Pregnancy question...can you dilate without regular contractions?

Mariana - posted on 11/23/2012

hello everyone i need your advise. i am pregnant with my first baby. my due date is dec 15, 2012 so i went to my weekly checkup and the doctor said that i already show contractions however i dont feel them. he said he strongly believes i wont get to my due date, in fact that he only gives me two weeks the most to deliver my baby.... what do you all think? can these contrations be a sign of early labor?

Yalana - posted on 07/04/2011

yes, you can dilate without regular contractions. With my second son, I didn't have any contractions until the night before he was born and I was at 8cm by then. With my third son, I was around 5 or 6 cm when I started having labor pains 2 weeks before his birth. I didn't dilate at all with my oldest son, even after they tried to induce me (which was pointless...my water had already broken and I was having some labor by the time I got to the hospital...and the drugs stopped my progression). I've always had irregular contractions up until they were out, so it is possible. Don't worry...it's the baby in the driver's seat!

Katie - posted on 09/09/2010

It's not real labor unless the contractions get closer together and stronger. I was dialated to 4 and 95% effaced before I went into labor. I kept thinking I was in labor before though because I was just so anxious. I know how it feels to be ready for pregnancy to be over with...just hang in there, the longer your baby stays the healthier they will be.

Kirsten - posted on 10/29/2009

I was 2 cm dilated three days before my son was born and I kept having mild irregular contractions until my water broke and then I had contractions every minute. By the time I got to the hospital I was already 6 cm, after only an hour of regular contractions and two hours later I was fully dilated and ready to push. I think those irregular contractions really helped get things ready so that I could have a fast labor.

Kassandra - posted on 10/28/2009

I also had fast one with first one, had irregular contractions for a day or 2 (thought braxton hicks cause weren't regular) went into hard labor for 1 1/2 hours @ 1 minute apart and boom there was baby! Was induced with last 2 and that was only 8 hours each!

Penny - posted on 10/25/2009

i was like this with my son right up till he was born and they were going to send me home he was born a hour later with his cord round his neck

Anna-Louise - posted on 10/24/2009

Yeah there is no hard and fast rule unfortunately. With my second child Jack I had 1 contraction and was fully dilated (no joke). Jack started to be delivered on the way to the delivery ward as there was just no time! It's all good fun! I just hope my third - due in two weeks is a bit slower!

Karen - posted on 10/22/2009

Absolutley - I was having contractions I couldn't feel, and it was only as I was at a check up at the hospital that I was told I was actually in labour. When I did begin to feel them, they were very irregular, but I was dialating. I went from 6cm to fully dialated in about 20 minutes after having only irregular contractions.

Sarah - posted on 10/22/2009

yes i think irregular contractions over a few days before labour onset your body can start to prepare for labour by dilating a little

Stevie - posted on 10/22/2009

yes most ppl dialate to a one or 2 maybe more just on braxton hixs my first my daughter was born in 10 min without any registerd bhs all i had was really bad cramps the monitors didnt pick up braxtons or regular contrations...

Katherine - posted on 10/22/2009

I was dilated 4cm 7days before my son came but i didn't get any pain when i went into labor, it was straight away 2min apart then he was born 10minutes after that.

Christi - posted on 09/26/2009

after 2 days of irregular contractions I started having back labour which i went through 4 days of before delivering my lil girl on sept 16th.

Sherry - posted on 09/11/2009

hello christi, for my 1st i was never had regular contractions and delivered him withing 24hr i think everyone is different but if u have a show (bleeding) or ur water has broken or there getting painful head straight to your hospital hope i helped GOOD LUCK

Anna - posted on 09/11/2009

Sounds like pre-labor and it can last a few days. I had 2 days of irregular contractions then 24 hours of the real thing. Drink water so you don't get dehydrated - it slows things down if you do. Rest if you can - it could be a long haul. Sounds like they are getting pretty close though. Maybe you'll get to have the full birth experience. It will go faster if you are in a quiet calm dark place where you feel relaxed, either alone or with someone close to you. Going to hospital to soon tends to put the brakes on it. Good luck :)

Sarah - posted on 10/22/2009

yes i think irregular contractions over a few days before labour onset your body can start to prepare for labour by dilating a little