I am 37 weeks pregnant and I just went to the doctor today. She said I was 2cm dilated, 70% effaced and the baby's head is far into the pelvis. I am hoping to get through Halloween but am also getting antsy. Last week I was 1cm and 50 % so I have made progress. Lots of contractions here and there and also a lot of cramping from time to time. This is my second baby. I know that there is really no way to tell until you are in labor but I was wondering what your stories were. Thanks mommas!
Thank you so much for your responses! It is fun to hear other people's stories. It sounds like everyone is different and I will just have to wait and see what happens. So far it is Saturday and I am just sitting around trying to relax. Only a few contractions today. I hope I can make it through tomorrow night, then she can come whenever! LOL
From 36-38 weeks, I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Went in for my 39 week appt and I made huge progress. 4-5 cm dilated and 80% effaced. Had my sweet little boy later that evening. :)
Good luck!
I was 80-90% effaced and 3 cm from 37 weeks on. I had membranes stripped and everything around 38 weeks, and I still needed to be induced. Enjoy your last weeks of pregnancy because before you know it, you will be busy as a bee!
Hi J.,
It sounds like that you could make it thru Halloween. Just remember to take it easy as much as possible.
With my second child, I went in for a doctor's appointment in the morning of 2/10/10 and when he checked me, he sent me directly to the hospital because I was at 5 cm at 37 weeks (no joke!). I had my son at 4:20 that same afternoon. Just 5 pushes and there he was. He came VERY quickly!
I hope that all goes well with you & your baby! Congratulations!
I. K.
At 36 weeks I was1 cm dilated and at 37 weeks I had jumped to 4cm and 95% efaced. I was like that until they induced me 5 days before my due date.
I started the drip at exactly 5am, epidural at 7am @ 7 cm, broke my water at 9am...had her at 11:12am! If they could all be like that I would have 50 kids!! LOL!
Best wishes!
I was 3cm and 60% at 37 weeks with my second. At 39 weeks I was 4cm and 70%. Baby was 2 days late! I was very very antsy! I had tons of contractions and this was my second. But it was great becasue labor was only 4 hours and 6 min water breaking to birth!
Just try to sleep as much as you can and relax. I know it is super hard! Congrats!
This tells you nothing except that your body is preparing, which can go on for a few days or weeks. Quit letting people stick their fingers inside you. This increases your risk of infection and can possibly break your water. I am a midwife and we never do cervical checks until the mother is in active labor and even then only if she asks for one.
Lisa
A theme in the responses is that once a mom got to 4-5 cm, the baby came quickly after that. Of course there are exceptions. A student in my childbirth class dilated early and weeks before her labor. With her 2nd labor, she was 7 cm dilated at her prenatal and I think it was 2-3 days later that she actually went into labor and gave birth.
It is hard to not by antsy. But remember, dilating before labor is the easy situation. Labor should be pretty quick and easy - once it starts! It sounds like you'll be getting plenty of prelabor contractions too. Just learn to ignore them until they are consistently 10 mins apart or less, and they are strong enough that you need to concentrate on them.
Good luck!
you sound a lot like I did with my babies. Only I was a week farther ahead than you. At 37 weeks I would be at 1cm, 38 weeks 2 cm and 75% dilated and 39 weeks 3cm and about 80% and would go about or right at 40 weeks. compare how you progressed with baby number one and you can kinda judge if you will make it past Halloween. For me "getting there" was the same, the only difference with mine is that with each labor cut its self in half. #1 was 4 hours... by the time I got to baby #5 it was 45 mins. Good luck and enjoy your new addition :)
