Mumsnet Talk

Hello, 2nd Q of the day.
I can't describe why I feel like I do at the moment but I just have this 'feeling' that my baby is going to come early. I am due in Feb.
So I was just wondering if anyone had their baby weeks early and if they 'knew' it was going to happen - or if in hindsight you realised there were signs that they were going to come early?

Bump. I would like to know this too actually,

maybe it's wishful thinking as I want to meet him already - but I just have this feeling that I could go into labour any day - but it's my first so I have no clue. And I feel a sense of readiness for it.

I'm interested in this too. Also due in Feb and have a 'feeling' I'll go into labour early. Not sure why: DD was bang on time and my due date is, if anything, a few days earlier than I think it should be (based on when I think I got knocked up...).

So interested to hear stories!

I think my reasoning is that my partner was born very, very early (at 25 weeks) and it runs in his family. My sister was born a week or two early but nothing too amazing. I wasn't sure if it ran in the family in a sense, probably a stupid comment to come out with but I really am not sure.

I am due April but reckon she'll come in late Feb/March time (due early April, so anywhere from 30 weeks onwards).

After reading that asked my partner and he said he was 2 weeks late. I would also like to see how common it is from the responses that people are early.

My sister and I were both born early, and her two daughters were early, so I was quietly confident that DD would come early too. And she did - 3 wks. I wouldn't think history on father's side likely to make any difference.

My DC1 came 6 weeks early, if that counts? I was admitted with pre-term labour at 33+3 weeks and eventually had him at 34+0 weeks.

Up until about 33 weeks I'd had no inkling at all that he would come early. He was my first baby, so I was expecting him to be late! At 32 and a bit weeks (can't remember!) I had what I thought was a show, then had very,very mild period pains for a few days. But mild to the point where I only noticed them because I was sat down reading a book, I think if I was busy doing something I wouldn't have noticed them. Went for a routine scan at 33+3, mentioned the odd pains, they examined me and found I was 2cm, and the rest is history! Up until that exact point I didn't think he would be early, I'd just put the odd pains down to Braxton-Hicks etc.

Family-wise, I was 2 weeks early and my younger sister was 3 weeks early. Nobody in my mother's family has ever reached their due date. Similarly, my paternal grandmother had both her children early - my dad was 6 weeks early, and his younger sister a few weeks early, nobody seems that sure. Not sure if DH's family history is relevant or not, but he was born at 38 weeks, but ended up being an EMCS due to foetal distress.

I'm now 32+1 weeks with DC2! I've been admitted into hospital twice with threatened pre-term labour, had steroid injections etc at 27 weeks as it looked like he was coming, but things have settled down now. Weirdly I have a funny feeling I'm going to go overdue with this one!

When you say early, do you mean any time before 40w or actually premature, before 37w?

I was induced at 38+1 so didn't go into labour naturally, but I did feel I was going to pop any time around then anyway. Before inducing they said I was already 1cm dialated. I'd had mad braxton hicks in the days before then, and twice during w37 they thought I was having actual contractions when strapped to the monitor (they just felt like BH to me though).

Well I am 30 weeks at the moment - I don't really know when - I just feel like it'll be sooner rather than later.

I had no clue. DS was 8 weeks early and it was just the same as any other day, plenty of kicks etc. It was only the fact I had a midwife appointment that day that saved his life, no pains, no bleeding, no contractions...nothing. Less than an hour after my appointment started DS was born!

Family wise, I was 10 days early, my siblings were all slightly after their due date. OH is a twin so MIL was induced at 36 weeks, his siblings were all around their due date

I had DS early (33 weeks) and was totally shocked by it. No inkling beforehand. I think I did have a bit of nesting instinct thing a day or two before what I now know were labour pains. No record of any preterm births in my family - all go late if anything! Hoping this one'll go longer. My niece was due the same time and was convinced hers would come early but went to term after weeks of on/off contractions. I don't think you can 'know' these things in advance.

Gosh Fuckity - that must have been a shock .

I had that feeling with my first. She ended up being induced as was showing no signs of coming by due date and was big.

With the second I was convinced she would be late too, so planned on the section being early November. Then one Tuesday I went to se my ob gyn and he brought the section forward two weeks to the Friday three days later, in mid October. The Wednesday night I hummed and hahed about going in as I felt something was happening, and went in on the Thursday afternoon earlier than planned. We kept the Fiday morning appointment but they think she'd have started of her own accord that day, at 37 weeks exactly.

So my 'feelings' were wrong both times. Sorry, that probably doesn't help you much does it.

