miserable and in pain - in early labour? 40+ weeks?

Question

I am 40 weeks and 5 days. I am 3cm dialated which i got to without ever noticing a braxton hicks contraction or anything. Last night my water broke at 8pm. I went to the hospital and they confirmed this and sent me home giving me 3 days and 4 nights to have the baby naturally before they'll induce me. I pretty much didn't sleep all night because i started getting contractions about an hour after falling asleep about 1am. 
By 3.20 i was certain i was having contractions, not just discomfort and i timed them to be about every 5 or 6 minutes. I called the hospital and the woman told me to come in when they are 5 min apart and 40+ seconds long. I told her they practically already were... then she said to come in when the pain got so bad i couldn't stand it. She said that if i could talk through them they were not strong enough yet. 
I was in more pain lying down than anyother position but so tired that it was worth it to lie down because i could almost fall asleep in the 4 mins between the pain so i was quite relaxed most of the time. I spent most of the time for the next 8 hours laying down almost sleeping plus i spent an hour in the bath, about 20 mins walking, a few showers. Going to the toilet is very uncomfortable but the stronger pains make me want to go #2. Standing and walking are less painful that laying or sitting. 
The contractions sometimes were 4 mins apart for a while, but sometimes would go back to 5 or even 6. Occasionally they were less like 2 but then they'd be weaker. 
The pains are in my back and in the lower front and feel like the worst period pains ever. They vary in intensity. Sometimes its not too bad and sometimes i do feel like i can't talk when they happen. 
I called the hospital at about 1pm to tell them it was basically the same as it had been since 4am.. They told me to come in to check the babys heart rate etc. The woman who saw me told me that what i am experiencing is not true, proper labour yet and it will get much worse! She said to come back when they last 60 seconds and don't vary depending on how i am sitting/standing/laying And when they are so strong i can't cope. 
I have not been too afraid of labour but hearing this is pretty scary as i am already experiencing a lot of pain some contractions and if this is not real labour and it gets so much worse i can't imagine how bad it will be. I thought i had a high pain threshold... until now! 

I am worried that this can go on for days and not be real labour and i won't have slept for days because the pain is too much to sleep through. 

She said there is nothing you can do to bring on proper labour and walking would just wear me out but not make a difference to labour. 

What is my question? Well can you share similar stories? Is labour always so painful you can't stand it? I'm not stupid, i know its painful but i thought i could handle it before but now i'm not sure. 

I was not expecting this - i didn't know that it was likely that my waters could break and cause such painful contractions every 5 mins that are not even labour that could go for days... 

i am still not sure that i will know when is the right time to go back. I am somewhat worried that they are stronger than she thinks because i do have a high pain threshold and she is judging me by my reaction and i don't appear to be reacting strongly enough... I am also not sure i am timing their length right. Do you time the length of the pain in the back and the front if they kind of move from back to front? 

Oh she also said that as my back hurts that the baby is probably postirier. But the baby has been in the same spot for about 8 weeks and nobody else has told me she is posterier... How can i tell? I would have throught if she had her belly/feet outwards i would feel kicks going outwards, rather than up and to the sides... 

Can anyone ease my mind at all. I'm very frustrated and tired and in pain. I have only slept about 2 hours in almost 24 hours.

Mom to Bella,Cade, Emslee · Answer

hey. i"m sorry your in so much pain. i was in a lot of pain towards the end as well. First off, if your water actually broke, they would never have sent you home. once the water is fully broken, baby must be delivered within the next 24 hours, or there is risks to the fetus. If your pains are coming consistently every 5 minutes apart or less, you need to be at the hospital. from what you describe, sounds to me like you should be a the hospital right now. don't listen to what the nurses say. they don't always know what they are talking about. i've had nurses tell me friends they weren't really in labor yet, and they ended up delivering within hours. you don't want to have the baby at home or in the car of anything. go back to the hospital right now. your having contractions very close together. that's nothing to mess around with. go back to the hospital. and make sure you get to talk personally to a doctor who checks you out. you sound like your in labor for sure to me.

good luck. hang in there.

moochie · Answer

I feel for you I really do. My early labour started on the Monday and wasn't bad until my waters broke at about 3.30am weds morning. Then the contractions really hurt. I was told the same as you by the hospital, wait as long as I could before I went in. I lasted until about 7am. They examined me, I was screaming in pain with every contraction, I was 1cm dilated. They told me to go home as this could go on for days, I was terrified. I was begging them to just "cut it out of me". They gave me 2 co-dydramol for the pain which did nothing. Anyway, I refused to go home unless they gave me some pain relief that worked. They thought I was a right drama queen and they left me to it. Told me to go for a walk around the hospital. Like you I was shattered and my pain was exactly like yours, radiating from the back to the front. I walked about halfway up the corridor and then went back to my room. Every contraction was making me scream. It got to about 2pm, I'd been begging for an epidural since 7am when I arrived. The shift changed, I got a new midwife. She put me on the monitor for half an hour then I was examined again (only the second time) and I was 7-8cm dilated so I demanded the epidural. The doctor was in theatre so had to wait another half an hour. By the time the doctor got there I was pushing with my contractions. The midwife told me to stop or I couldn't have the epidural. By the time I got it, I was 9cm. The pain was unbearable by this point, the contractions were coming thick and fast. I ended up getting a spinal block and epidural and the relief was instant. The policy at my hospital was no pain relief until you were 4cm so I'm quite angry I had to wait until I was 9cm but I had my daughter and she was worth it all. 
Some advice: go to hospital if you are struggling with the pain. Even if it's just for peace of mind. Get them to examine you and get pain relief as soon as possible so you can rest. You're going to need your strength to push. If you can eat/drink anything now, do it. Stay in regular contact with the hospital and good luck!!

lordkagome · Answer

Have you talked to your ob?  I haven't gone though labor or anything (not yet at least) but someone should be able to answer your concerns.  typically water breaking means you are in active labor but not always.  Since you are past your due date you should be getting induced to make sure the baby does not get distressed.  If you ob is closed now they should still have a emergency line if you dial their number so that someone can help you (and they should have a doctor on call).

Just relax for the time being, I'm sure everything is going to be okay (especially since the baby is still active). Just keep going to the hospital, eventually if nothing else you will be able to annoy them into doing something for you.

Queen · Answer

when u are truely in labor u wont be able to walk,talk or move w/o intense pain. you are at the beginning stages and it can last for days.
with my first i went into labor at 11pm and waited til 8am and went in cuz i couldnt take it anymore. I didnt have didnt end up having him until 7pm. 

just hang in there, the baby will be here before u know it, then u truly will be sleep deprived.. 

word of advice, have the baby stay in the nursery so u can sleep.. u will need it.

Proud~Mom · Answer

Oh my, I am really worried for you. I honestly dont know being that im pregnant with my first child, but maybe you should try another hospital to see what they say. I definitely wouldnt just sit through that pain.

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miserable and in pain - in early labour? 40+ weeks?

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