36-Week Pregnancy: Dilation, Effacement, Back Pain & Concerns - Seeking Information

Question
as of wed.14 of july i was 36 wks . at my ob appt. i was at a 2 cm. dilation but,had a fingertip effacment according to my ob. On fri the 16 i started to have severe back pain along with elevated high blood pressure. i was addmitted to the hospital on that day. i progressed to 4 cm by saturday. and was discharged. as they would not induce at this point in time. i would like to know how long before i progress to 5cm or more as i am not having any kind of contractions. this is my 5 pregnancy any i have carried only 1 baby to term. the other 4 came at 32-36 wks. please answer back .as i live 2 hours away from the nearest hospital. and want to know if i should maybe stay closer to the hospital.

Answer
Hello Dolores. Well, with your past history, I would make arrangements to stay closer to the hospital than 2 hours away. I'm glad they didn't induce- the more time baby has in utero the better. You could very easily walk around at 4 cm dilated for another 4 weeks, but with your history I suspect it will not be more than 2 weeks. Please look upon every day from this point on as a blessing for your baby and don't get impatient about wanting labor to happen. I wish you all the best- Cheri.