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I'm not sure If this is the same thing , but I went into the hospital with pretty intense contractions but was only 2 cm. contractions kept
Getting more intense but no progress on dilation. The OB decided that my body needed to rest and we did a "morphine sleep", where I slept for like 1.5 hours with one dose, and when I woke up labor started. The thought was that my body was too tense and this allowed dilation to progress. I know you said you've been able to sleep though !

No, but good luck! Hope it all goes smoothly and you get a lovely midwife

With my oldest, labor started on a Friday, and I had him Sunday midday. Loooooong time! They ended up breaking my water to speed things along (I was 8cm by the time I went to the hospital)

Both times I had long early labor, or maybe false labor that lasted for a week at least.

With LO2, I had 3 weeks of occasionally time-able contractions, intense enough to make me pay attention but not so intense that I would actually describe them as painful. When the baby actually came, I had 2 hours of somewhat mild contractions (I couldn't sleep through them but so I got up and did the dishes) about 5 minutes apart before I decided I should call the midwife. They had me go to the hospital right away, I was fully dilated as soon as I got in the room, and I had the baby 5 minutes after they broke my water.

I loved my labor! I'm guessing that the early labor pains did a lot of the work for me, and I ended up only having maybe 15-20 minutes of really painful labor. And it didn't feel rushed at all; the midwife just asked me when I was ready to have the baby and then broke my water to move us forward.

yes, mine was five days and during those days, multiple times, my contractions went to 3 min apart I was about to leave for the hospital but then a shower, laying down, etc would slow them down again. It was SO frustrating. I finally went to the hospital when they were at 3 min apart in the middle of the night, but I still wish I would have waited because things majorly slowed down at the hospital again and I need intervention (dr. breaking my water, pitocin, etc) to kick start labor.

I SO understand what you are feeling like - contractions are usually too intense to live normally (go out to eat, go to a park, etc) but mentally it drives you crazy! I hope it's very short-lived and real labor comes on soon!

@Cherrybee: I had a week of prodromal labor. I had an OB appointment and I was already 3 cm dilated. I thought it couldn't be long till I went into labor...it was a week. Exactly a week later, I complained to my OB that I was having contractions on and off, all day and night and not sleeping because of it--the no sleep thing was way more exhausting than I can transmit here in type. The doctor suggested I go home and drink a glass of wine to "relax my uterus". Instead, I went directly to a women's wellness center and got an induction massage--during the massage, my contractions were so intense, I had to get up from the table midway to breathe and walk around (I thought I was in real, serious labor at that point). Then they went away AGAIN.

The next morning I went to work....and well, when the contractions started up again, I kind of ignored them thinking it was more of the same. Luckily, my husband talked me into heading home before they got super painful, because then I had a super quick labor.

So, your body is just doing some of the early work for you now. It probably means once your labor is really in motion, it will be very fast again. Make sure your bags are packed and ready to go!

@Cherrybee: wine for everybody!

I was checked on a Tuesday and 4-5cm dilated but didn't actually go into labour until Saturday despite having contractions for the best part of 3-4 days. I walked, I bounced, I pumped, I nursed and still I couldn't get myself into active labour! And did I mention that the OB said I would "fly into labour and that baby will come fast!"? SO frustrating and disheartening!

Hang in there, lady!

Weeks of primordial labor with both boys. Weeks.