What was your VERY first sign of labour?

[MayimBialik]

How does it start? I mean, I know it's different for everyone but I'm 40+5 and I feel so normal. (Albeit extremely frustrated and DESPERATE to meet my baby now).

Did you go from no signs to something suddenly happening (and if so what was it?) or did you feel funny for a while and things gradually built up?

I'm just waiting for something to start spontaneously...

[QuietNinjaTardis]

I had a show on the thurs morning and then fri eve I kept having painful Braxton hicks idiot like bad period pain and when I'd had no sleep and my waters broke at 2am I realised I was in labour.

[BionicEmu]

I went for a routine scan at 33 weeks, mentioned I'd been having some annoying stomach cramps which I put down to braxton-hicks, so was examined and found to be 2cm dilated. After a few more days of gradually increasing contractions DS was finally born.

In retrospect, I'd lost my mucus plug just over a week before, but gradually, over a few days. And what I had thought were braxton-hicks had been coming every 20 minutes, then every 15 minutes...

[Wommer]

I had no signs on the Monday at all and then woke up at 3 on the Tuesday morning with my waters gone.

Don't panic if you've got no signs, it could still happen for you today or tomorrow - I was 9 days over so hyper aware of everything and there were literally no signals at all - so much so that I'd pretty much resigned myself that I'd be induced.

Good luck!

[CheungFun]

I think I had Brixton hicks contractions for about a week or so before I went into labour, but they weren't painful or anything, just my tummy kept going rock hard!

The night before I had DS we were eating dinner and I remember saying "I don't feel right, I don't know why or what, but dont be surprised if I have the baby tonight" and I woke up at 5.19am in labour :o

Try to get as much sleep and rest as you can and the baby will arrive soon, good luck!

[EMS23]

DD1 38 weeks - I felt completely normal, energetic even and my waters broke.
DD2 39+5 - 8am I felt completely normal and I had one painful contraction out of the blue. Went to toilet to find a bloody, mucus show.

[cbeebiesatemybrain]

Dc1 no signs at all until my waters broke.

Dc2 lots of niggles then had a sweep, had a bloody show straightaway and lots more braxton hicks and started having contractions that night about 6 hours after the sweep.

Good luck!

[Pascha]

I ate a full meal and went up for a bath feeling fine, went to bed early as I felt tired leaving DH downstairs watching telly, couldn't settle, had a suspicion something might be up as I was 8 days overdue, went back downstairs to join DH and contractions started then. No show, no back pain, no undue symptoms, no waters breaking, just a gradual build up of contractions.

[VolumeOfACone]

DD stopped moving one day, that was the first sign for me, not a normal sign I assume though, as I had a concealed placental abruption.

[Chigley1]

I had absolutely no inkling until my waters broke! Two children and was the same with both of them. They were both a few days early so maybe I wasn't looking for symptoms IYSWIM?

[BreeVanDerTramp]

The midwife sticking a pessary up my fango to induce me - all 3 times

[mameulah]

40 +5!!!!!! I send you my good wishes that your baby will appear very soon.

I am 39 +2 and I cannot even imagine that by 40 +5 my baby will still not be here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck!

[Pinotgrigioplease]

At 40+11 and booked in for induction the next day I couldn't sleep due to incredibly bad heartburn so I eventually gave up and went downstairs...where my waters broke with a huge gush!

[SarryB]

39 weeks exactly, waters broke at 2.30am in bed! Baby born at 4.03pm that day.

[Iggly]

DS - I had contractions and I just knew what they were. Iwas 40+8 and had been for a walk the night before and got all misty eyed looking at old photos - maybe coincidence?

DD - sat up and could feel waters seeping out. Was a bit so got up and checked pants etc. went back to bed and every time I turned over, water came out. No proper contractions until a few hours later - just pain free ones at first. Proper contractions were brought on by going for a walk around local town centre.

[Iggly]

Dd was on her due date, hence me being I felt cheated out of a week of maternity leave

[ItsAllintheMind]

I had a total need to blitz my kitchen ... i'm normally the world's biggest slattern. Dh knew there was something amiss when he came home to find my very pregnant arse sticking out of the chest freezer scrubbing it. Went into labour that night

[mycatlikestwiglets]

I woke up at around 1am at 40+8 and realised I couldn't get back to sleep as I was having contractions. Was up for the rest of night as they gradually got closer together. Unfortunately DS took about 50 hours or so to arrive but that was the very obvious start of it!

[YouSeveredHead]

Contractions for the first and a show for the second

[YorkshireRose12]

I lost my mucus plug over the Sat to Sun. Mon I had an urge to clean my house top to bottom, followed by the best, longest, most blissful night's sleep I had had in AGES, which on retrospect I think was my body knowing labour was coming. Mild (period pain type) contractions on and off all day Tues, gradually increasing to become too painful to sleep through. Admitted to hospital Weds lunchtime as my waters broke without labour properly starting (still just the early, period pain type contractions), by 9pm Weds these had got me to 3cm dilated. "Proper" labour then kicked in, fully dilated by Midnight and DS1 born after an hour and a half of pushing.

[sleeplessinsuburbia]

I had no signs until my waters broke. It all happened quickly from there.

[Pickles77]

Mine was the most horrendous period pain ever, and I just couldn't settle

[fluffacloud]

DD1 - 37+3.
Very faint period type pains at 17.45 by 21.40 she was born.

DD2 - due date.
That morning I could barely get off the loo after being constipated for weeks. Then period type cramps from 13.30 she arrived at 00.59.

Good luck OP

[CurlyKiwiControl]

Period like cramps which I ignored which turned into contraction type cramps very fast indeed. Woke up at 4.39 in morning with slight cramping and by 7.55 DS had been born.

[Longtalljosie]

Partial waters leak - both times

[ItsMyLastOne]

On the Sunday afternoon I was having weird pains and couldn't explain but I just felt funny. Felt perfectly normal on mnday. Tuesday morning had a bit of show, then a bit more show later while I was at work. Tuesday night woke up having my first contraction, went to the loo and lost a tiny bit of waters when I stood up. Contractions just continued from then and DD was born on the Friday evening.

This time though I'm only 36+5 but have been having period type pains, feeling strange, gone off food, and painful BH for weeks. It's getting boring now!