What was the first sign of labour for you?

[Pontouf]

I am 40+1 with DC2 but ad an ELCS first time oun so hae never actually been in labour. I was just wondering what people's experiences were of the beginning of labour - was it having a show, or your waters breaking or just the start of contractions? And if it was contractions did they build up from nothing or did they start off at an intensity that meant they were recognisable as contractions?!

I have had an achey back for about a week now but baby is back to back so that could be nothing to do with imminent labour. Would really love to know what sort of things I should be looking out for!

[jessebuni]

Also in my experience with my contractions

My first child I had twinges all day but they hardly hurt, I was able to completely ignore them and go shoppin in the Xmas sales! I wet to the hospital to get checked out when they were regularly every 4mins but got sent home because they said I didn't look in enough pain to be in labour yet. It wasn't until that evening that suddenly they were every minute and hurt like hell and it was all quite quick after that.

My second was more gradual. I had a few twinges one night but nothing more then the next day I went into labour. I noticed the pains when they were every 4 mins and they gradually increased in intensity over the next hour until my daughter arrived.

[LuckyOwl28]

Early evening I seemed to have a massive hormonal surge and was just in a VILE mood, felt depressed, angry... went to bed and sobbed uncontrollably for about an hour and was disgusting to my other half.

Went to bed at 10pm and woke up at midnight with strongish period pains, then saw the very faint start of my show when I went to the toilet. By 2am they were coming on strong and getting regular. I gave birth at 7pm that evening!

Its so hard as everyone is so different! Good luck! x

[GingerDoodle]

Unpainful tightenings;once every song whilst travelling up to London.
Sitting down for dinner thinking, bugger this actually hurts.
Refusing my husbands offer of duck (I LOVE duck) and hissing 'we need to leave NOW).

I should add; this was Leicester Square and we needed to (and did just make) get to Chichester!

First Tightening probably around 5.30pm, DD deliver 11:24pm.

I should add; I had really painful hips in the morning and saw the mw who didn't detect imminent labour. I had joked my friend that the sheer inconvenience of labour in London would mean I'd come home with a baby!

So I can recommend doing something inconvenience to labour.

[GingerDoodle]

something that labour would be an inconvenience to*