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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how your labour started?

79 replies

Greywalls12 · 03/04/2019 18:51

Apologies, shamelessly posting for traffic!
I'm 38+6, and no idea if I'm in labour or just having painful braxton hicks!
Had bloody show yesterday morning and watery discharge this morning but I don't think it's my waters and there wasn't a lot of it at all and it's not really carried on throughout the day.
I had awful backache overnight and kept waking up every hour due to it, with some pain in my lower abdomen as well.
Baby feels super low but my stomach hasn't dropped.
I've been having back ache with stomach pains all day that comes and goes but I haven't timed them until recently and the pain's definitely got worse.
But they're quite irregular, and my midwife and in my antenatal classes have all said they would be regular if it is contractions and they've ranged between 6-12 mins in the past hour and a half, which makes me think it isn't labour!
They're not getting better with rest, walking or bouncing on my ball but I can talk through them. They're lasting between 50-60 seconds each and the last 3 have been 7 mins apart. I'm also hydrated and weeing loads!
I'm going to call triage if it carries on, but I want to stay at home for as long as possible if it is the real deal.

So can you please give me your start of labour stories and give me any tips to help with the pain! Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
Greywalls12 · 03/04/2019 19:25

Anyone? Blush

OP posts:
Februaryblooms · 03/04/2019 19:26

My last Labour started exactly how you've described.

Bloody show at about 12am, followed by pulsating back ache that came in waves and spread round to my front, getting stronger throughout the night. I didn't time my contractions as I wasn't convinced I was in labour. I called the hospital around 6am who weren't convinced I was in established labour, so I hung on at home until it got unbarable. I gave in and went to the hospital at 11am that morning and was 4cm dilated. I was admitted and gave birth later that night Smile

What helped me pain wise was a warm bath and having DP apply pressure to my back during contractions (it was a back to back labour so I felt almost everything in my back)

Sounds like baby is on its way! Good luck Flowers

Februaryblooms · 03/04/2019 19:28

Oh and pacing! When it got really painful I couldn't bare to sit still so I was doing laps of the flat (and hospital corridors when I arrived there)

Beanbag12 · 03/04/2019 19:32

Sounds like labour to me. Def call hospital for advice. Good luck x

User1053051066 · 03/04/2019 19:32

I'd say if you have had your show then it most likely is labour.
With dc1 I had the show on the tuesday pm then began slow labour pains on the wed which very gradually increased in to good full on labour at 1am and went to hosp at 4am. 1st baby born 3pm.
Dc2 woke me at 6am felt a little wet though no fluid on the bed etc it was maybe a very loose plug sorry tmi and all day I had labour pains just as you describe. Labour got obvious by 7pm and then at midnight went to hosp as it was uncomfortable. Dc born 4am.

Get some rest!! Eat lots of high energy food! Watch your favourite tv show or do the job you have been meaning to get done, and good luck!!!

willitbe · 03/04/2019 19:34

Sounds like the start of my first labour. Keep timing them, rest when you can, but if you want to encourage it along then keep up and walking, or on the ball. You still have some time to go yet. If the pain gets unbearable or closer to 5 mins apart lasting a minute, then you should be considering getting to the hospital or calling your midwife.

Tens machine if you have one, especially for the back pain, if not then back massage from whoever is with you.

If you think that the back pain is because your baby is back-to-back with you then look up the moves to help encourage the baby to move round. (I wish I had done this with my first!)

Bath is great if you can manage it, it will help with the pain, but might slow things down too.

Februaryblooms · 03/04/2019 19:41

Do keep us updated OP. I'm 36+4 and these threads get me excited Grin

Tootyfrooty35 · 03/04/2019 19:41

Was induced first time but second was spontaneous and very quick. Went from nothing, to waters breaking to baby arriving three hours later.

Pain wise I just breathed and tried to keep myself from tensing. I found leaning and rocking my hips side to side helped. Also TENS machine but you need to get it on quick for it to build your endorphins up. Try different positions too, I also found being on my hands and knees helped a bit, especially if you have lots of pelvic pressure earlier on, stick your arse in the air to relieve it a bit 😂

I'll come back on Friday and let you know how no. 3 goes 😁
Good luck, hope it all goes well 👍

MonicaGellerHyphenBing · 03/04/2019 19:43

Sounds like early labour to me. With mine I woke up at 3am, had a bloody show and then period pain-type contractions started not long after. They weren’t that painful until around midday when they became more intense and were around 5 mins apart iirc. I went to hospital at 5pm and DD was born not long after. I was also 38+6!

