What was your first sign of labour?

[MB34]

Hi,

I'm 41 weeks with my first dc and up until now been quite relaxed about being overdue. However, I'm booked in to see the consultant on Friday and really don't want to be induced.

For the last few days I've been trying to spot any signs of labour, but no joy - not even a braxton hick at any point!

For those of you who have been through this before, what was your first sign?

Also, do you believe it was something you did that brought labour on?

[graciem]

hi my 1st sign was a show with both labours a few days before i delivered. not sure if i helped kick things off with the old wives tales but both times curry and lots of nookie and the next day i was off. good luck.

[CitizenOscar]

First sign was contractions! Thought they were just practice ones til DH pointed out they were pretty regular. No other signs, and didn't do anything to bring it on.

60+ hours later & DS arrived

Good luck

[ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets]

My water broke in the dead of night and I thought I was wetting the bed, until I got up for the third time and only then it dawned on me! Contractions started about 15 minutes later.

[CombustionEngine]

Woken up by a huge painful contraction 2 hours after going to bed at 41weeks 4 days!

[ISeeThreadPeople]

You can't bring it on. NONE of the old wives tales work, I promise you this. Plenty of people will have a curry or sex or pineapple and have a baby. Thousands won't. It's a coincidence. Do whatever makes you happy.

My waters broke unexpectedly both times round. Once while eating dinner, once while asleep.

You can refuse induction if you want. Keep telling yourself that a normal pregnancy is 37-42 weeks. Your body knows what it's doing. And if you do consent to induction, it's not always a terrible thing. Go in there armed with info and make the decision which is right for you.

[Flisspaps]

A whacking great contraction at 3.30am

[MissChristmastRee]

Started having very mild contractions 10 days overdue but really nothing too painful. Went in the afternoon of day 11 for induction but waters went and huge contractions started when I was waiting for the prostin gel. DD was born 4.5 hours later, 12 days overdue

[Flisspaps]

And what ISeeThreadPeople says about bringing it on not working, and about declining induction and opting for expectant management instead if that's what you want.

[SingingSands]

First birth - general niggles, bit of a show, then period pain type feeling, then gradual contractions building up (was able to ignore for ages and watch first series of 24 on DVD), then stronger contractions and so on...

Second birth - a whacking great contraction. Like, MASSIVE. No nice gradual build up! Followed by another one 3 mins later, then another 3 mins after than... continually until DS arrived!

[CombustionEngine]

Sorry, didn't see the second question.

I was due waters breaking next day then c-section if that didn't work (vbac), and my mum had arrived so I knew no worries about getting ds1 somewhere in the night. So maybe it was no stress about that and knowing it was now or never! Who knows!

[candr]

DS was 10 days early. I woke up 1am feeling sick and threw up. Sat on ball for a while with tummy pains then felt like I needed a wee and passed some blood then had instant contractions every 3 min (labor was only 4h) Had waters broken at hospitle. Remember putting a waterproof picnic rug on sofa and car seat for a week before DS was born so I didn't ruin them if waters went. Have been told that clary sage/ raspberry tea / eating pineapple may help but didn't get to try them. (Did give DH a BJ that night though so wonder if semen helped???)
Good luck

[EugenesAxe]

Also a show here; a little the morning before contractions started and a big slug the evening before.

I had a sweep; I also got tipsy on champagne (like, freaking 2 flute size servings... takes a lot more than that now I'm back on it). I think letting go in some way like that is good, because your body really relaxes.

[Arseface]

Row with my mother!
Usually able to blithely ignore her rubbish but have lost my temper with her spectacularly an hour before waters breaking on both occasions.

Am determined to stay calm this time round!

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

Ive been here twice, 42+ both times and induced. Its not so bad.
Whatever you do, DO NOT TAKE CASTOR OIL! Im sure you will be tempted, I know that I was, but it will give you the serious shits, and theres a chance that it will cause the baby to pass meconium.
You could always wait it out, the hospital will want to monitor you regularly, and will probably moan a lot, but there is nothing to stop you.