Not really early, but both DSs were born on 37 weeks.

I had no thoughts they would be (other than for DS2, I kind of expected it as DS1 was early).

I have a feeling this baby will be slightly early. I don't know why though as ds1 was induced at 42 weeks, ds2 was induced at 40 weeks at ds3 was born at 40+3 so I've never had an early baby (luckily) I just feel like he may be a couple of weeks early. I've had lots of braxton hicks, urine infections and I have done nothing at all to prepare for this baby so he will probably surprise me.

LeBFG It was a bit!

The week before I was talking to my sister, joking about how my pain threshold is pathetically low and what the hell was I going to do in labour. 'I'm going to go to sleep and the fairies will do it' I replied confidently.... As it turned out, thats exactly what did happen!

What does a Braxton H feel like? How do you know you have had one?

Fuckity - are you saying if you hadnt been at MW your child would have died? That'sscared me a little....

iam - Yes. He had been kicking and moving about as normal that day (y'know kick kick kick, have a little rest, kick kick kick, have another rest), when I got to the MW he had stopped for a 'rest' except she couldn't find his heartbeat. Sent me straight to the hospital (luckily only 5 minutes away when driving rather fast), they found the heartbeat on a scan but it was incredibly low. After being raced through the hospital, I had an EMCS. The surgeon said afterwards that it was the quicckest delivery he had ever done...was something like 18 minutes from me entering theatre to DS being delivered

My MW came to see me the day after and she said to OH outside the room that she never expected the happy outcome and had actually come to see how I was doing

Was bloody scary but obviously incredibly rare. All of the tests the hospital did afterwards came back no problem, and DS has had no after-effects

iamwhaticallpregnant they feel like a tightening of your belly, like all of a sudden your belly will go completely rigid and solid, can be uncomfortable but they shouldn't be painful (in my experience of them)

My braxton hicks feel like tightenings and cramps (and they are painful for me sorry) and I end up sat in the toilet and having to breathe through them.

I was early by 2 weeks, and my brother was a day early so I know my daughter would be - she was 8 days early. Had no signs other than strong braxtons for a couple of weeks before.
This time round I think Ill still be on the early side of the due date, but I think I might be having a boy this time so probably slightly nearer to it.

Yeah they just feel like a real rigidity of the stomach that seems to increase and hold for anything from a second to thirty seconds and then just loosens. It kind of reminds me of getting a blood pressure test, but from the inside out.

My friend said she knew she was going to have her baby early because she hadn't been able to eat a whole meal for weeks, baby was lying very high in her belly and squishing her stomach. She had reflux, indigestion, and could only manage mouthfuls of food at a time.
Then one day she was able to eat whole dinner and pudding - baby had 'dropped' and she gave birth the next day, a good few weeks early!

Call me a cynic, but 99% of these 'feelings' are just feeling pregnant.

If you are due in February trust me, you want to wait a good few weeks yet.

Fuckity, 18 minutes from entering theatre really isn't that short of a time. They couldnt have thought your baby was literally dying or you'd have been asleep and he'd have been whipped out immediately.

I had a placental abruption at 27 weeks with one of mine. I was put to sleep and he was out in minutes. All I remember if having to sign forms while in agony being wheeled down the corridor.

I agree with HDee, sorry. Babies do drop it’s pretty standard at 30something (I forget how many) weeks. Mind was enaged for bloody weeks. He was born at 42 weeks. At my 38 wk appointment my mw told me she didn’t think I’d be coming to my 40wk appointment as I’d have had the baby. No such luck!

I'm 27 weeks and had a bit of a false alarm this week. Midwives took it very seriously and had me in though as my mum went into labour prematurely with my brother at 28 weeks, was stopped but into hospital every week until he was born at 36. I was born at 35 when her waters broke. So while I am not sure about feelings I know that they take mum/sister's family history as an indicator & I keep telling my DH this LO may not go to 38 weeks :-/

I had that "feeling" with DS that he'd be early, was very sure for some reason. Had loads of BHs for weeks. DS was born uneventfully at 40+13, escaping induction by 12 hours.

So I agree with pp. the feeling is just a pg thing, it doesn't mean anything for most of us.

Hope your baby stays put til 37 weeks at least.

I had no idea, no inkling, nothing. I'm a twin and we were born at 33 weeks and I was pregnant with twins too, so knew I wouldn't get to 40 weeks, but when I had really bad back ache at 27 weeks that was more than just discomfort and went to the hospital, I could not believe it when they said I was in labour. So they were more than 12 weeks early (both absolutely fine now).