I used a TENS machine for pain relief while I was at home, then went into the birthing pool when I got to hospital, both definitely helped with the pain.

Hope your baby makes his or her appearance shortly!

Whatsername7 · 03/04/2019 19:44

Erm, you are in labour!

TeddybearBaby · 03/04/2019 19:46

I had pain that kept me awake but irregular throughout the night. At 6am I went to the hospital and was told I wasn’t in labour and I wasn’t dilated at all. I was gutted. I felt like I was in agony. I was petrified that if it hurt THIS much and I wasn’t even in labour then how would I ever cope?! My son was born at 5pm that evening. Listen to your body, you’ll know. I didn’t trust my own judgement back then but I did know deep down that I was in labour. Apparently none of the midwives could believe it. One of them actually said to me ‘OMG I was so sure you was just dramatic’

vgiraffe · 03/04/2019 19:49

Sounds very much like labour! With DC2 I had contractions like that - gradually getting closer together although a little sporadic, and not that intense. Then within an hour they suddenly got closer together and intense and we almost didn't make it to hospital on time... So just call the hospital/midwife and keep an eye on things!

Original poster
Greywalls12 · 03/04/2019 19:53

It's just still so irregular though! But bloody painful. If it's till the same in an hour I'm going to call triage!
Hoping it is and isn't labour, i still have so much to do but desperate to meet my baby!

OP posts:
ghostyslovesheets · 03/04/2019 19:54

DD1 - 37 weeks - bloody show then 12 hours later my hind waters went

DD2 - Can't remember! Fairly sure it was a show followed by increasing pains

DD3 - 10 days late - I convinced myself it was Braxton hicks - coped all day with them - picked kids up from CM - had to stop on route as the BH hurt! - later eating tea I noticed they where coming every 3 mins - doh! - still took 24 hours and a section for her to come out!

whyhello2 · 03/04/2019 19:54

Exciting! Keep us updated.

Waters burst with baby no1 and 2 inductions with no2 & no.3.

Good luck op 🙂

pipanchew2 · 03/04/2019 19:59

Sounds like labour: ring triage if your not sure: they won’t make you come in yet but can be reassuring, you could take some paracetamol and have a warm bath/ shower and see if that helps with the pain. Good luck!

Nolagerformethanks · 03/04/2019 20:02

Sounds very much like labour! My waters broke at 36 weeks, I then had a contraction every hour for 2 days before they ramped up and I was taken back into hospital, a 5 day long process in the end! Good luck lovely Flowers

pipanchew2 · 03/04/2019 20:03

Also don’t stress about what you still need to do, strangely babies don’t seem to notice! With DD1 when I started contracting I freaked that I still hadn’t given all the floors a good mop and was going a bit mad trying to mop and disinfect all my floors whilst on early labour. Cue 5 hours later and I had vomited all over said floors 🤦‍♀️

Candleglow7475 · 03/04/2019 20:04

Exactly like you described but then a
‘Pop’ that I heard & felt, then my waters went as a trickle. Good luck !

kaytee87 · 03/04/2019 20:06

Yep sounds like labour.

I'd go in to get checked as if your waters did go yesterday then you're at risk of infection.

MetalMidget · 03/04/2019 20:10

My waters broke in spectacular fashion, 20 minutes later contractions (and projectile vomiting) started, just over three hours later I had a baby.

strawberrylollipop · 03/04/2019 20:25

That's how mine started! :-)
Irregular pains that never actually went into a pattern - hospital told me I wasn't in labour - I turned up at the hospital when I finally decided I couldn't take the pain anymore and my dd was delivered within 11 minutes .....

Yogagirl123 · 03/04/2019 20:31

DS1 I had a show, and he arrived two weeks later after easy, 10hr labour.

DS2 waters broke, full on contractions three minutes apart, he was in my arms 2:5hrs later.

MaryPopppins · 03/04/2019 20:33

Sounds pretty much exactly like my first labour.

They didn't really get too regular until I was a lot further along and at the hospital.

How exciting! Good luck! Keep us updated. Xxx

Bambamber · 03/04/2019 20:36

Sound similar to how mine started. I kept feeling like I really needed a poo but nothing was coming out. Like the kind of cramps you get when you've got a dodgy tummy.

There can be quite a long time between early labour and established labour, so all the time you stay irregular make sure you get plenty of rest. Although you may be lucky and things move along quickly for you, good luck