Please indulge me by telling me your early labour signs

[DitaVonCheese]

Last time for me it was two days of period style pains and a bit of pinky mucus but no idea whether to expect the same this time. 40+2 today, give me things to obsess over look for

Dita - any news?

None here. On-off cramps all night - some strong enough to wake me. And a bit more 'show' this morning. Off out for coffee with a friend to try to encourage my waters to go in a spectacular fashion in public!

Nah nothing. Still losing bits of plug but no more cramping so assuming it was work of the MW's finger and not my hormones or whatever is supposed to kick in round about now.

HOWEVER I had a text from my doula last night to remind me that she is away from noon today until Sunday afternoon so am now really really hoping that it doesn't kick off this weekend. It's actually really nice hoping that it doesn't happen rather than desperately wishing that it would!

Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories, they are fascinating reading even if they are just reinforcing my impression that there is SIMPLY NO BLOODY WAY OF TELLING

Dita Ill cross my legs with you!! We have DSD here this weekend till 5pm sunday so im praying nothing kicks off before then although my presentation scan showed head down so at least if I do start I can labour at home as long as possible. Getting cramps again now tho :(

cramps are regular now and about every 15 mins. Hmm.

Ooooooooh this is very exciting

Winter I'll fight you for Gruffalo's copy of Country Living

Ooh this could be a triple birth thread, with two at the same time.
Good Luck! only a bit :o

I'll only be 29 weeks on Monday and am very jealous reading this.

Good luck though! :)

Do we have a Gruffalo Child?

I'm thinking I need to start timing them. Just got back from a walk

I'm 30 weeks tomorrow and very jealous reading this too!x

Don't be jealous of me - I am (a) not in labour and (b) extremely uncomfortable

Have been on two bumpy tractor rides today, possibly a bit dangerous and now extremely crampy/back painy but no contractions to speak of. Still hoping very much won't go into labour until tomorrow pm at the earliest.* My mum (emergency childcare for DD) has called to say she's opened a bottle of wine, so it's really not convenient for it to happen now.

This is my new best ever top tip for labour: book something you DO NOT WANT* to miss for a week after your due date. I cannot believe the change in my mood now I don't want to go into labour - a week of misery, grumps and hormonal impatient tears and now I'm the sunniest overdue pregnant woman alive

Oops - asterisk fail

I was watching Location, Location, Location at 6pm having spent the day cleaning, going to the tip and doing a full supermarket shop. Felt quite tired so sat down to watch and got a cramp. Wondered if it might be labour starting so put the dinner on thinking it would be hours before we had to go anywhere. By 7.30 when DH got home contractions were coming every 3 mins (although not lasting very long). DH packed car like a whirlwind and just about rememebred to take dinner out of oven. Got to hospital at 8.30, was told I was 2cm dilated and did I want to go home? Er, no, I'll stay here and some pethadine, thanks. Waters broke mid contraction minutes before i was told to start pushing. DS was born just after midnight (on his due date).

Now have TENS on Hopefully will be same as last time when I had it on for two days before labour started ...

Welcome un-named baby boy, 4 weeks early, born 6.55am today weighing 6lb 3oz

Baby boy was born 11 1/2 hours after waters breaking!! 2cm at 8pm, 4cm at 1.30am, fully dilated at 5.30am and 1 1/2 hours of pushing and he arrived

Wahoo! Huge congrats to you all

Hi all. Sorry for being in hiding. Congrats Winterlover!

Gruffalo child arrived on Saturday morning at 5.40am. Called Florence and weighing in at 10lb2oz. Was properly in labour at about 7pm. Went to the hospital about midnight and it was all lovely and low key in our midwife-led birth unit. Got into the birth pool about 4:30 and she arrived after about 40 mins of pushing. We made it home about 6 hours later and are both doing well.

Dita how are you doing?

Oooh huge congrats Gruffalos all!

Am nursing newborn - will update in a bit

Damn cluster feeding! Mortimer Von Cheese born at home in the birth pool on Sunday 24th at 6.28 pm after largely lovely four hour labour, weighing 8 lb 10 oz - not bad for a baby consistently measuring small for dates (impressed by 10 lb 2 though!). First MW made it an hour and 20 min before he did, second MW and doula nearly missed the whole thing.

Oh, and to answer my own question :) yeah, two days of cramping and bit of pinky mucous sounds about right. Had lovely slow start this time though compared to last time when everything was very intense very fast and was all a bit overwhelming.

Thanks again for all the replies :)

Brilliant news Dita - Congratulations! Enjoy... (Gruffalo child was cluster feeding for four hours last night. Ow.)

Congratulations ladies, hope your new families are doing well. Am 31+2 and have a feeling I will be early as have holiday booked mid Aug and that kind of thing always happens to me. Useful to know what signs to keep eye out for though.