What were the very first signs of labour for you?

[MayimBialik]

How did you know you were definitely in labour? In hindsight, were there any less obviously signs before you got to this stage?

[Pastabee]

Tiny bits of brown mucus in the afternoon followed by intermittent, low down period pains in the evening. Went to bed thinking something might be happening and woke at 3am with a massive show.

It quite shocked me how big my mucus plug was and how much blood there was. After that regular contractions until DD was born 12 hours later.

Really the very first sign was less than 24 hours before she was born. I was moody the week before but who isn't moody the week they are due.

Good luck.

[CailinDana]

Puking. I had a lovely dinner of salmon and chips and then puked the whole thing up, first time in pregnancy I was sick since the very start. I woke up the next morning with mild pains that slowly got worse as the day went on and DS was born at 3:30 the following morning.

[Gingerbreadlatte]

For me and my first DC, it was low back ache that I actually thought was my SPD playing up. Went to have warm bath. Got out, realised it was getting more intense but as it continuous I didnt give it much attention.

Then it was suddenly coming and going every 5mins so I knew that was it!

Waiting to give birth to DC2 now so eagerly awaiting any hints of labour but it will probably surprise me again when I dont expect it!

[Nivet]

I woke at 5:30 with an intense need to iron little vests, waters broke whilst I was ironing.

[openerofjars]

With DS, my waters went. Two days later he was born.

With DD, I was watching tv with DH in the evening and thought, "ouch", then five minutes later, and five minutes after that. She was born a mere day later.

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Nausea. Terrible terrible nausea that came on suddenly though didnt make me vomit. I thought I had a tummy bug/ate something that didnt agree as it felt like I needed the toilet. I couldnt eat either.

I sat through that from 10.30am to around 5pm. Then I noticed it started to come in waves, getting worse and easing off. The actual pain started around 6.30pm as well as clear discharge which wasnt my waters or show. DD was born at 11.16 the next morning!

[Biggem]

Watching...due tomoz and have had period type cramps in and off all week

[sandraletitia]

There is also this thing called DENIAL. Teach what to look out for in my NCT classes but still many women believe that even with all the signs it can't possibly be happening to them, it must be something they ate...etc!

[seabuckthorn]

Oh I so want to be in labour!
I think it's just wind

[squidkid]

Dramatic unmissable waters breaking in the middle of the night, 3 days after my due date. I started with contractions right away. Baby born 28 hours later.

For the previous 2 weeks, I'd had braxton hicks and period-like cramps and I did have one run of what I thought were contractions for 7 hours about a week before. I lost my show over 3 days, about 4 days before waters broke.

Late pregnancy is a very frustrating confusing time!

[theborrower]

I didn't know it was labour at the time, but I woke up with really strong period pains the morning I went into labour. And then later that day my contractions started - they were a perfect 5 minutes apart! When they continued that way for a few hours and didn't go away with walking, and then I had a funny tummy, I knew that was definitely it.

[Fakebook]

Bloody mucousy stain in my knickers, followed by a massive bloody show 6 hours later. I was in labour with mild contractions all day.

[INeedThatForkOff]

Slight twinge in my lower back while swimming the first time - took 24 hrs to progress to the point that I realised they were contractions.

Waters started trickling this time (5.30 this Monday morning ). I had a consultant labour so they had me in straight away. Contractions started 2 hrs later and he arrived at 6pm.

[chaosandcupcakes]

Woke 5am with lower back pain similar to my periods. Increased and turned into contractions. Lost mucus plug about 10am, waters went lunchtime, headed to hospital about 8pm and baby born 2am next day.

Baby now 8 week old and labour seems a distant memory already blotted over with lots of happy cuddle memories!!

Good luck!

[pictish]

Ds1 - Period type pain, that became stronger and more frequent as time went on. 27 hour labour.

Ds2 - waters broke, then SLAM full on labour! Just made it to the hospital on time by 5 minutes. 1 and a half hour labour.

Dd- waters broke, and contractions came on while dh was driving me to hospital. 3 hour labour.

[JessieEssex]

Slightly brown mucus at about 3pm followed by massive mucus plug at about 7pm followed by trickling waters from about 9.30pm. Contractions started at 1am and DD was born at 9.30am!

With hindsight, I was doing a lot of cooking and general preparing that day, but whether that's because I was nearly at due date or the mystical 'nesting urge' who knows....

[bulletwithspookybatwings]

There were no signs before my contractions started, my waters didn't break until a couple of hours after that and then only a trickle. The bulk of the waters came out the same time as DS from what I remember! I had a sweep during the day, I went into labour at about 1 am but no signs in between. I had about 3 or four contractions 10-20 mins apart and then went straight into every 2 mins, by the time we got to hospital at around 5 am they were constant. I sill didn't give birth for another 12 1/2 hours though, because of the epidural I think. I was fully dilated at 1 pm, so really I think he should have arrived soon after that!

[rogersmellyonthetelly]

With my first, the obvious sign was regular period pains which got closer together. Less obvious sign was getting up that morning and being quite energetic and perky instead of my usual grumpy tired hormonal self.
With my second, again, regular contractions that didn't go away after a couple of hours, less obvious was that she was very quiet the day before and I ended up in the day unit being monitored and was having the odd contraction which I didn't notice but that did register on the monitor. Mw said it might be something, it might be nothing, it turned out to be something!

[mignonette]

Ironed the whole of the linen cupboard including the bits of rag behind the water tank....
Cleaned out food cupboards, washed the cans and arranged them all in perfect colour graduations....
Dusted every single book on the shelves in every single room...
Spent couple of hours running cotton buds along the exterior door mouldings to obsessively remove every speck of dust....
Insisted on going to carpet store because I needed a new carpet now...Where my waters broke......

[flyoverthegoldenhill]

mignonette me too. Nesting - I decorated 2 rooms in one day ! Then out she popped (well, thats how I like to remember it, conveinently forgot labour)

[ellesabe]

The first signs for me both times were pooing lots and losing my mucus plug.