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Childbirth

How did your labour start? eg, cramps, waters breaking, contractions etc?

51 replies

ilikeyoursleeves · 19/07/2009 14:15

I am 39+2 and fed up waiting! Just wondering what all your experiences were when your labour kicked off, did you...

a) have contractions
b) have your waters break out of the blue
c) have period like cramps
d) have loads of Braxton Hicks
e) have a show
f) anything else?

Cheers!

OP posts:
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fruitshootsandheaves · 19/07/2009 14:20

mine started with really bad backache

except for DS2 he was just lots of blood

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ChasingSquirrels · 19/07/2009 14:21

waters went first with both.
ds1: contractions started 30 mins later, born 2 hrs after that.
ds2: contractions started 10 mins later, born 15 mins after that.

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Ceolas · 19/07/2009 14:27

Contractions with all four, although I did have a show the day before labour with my 3rd (had a sweep).

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l39 · 19/07/2009 14:45

With my first I had a show one morning and went into labour that evening.
With my second my waters popped (at 42 weeks) but leaked very slowly, just trickling, and I started contractions about 18 hours later.
Third time I was induced. Waters went with a huge gush a couple of hours after a pessary. When contractions hadn't started 12 hours later, I agreed to go on a drip and they began at once.

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tootsweets · 19/07/2009 14:49

My first labour started with a show and contractions started 10 minutes later. My contractions were all in my lower back. Waters broke 12 hours later.

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moaningminnie2020 · 19/07/2009 16:28

DC1 - Mild erractic contractions for a few hours then waters went with a pop, ages til baby born.

DC2 - mild erreatic contractions and tons of show, ages before it turned into 'proper' labour again though. Waters didn't go til I was climbing onto the table for my section

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ruddynorah · 19/07/2009 16:34

everything altogether! big contraction with a popping feeling, waters gushed and had show.

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ilovetochat · 19/07/2009 16:38

period pains that built to contractions, had dd 26 hours later. waters were broken my midwife just before dd was born. no BH. blood when bad contractions came at 8-9cm.

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LittleMonkeysMummy · 19/07/2009 17:27

Waters broke at 40+2. No contractions for about 12 hours and then DD arrived 50 hours after the waters went. (need big KNACKERED emoticon)

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blinder · 19/07/2009 18:06

Show at 2.30am. First contraction about an hour later.

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siouxsiesiouxandthebanshees · 19/07/2009 19:45

DD, I woke up on my due day and thought I had wet the bed. it was my waters. She was born 3 hours later.
DS, I had pre eclampsia and had been in hospital for 3 weeks. One morning the doctor came on his ward round, and said deliver her now, aparently I had put on 3 stone in fluid in 24 hours. that was a fun day

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expertinscunthorpe · 19/07/2009 19:45

Show when I woke up which continued throughout the day - Braxton Hicks at about 4PM, proper contractions by 9PM, baby born 24 hours after that.

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ilikeyoursleeves · 19/07/2009 19:50

at how quick your births were Chasing Squirrels! It looks like everyone has different experiences (as I thought). With DS1 I had contractions for four long days before anything proper started so I guess I'm hoping this one will be different!

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theyoungvisiter · 19/07/2009 19:50

I was still bfing DS1.

I was exactly 38 weeks and after his evening feed I got very painful braxton hicks every ten minutes for about 3 hours, which tailed off over night.

Then after his morning feed (7ish) they started again.

By 3pm I decided I was definitely in established labour and called the MW.

By 8pm I had my baby

So conclusion: I recommend nipple stimulation

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theyoungvisiter · 19/07/2009 19:52

oh I had already had a show at 34? weeks which gave me a scare! Huge lump of glue - lovely. But fortunately labour didn't start, phew.

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cyteen · 19/07/2009 19:58

My waters broke at 5pm on a Saturday, but nothing else happened till late Sunday night when contractions started.

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oneopinionatedmother · 19/07/2009 20:00

erm....
dd) waters broke @8 with no other signs.
contractions from 11pm onwards...strong from 2am delivered @ 4am. think i could have done it faster but the midwife didn't arive until about 2am. (ie hospital kept on telling me my first would take ages - not the case)

ds) contractions started during conjugal relations @10am! proper full-strength from 12pm..waters broke late about 2:30.
baby delivered @ 3pm - longer labour but baby much bigger.

i wouldn't know the difference between Braxton hicks and proper contractions except by strength....

I had a miserable cold with DS and kept on thinking my waters had gone because my coughing fits were causing me to wee involuntarily.

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ilikeyoursleeves · 19/07/2009 20:00

I've been trying nipple stimulation and get cramps every time I do it but then it never amounts to anything, booooooooo.

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HollyBunda · 19/07/2009 20:01

dd - mucus plug went first then contractions started. But right before the mucus plug went I had a HUGE tantrum over being sick of being pregnant, crying and everything. And then POP!
Whole birth lasted 7 hours.

ds - water broke first then about 4 hours of nothing then contractions started. But right before my water broke my DH and I were looking on the web for what to do in an emergency birth!
Whole birth lasted about 3 hours.

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3cutedarlings · 19/07/2009 20:09

DD1 Regular contractions - born 26 hours later

DD2 Show/cramps, Regular contractions 2 hours later, waters broke 15mins later DD2 born 5 mins later and was a BBA 2.5 hours of very easy labour .

DS Cramps/Show, Regular contractions 4 hours later, waters broke as i delivered his head planned HB - 2 hour easy(ish) labour more painfull than DD2 as DS had his arm over his head .

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littlelamb · 19/07/2009 20:11

Dd was induced so it started with a nice big pessary I do remember having a huge show about an hour before my waters broke, and then things got started.

WIth ds it was quite unexpected, my waters went pop as I climbed out of the bath, I went into immediate strong regular contractions that were 3 or 4 minutes apart and he was born 3.5 hours later

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notquitenormal · 19/07/2009 20:14

From about midnight my thighs felt as if I was wearing trousers that were 2 sizes too small.

At 3am my waters broke.

4.55am Baby!

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LoveBeingAMummy · 19/07/2009 20:30

OK here goes......

a) Woke having a contraction at 3:40am
b) Water broke in the bath, then again when getting dressed, it was the second time that I realised exactly what the gush is
c) Mind were stronger than period pains and all round my back
d) can't remember having any more than normal
e) nope
f) I had a big clear out (iukwim) whilst having contraction plus was sick, oh and a fizzing in my tummy before i went to bed.

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Hormonesnomore · 19/07/2009 20:32

DC1 - waters broke at 3am, regular contractions started 2 hours later (pains in back moving round to front), baby at 6pm

DC2 - irregular contractions (pain deep inside)during night, show at 6am, regular contractions from 7.30, baby at 9am

DC3 - irregular contractions during night, regular from 5am, baby at 7am.

Reading this, I can see my last 2 labours were really short - didn't seem that way at the time though.

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AmazingBouncingFerret · 19/07/2009 20:33

I woke with contractions at about 3am went back to sleep till about 6am then they got a bit nasty, had DS about 9 hours later. I didnt have a show and they had to break my waters for me.

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