productive labor. For most women it precedes "real" labor by maybe a couple days. For odd balls like me, it goes on for weeks (or very rarely, months), VERY slowly dilating and effacing and bringing baby down.

Originally Posted by jooniper

It's more productive than braxton hicks. It's the beginning stages of labor- basically, it's like braxton hicks contraction that are actually a part of productive labor. For most women it precedes "real" labor by maybe a couple days. For odd balls like me, it goes on for weeks (or very rarely, months), VERY slowly dilating and effacing and bringing baby down.

I am a weird o too. It's been a couple weeks for me too. A nice contraction pattern that doesn't really hurt, just tease you into thinking that maybe something is actually going to happen. I did have a 6 hour labor last time after about a month of it, so I suppose it was worth it.

Originally Posted by jooniper

It's more productive than braxton hicks. It's the beginning stages of labor- basically, it's like braxton hicks contraction that are actually a part of productive labor. For most women it precedes "real" labor by maybe a couple days. For odd balls like me, it goes on for weeks (or very rarely, months), VERY slowly dilating and effacing and bringing baby down.

Put me in the months category. It's very annoying, but it is actually doing something. The hospital likes to call it "false labor" or "latent labor". I hate the term false labor because there is nothing false about it. There's more going on in your body preparing for birth such as moving your cerivix from posterior to anterior, effacement, and dilation as Jooniper said. But it's also trying to get your baby in a good position for labor.

Originally Posted by ~Kristina~

Put me in the months category. It's very annoying, but it is actually doing something. The hospital likes to call it "false labor" or "latent labor". I hate the term false labor because there is nothing false about it. There's more going on in your body preparing for birth such as moving your cerivix from posterior to anterior, effacement, and dilation as Jooniper said. But it's also trying to get your baby in a good position for labor.

This, the bolded, totally bugs me! DH calls it the same thing. I actually yelled at him for calling it that this last time because it's not false labor, like i'm some paranoid mom thinking every little twinge is labor. They used this term on me 12 hours before I went into real labor with my last DS. False labor my eye!

I do it for about 4 weeks before I have my baby. Like others have said it's really annoying and gets your hopes up but it is doing a good thing. My second baby was born after 4 weeks of it with only 6 hours of labor 4 of those hours were good regular contractions. So even though it is annoying, especially when you are so anxious to meet your little one, it does do some good.

I'll just jump on the "prodromal labor is a pain" bandwagon. I've never experienced it before, but I get the lovely joy of it this pregnancy.

i'm pretty sure thats what i had with DD, but i never felt like i was having any "tightenings" or contractions, just discomfort occasionally, like especially after DTD or long days at work, and for a few hours i would just feel off or tired or occasionally like walking laps around wal-mart... like that made it all flow better than sitting did. but i was already at a 3 by 37 weeks, 4 by 38 weeks and when i went to the hospital at 38 weeks having nicely timed contractions they petered out but the OB on call had them give me ambien and keep me for the night... good because i got sleep, bad because i seriously dont remember anything between 12:30 that night at 7:30 the next morning even though i hadn't slept that long a stretch in YEARS so i know i got up to pee, i just dont remember doing it... so i dont like ambien unless i have insomnia....ANYWAY, in the morning i was dilated to 6-7 and i let the break my water even though i wasnt really even in labor and DD was born less that 5 hrs later. so i feel that all the little work and small discomfort leading up to it was worth it to have a relatively short (if train wreck like) labor.

I think the terminology that is in common use doesn't accurately describe what labor is like for a very large percentage of women. In my time on this board, I have learned that it is very common for contractions that feel JUST like the contractions you have in active labor to start and stop for days or weeks before the baby is born. I think there is a common misconception in our culture (which I think comes partly from innacurate portrayals of birth in the media and our lack of experience with real women in labor before we give birth ourselves) that as soon as contractions are "painful" (which I don't like because I prefer to think of it as intense pressure) it means the baby is coming NOW, which is why so many women go to the hosptial too early, and if the hosptial doesn't send them home like they should, they end up with pitocin--I think sometimes they wouldn't even have given birth that day at all and the contrax would have gone away...I think I need to write a blog post about this...

I don't like the language "false labor", but "prodromal labor" is not much better, if you look up the definiton of "prodromal"...

i figure all contractions are doing SOMETHING, just because we can't measure it and dont know what they are doing until say... a baby comes out.... doesnt mean a damn thing. but i wouldnt know what to call it either.

Originally Posted by MrsMangoBabe

I think the terminology that is in common use doesn't accurately describe what labor is like for a very large percentage of women. In my time on this board, I have learned that it is very common for contractions that feel JUST like the contractions you have in active labor to start and stop for days or weeks before the baby is born. I think there is a common misconception in our culture (which I think comes partly from innacurate portrayals of birth in the media and our lack of experience with real women in labor before we give birth ourselves) that as soon as contractions are "painful" (which I don't like because I prefer to think of it as intense pressure) it means the baby is coming NOW, which is why so many women go to the hosptial too early, and if the hosptial doesn't send them home like they should, they end up with pitocin--I think sometimes they wouldn't even have given birth that day at all and the contrax would have gone away...I think I need to write a blog post about this...

I don't like the language "false labor", but "prodromal labor" is not much better, if you look up the definiton of "prodromal"...

Medical model of care - everything deserves a name and a diagnoses. It can't just be "you're body is preparing its self for labor". And AGREED!! I think I love you! lol