Maybe it was a twin thing, rather than a "family history" point of view as I got to 39+6 weeks with Number 3.

I had my dd at 37wks, no signs at all, no braxtons no sickness had mw ap the day before and head wasn't engaged or a show, think there is a link possibly in family's as my mum also had us all at 37 wks, lost count of the amount of times I've heard people saying they will give birth any day as fit to pop etc only for them to go over, I don't think you can know what will happen unless you've perhaps had a premi before and even then it's no guarentee

well, i'm only 5'2" and i only got to 37 weeks both times. like my body just wansn't long enough. i was active throughout but the 48 hours before I was hit with such a fatigue. walking became a supreme effort.

ps, my mum had me at 36 weeks and i have since read that it can be inherited. my kids are fine btw.

DS1 was 3.5 weeks early, DS2 was 3 weeks early on xmas day and DD was a week early. Had no clue with any of them until my waters broke. Nearly everyone I know had late babies and it seems more common but for some reason mine come early.

DS was 9 weeks early, and the day before my waters broke I was absolutely ravenous.

I could literally not eat enough, and this has always stuck in my mind in case I ever get another day like that with this pregnancy!

Always wondered whether it's your body preparing you for labour, although I don't know whether it's typical or not...

Mine were born at 35+5 and 35+6. I started nesting a coupe of days before DC2 but no other signs of pre-term labour.

And I agree OP that if you're not due until Feb you really don't want to be desperate to meet your baby yet.

I stopped putting on weight after 30 weeks so that was the first clue, scan then showed my placenta was not functioning optimally, DS arrival at 34 weeks was still a shock though

My sister was certain her baby would come early. Adamant in fact, her son was born 3 days late!

HDee I think Fuckity knows whether the doctors were worried about her son dying or not better than you...

Thanks all for your responses - very interesting. I really was impatient to meet him but after watching a section on news about premature babies i have completely changed my mind and hope he stays in there as long as possible.
The people who linked it to hunger - i havent been able to eat properly for two weeks and have woken up today starving.... Oooh it's like waiting for Christmas.
Thanks all x

I think it's amazing that we can beam information around the world by satellite and a million other things but can't predict when a baby will come.

NoTeaForMe, they were obviously worried, hence the section. But not so worried because it took them 18 minutes to get the baby out. In true emergencies (like my abruption!) you are asleep and baby is out in far less time.

Gin, there is a kind of vaginal swab that can be taken which allegedly predicts quite accurately if you will go into labour within the next ten days or so. The trouble with it is that so many things can contaminate the results - semen, blood, amniotic fluid etc.

I had dd three months earlier
The constant heavy bleeding, large clots, sporadic contractions and loss of fluid meant that it was highly likely (and why I was in hospital)

I had same feeling from about 20 weeks. 39 weeks today though so even if it comes now not exactly early...

HDee I still think its ridiculous for you to think you know fuckitys situation better than she does. Unless you were there of course?! I bet you're somebody who has a migraine if someone has a headache or a broken foot if someone stubs their toe!

Yeah NoTea, you are right. While my placenta was abrupting, it was probably just a braxton hicks. When my twins were born at 23 weeks, I was probably being over-dramatic by thinking they may die or be left permanantly disabled.

Yes. You are right. I just like the extra attention it brings.

I'm probably also over-reacting and being a drama queen by thinking you are a fuck head and should keep your opinions to yourself.

Do your research. If a baby is dying In utero, then taking 18 minutes to get him out would mean a dead baby. I never said Fuckity's situation wasn't serious. It obviously was for her to have been delivered so quickly.

HDee, I think you're referring to the fetal fibronectin swab? It's useless at predicting labour, it's more useful for predicting a lack of labour. Well, a negative result means you will 99% NOT go into labour in the next 2 weeks. A positive result means you may or may not. I had a positive result at 27 weeks, and was having contractions. Had steroid injections, the lot, but am now 33 weeks pregnant and still no baby!

HDee at no point did I say your situation wasnt serious. I did not mean to belittle what you went through, an if you feel I did then I am truly sorry.

However, when fuckity said that the medical staff rushed her in as they were worried her baby was dying in utero it's ridiculous for you, or anyone else that wasn't there, to tell her that that's not true and clearly there was nothing to worry about.

I will be ignoring the fact that you called me a fuckhead!

Whoops! The last bit was supposed to be crossed out, not put in bold!

Both mine were early, no signs before with either.

Dd came 3 weeks early, I hadn't a clue. Two and a half years later her brother was a week late - that was a long four weeks as I was waiting & watching the entire time (& so was everyone else)