Anxious...how long!!

[DR84]

My sister is in labour as i type this. She is 40 weeks plus 6 days. She went into hospital tuesday evening because baby was lying oblique and midwife was worried it meant cord could come first. She was 2cm dilated at lunchtime yesterday having slight contractions, at 18.00 still 2cms and at 22.30 still 2cms and waters partially broke. All through the night she was having contractions but is still 2cm, I'm getting worried. They're mentioning epidural as she's getting tired, how long are they likely to leave her? To me 48 hours with no change is a long time!!!

 

[dollface79]

After 8 hours of no change with me i was taken for an emergency c section. I got to 6 cm then stalled. If you or she is worried then ask the midwife at hospital how long this will go on for.

 

[kirsty27]

They wont leave her any longer than 24 hours after her waters have gone due to risk of infection as far as I'm aware. I had a very long drawn out labour lasting 52 hours but still managed a normal delivery at the end with the help of some morphine in the night to give me a sleep. Try not to worry, midwifes are very on the ball and will be monitoring your sister and baby closely and the minute they have cause for concern they will act on it xx

 

[Tigger87]

Until your 4cm they don't class it as "established labour" so I don't think they're really likely to do much at this stage. Early labour can (and often does for a first baby) go on for days x

 

[BunnyN]

Until your 4cm they don't class it as "established labour" so I don't think they're really likely to do much at this stage. Early labour can (and often does for a first baby) go on for days x

Yeh, offically they won't even have started counting labour time but they may decide to intervene if things don't move along naturally. There will be a time limit to how long they will let her go with waters broken too. Different hospitals use different time limits. If her waters are only leaking they might not start counting it right away.

To put your mind at ease a bit doctors are usually too quick to intervene rather than the other way around. As long as the baby is not in distress there is very little immediate danger. It's hard but try not to feel too much pressure to be in a hurry some women just need more time for labour. Some women do seem to be unable to dilate but that is unusual. Often dilation seems to be stuck but then goes quickly. Really the only thing is to give it some time. I got stuck for hours and hours at 6cm but went on to have a normal birth. Of course at some point she might need help just because of being exhausted but it's amazing what we are capable of. If she feels like she needs an epidural then that's okay but she shouldn't do it just because the doctor thinks she needs it. The MW was worried that I was too exhausted by the end of my labour but I knew I wasn't at that point yet and was doing fine but it was a bit irritating spending energy arguing. So I'd say listen to what your sister wants and support that, whatever it is.