[MB34]

Arseface - if that's one of the ways to bring on labour - I would've given birth 10x over by now lol!

I had a tiny bit of a snot-like discharge last night (but nothing like I saw on google images :-/) so am hoping this may be very early start of something!

[Flisspaps]

Arseface It may well have been that the hormonal changes taking place in your body which were building up to labour caused the argument with your mother, not the other way round

[melliebobs]

At 42+3 I had NO signs of labour. I refused to be induced n contractions just started

No Braxton hicks
No show

Proper came outta the blue

[MB34]

Hi mellie, I'm 41+3 today and the doctor is trying to scaremonger me into having an induction, did they do this to you too?
I really don't want one but dr said basically my baby will die if I go over 42 weeks - I know he won't but it hasn't made me feel less guilty about not wanting one!

[FlaminNoraImPregnantPanda]

Started out as just feeling uncomfortable (more so than usual) and somewhat 'off' which turned into mild lower backache. Few hours later started getting mild period pains, which gradually got worse. Still didn't think it was labour though. Eventually I told my mum who whisked me straight off to hospital. I was so embarassed because I thought I was wasting their time. I was admitted straight to a delivery room as I was 8cm dilated (ie almost ready to pop).

[melliebobs]

MB34 yes they did. I ended up seeing a consultant at +9 But at the end of the day it's MY BODY. All the literature the hospital gave said labour can normally happen anytime between 37-42 weeks. Well if thats the case give me a chance to get to 42 weeks to see if it happens naturally. Your not really overdue till 42 weeks anyway. They tried to freak me out over the placenta not working but they didn't give me statistics just kept saying 'increased risk'. I had a scan and all was fine. Completely my decision. The mw was really supportive and saw it as a 'refreshing change'

I didn't want to be induced cos is read all sorts on increased chance of instrumental delivery etc etc and I wanted a natural birth. After 16 hours of labour and not progressing they put me on the drip I'd true so hard to avoid and what do you know it all went pair shaped and resulted in a emcs under GA

I was kind of guilt ridden at the time that it was because I was so overdue (weeks later we found out it wasn't) and if I had my time again I'd stick with every choice I made

[eltsihT]

I went to 42 weeks last pregnancy and was grateful to have the induction day booked as it meant I knew I had an end point. In the end I was induced it was a quick labour 2 hours. This pregnancy, I am currently 15 weeks and sort of hoping I an induced again, as the whole labour happened in hospital and was very controlled, I am actually sort of terrified of going into labour naturally, having to drop my toddler off somewhere and get to hospital.

To answer your original question first sign of labour was a massive pain and my waters breaking.

Good luck elt x

[MB34]

Sorry you didn't get the natural birth you wanted after all that but at least you stuck to your guns.

My mw is supportive of me too so I may just research this placenta not working thing and see what the consultant says when I go see her on Monday.

Thank you for sharing your story

[helebear]

I saw a (bastard, male) consultant when I was 3 days overdue who tried to get me to have a sweep then & there & booked me in for an induction when I would have been 10 days over. I refused the sweep as it seemed too early to me to be helping things along and ultimately I wanted to avoid induction if possible. I had 2 sessions of acupuncture (free at my local hospital to overdue mums) and spent hours bouncing on my gym ball. I also forced myself to go for a walk everyday despite having sciatica & did quite a lot of yoga/ wriggling my hips around whilst on my hands & knees.

Who knows if any of this helped! But I went into labour at about 4am when I was 41 weeks, dp was woken up by a popping sound, which was my waters going, although there was only a trickle. It took a few hours for the contractions to properly kick in & until they did I just had period type pains. I was booked in for a sweep the next day but took dd home from the birth centre instead!

In retrospect I don't think I was ready for her to come on her due date & neither was she.

Good luck.

[helebear]

Just remembered there was a power cut on my due date so we tried having a shag to induce labour, which resulted in a show the next day but I didn't go into labour for another week.