Well... I went to the hospital 3 nights ago w/irregular contractions and was not dilated. The next day I had a doctors appt and I was 2 cm and 50% effaced. Then the next day I went to the hospital again for pain and pressure and contractions and they said I was 3 cm and I was 60% effaced and contracting every 3 minutes... they also said the baby was at about -2 station. I have already lost my mucous plug... do you think I'll go in the next 2 days or so?? hopefully. I have some really tight regular contractions and diarrhea like you wouldn't believe, and my pelvis feels like it will rip apart any minute... help!

Has your water broke? You said you lost the mucous plug... but if your water broke you need to go to the hospital or else you will have further complications. Also, if you are truly having regular timed contractions for more than 18 hours you need to also go to the hospital and be checked. When is your due date (how far along are you now)? I did not lose my mucous plug or have my water break however had consistent timed regular contractions for 24 hours and I went to the hospital. 5 hours later my daughter arrived. However if your physician or hospital says everything is OK and for you to go home, I have seen people stay 3 or 4 cm dilated for a couple of weeks to a month (especially if it is there first child.) Hope this helps, but when in doubt you really should be checked.

If you are contracting every 3 minutes regularly you should be seen again. Is this your first pregnancy? When is your due date?

Well I was having regular timed contractions yesterday at the hospital, but my due date is June 25th and they told me that since I was only 36 weeks and not 37 that they would not help my labor along, and they also told me that if I wasn't at least 4 cm and contracting regularly, then they would not admit me. The contractions are definitely very regular and my water has not broke yet. They just told me to take tylenol and use heating pads and to come back only when my water has broken or when my contractions hurt more. The only problem is that I got to 3 cm and they are getting a lot tighter, but are not a lot more painful. Is it possible to dilate more even if I am not having painful contractions?

Oh and also, this is my 2nd baby. My son was born at 35 weeks, induced because of preeclampsia

Continue to time the contractions and if they become closer together or more painful then you should be seen. You won't know if you are more dilated until you are checked again. You can go to 3 cm to fully dilated within a few hours to a few days to a whole month. I was 3-4 cm and 2 hours later delivered my 2nd child, my son. Continue to do what you are and if anything changes (contractions become stronger or closer together and regular, or your water breaks) you should be seen. Also if you begin to swell in any areas (feet, hands, face, etc) you need to be seen. Watch your blood pressure and just stay in tune with your body. Again, when your in doubt just have things checked. They (the hospital) would rather see you and send you home, then not see you and have complications. Good luck!

Thanks I just feel stupid or like a pest when I go to the hospital every time I think something's wrong. And I have already been there twice this week.

Do the contractions lessen at all with exercise? i.e. walking? Or do they stay regular? How far apart are they?

Typically, on my unit, when a woman is contracting regularly (every 3 minutes in your case) and it is her second child, we typically keep her, depending on her location to the hospital. Yesterday we had a woman go from 3 - 10 cm dilated in a matter of 3 hours, it was her second child.

As rnfowl suggested above, we would rather see you, check you out, and send you home, than you come in fully dilated with a bulging bag, and the doctor be 20 miles away at dinner.

It's always best to use your gut instinct. If the contractions lessen with movement, or with drinking fluids, it may be that you are dehydrated. This happens a lot during the summer months (where I live it is now 94). We sent a gal home today that was contracting every 2 minutes, but the contractions stopped once we hydrated her.

Whenever in doubt, get it checked out.

The contractions don't stop or lessen when I walk, they just get tighter and harder, and they don't stop when I lay down... they are constant. And after I walk around for more than 20 minutes it is hard to lift my legs to get like in or out of the car or go up and down steps, because it hurts so bad in my pelvis. I stay pretty hydrated so I don't think that's the case and I also have an aching pain in the tip of my tailbone when I sit up straight after walking around. My milk is also increasing because my breast are leaking more... I didn't know if this could be another sign that the baby is coming.

It sounds as if you are in labor. Don't worry about being a "pest." The hospital staff will get over it. Better to let them check.

How is your mood? From reading your posts, you sound calm and OK if in a lot of pain. When a woman gets close to delivering, she gets very serious, if not short tempered. Your significant other may have a better handle on changes in your mood.

I am not really short tempered but I am getting very easily irritated by a lot of things that I don't usually get upset about.

Again...

When in doubt... get checked out.

My attitude has gotten a little better than it was. It was so bad my mate has moved out on me. Maybe he will come back when the baby comes. I'm 3cm dilated and 38 weeks pregnant