How did your labour start?

[Tw1nkle]

Out of interest - how did your labour start:

Slowly, waters broke, contractions, other.....?

Thanks.

I was seven days over. Totally fed up. So I decided to have a madras from the local takeaway to get things moving.

The following morning my waters broke. Only slowly though. I was lying in bed and went to go to the loo and that's when I saw bloody show/very wet pants.

There was no signs it was going to happen. I felt normal.

Very uncomfortable night (just thought I was sleeping badly) then backache all day. Then a definite coming and going pain. DD arrived 36 hrs later.

Waters broke in the morning I was due and had the show a few hours later then nothing until that evening where I had very mild contractions which almost went away, then they got stronger around 11pm so I went to bed and was in unbearable pain by 1am but the contractions were too far apart to go to hospital just yet. I managed to sleep on and off until 9am then went to hospital where I was 5cm then gave birth 5 hours later. Possibly having an elcs this time

With DA1 my waters broke in a majestic fashion at 3am and he was born 13 hours later. With DS2 I started having labour pains while reading DS1 to sleep, I remember very distinctly thinking "here come the baby". With DD1 I had labour pains for a couple of days but pretended I wasn't, as abrasive knows best DMIL was staying. On the monday a very good friend popped in and I went to midwife. DD1 appeared v quickly.

My waters broke out of the blue with both of them. I had no signs at all and felt normal/well. First time I was sitting on the sofa watching a film. Second time I was asleep.

For information's sake, I didn't have a madras the night before. I wish curry started labour. A nice Indian takeaway would be a lovely induction method wouldn't it? Or cake. Cake as a known method of induction. Yes, they should invent that.

I went to the toilet about 11am and had a show. Contractions started not long after and dd was born at 5.35pm.

DS1 was induced so not what you're looking for i guess.
DS2 - I had a bit of a show, then mild pains leading up to bigger pains and he was born at home with the waters, 8 hours from start to finish

Waters broke in a trickle - took me a while to realise that's what it was. Then contracrions. Was 40 + 13

Waters broke with a gush at 36+6. Then nothing much for c24hrs. Then irregular contractions in my back for 24hrs. Then meconium in waters so I got induced.

Mild contractions started wed evening, felt like an upset tummy, coming and going. Went to bed and they stopped. Started again Thurs lunchtime, very mild at first so spent most of the day in and out of the bath. Tens machine went on about 4pm and by 1am I decided I wanted to go to the birth centre. Was 6cm on examination at 2am and dd was born at 6.10am. Waters sent as she flew out, literally!

Dd1 - reduced movement on due date. 40+1 and lots of braxton hicks and baby low. 40+2 - painful bh and lost plug around 6pm. Contractions started around 7pm - long early labour but very fast active. Born at 40+4 at 10am.

Dd2 - woke up on 39+6 feeling 'off'. No appetite, very tired and weepy. Knew it was imminent. Starting losing plug at about 3pm. Very mild contractions started around 7pm - waters went 4pm following day and contractions started properly and baby born at 7pm.

I had period like painkillers at 11pm. Went to bed and slept for a bit, but pain got stronger. I was expecting (even though I know it's not the case) waters or a show to kick things off. As it was my waters only broke about 3hrs before having my daughter and after several hours of contractions. It took me a long while to work out they were actually contractions.....

*pain not painkillers

Monday night - mild niggly period pains
Tuesday 4am - show and mild contractions
Tuesday daytime - niggly pains
Wednesday 3am - mild contractions (no more sleep until the big event)
Wednesday daytime - niggly pains and I got seriously fed up so when DH got home from work he was informed we were DTD to get things on the way, waters leaked very quickly then seriously popped a few hours later.
Wednesday evening - proper contractions
Thursday lunchtime - baby born

Mine was really gradual, to the point where it was hard to say when it actually started.

A week or so where the braxton hicks got slowly stronger and stronger each day, not painful but with periods of regular "contractions" for several hours but which always disappointingly just went away overnight. Then one afternoon (about 24h after a sweep) I had dull period-pain, gradually increasing throughout the evening, and the "contractions" stayed, and bach ache increased, becoming gradually stronger and more uncomfortable during the night until I knew it was the real thing.

Contractions were frequent but not painful from about 3am, but just built up in strength and ouchiness rather than frequency through the morning. I didn't get a show till I was about to go to hospital and waters broke when I got out the taxi at hospital- DS born 3 hours later by forceps as he was distressed.

I feel like that's the pattern I'm following this time, 39+5 today. Don't think anything will be starting soon.

Day before due date, had a few tiny niggles but thought nothing of it. 1am got up with upset tummy, waters broke gently on bathroom floor. Got to hospital and was 4cm dilated. DS born 6 hours later. I was very lucky! I'd warned DH that labours never start with waters breaking like on TV and we'd probably be back and forth from the hospital for days...

Is that you Kate?? Royal baby on its way?!

Plug went at 4pm. Waters followed with hollywood gush at 6pm. Contractions in taxi which went over a bump at 7pm then baby came at 9.29am the next day :)

3 weeks early by the way aswell.

DC1 - 5 days overdue. Had a bloody show, hind waters went very slowly in a trickle. 48 hours of contractions every 5-20 mins, but hardly dilated at all, eventually got into established labour and DD born 12 hours later.

DC2 - 9 days overdue. Woken up by waters breaking in a massive gush at 2am. Was having major contractions every 40 seconds within 20 minutes. DS born 3 hours later.

Couldn't have been more different!

DC1 - increased discharge in the day but nothing else. Contractions started at 10.30pm, waters went at 12.30am then DS born 11.30am. All very obvious.

DC2 (3 days ago), bits of show all day, 8pm realised I had mild period pains, 9pm had a bath to see if they disappeared, 11pm realised that they were turning into contractions but buried my head in the sand until phoning the MLU at 1am, got to MLU at 2.45am DC2 arrived 3.32am with about 10 mins notice! Honestly wasn't still convinced it was labour until about 1.30am this time.

midwife stuck her hand up my vagina to induce me both times.

DD1 Back to Back - contractions but cervix not opening so appeared nothing was happeneing when i was actually in established labour, no show, sent home from hospital 3 times, waters broke by midwife when i finally got admitted. Admitted at 8.20am had her at 11am

DD2 Induction, straightforward, waters broke by midwife, no show, 4 hrs start to finish

DD3 Back to Back, same as DD1 sent home due to cervix not opening, admitted at about 7 or 8pm, i cant remember now but had her at 11.55pm. The only one i had a show with in the chinese buffett at about 1pm, gradually got worse until i went to hospital at about 5pm but sent home, once admitted waters broke themselve's

Waters went gently while watching poldark the night before induction due!
Sat on toilet for an hour in denial that I was having near constant contractions.
Started timing them - 3 mins apart straight away. Spent an hour at home with tens machine then went to mlu where I was 4 cm after 4 hours.

Blood pressure bit high so off in an ambulance to hospital where due to distress had emcs at 4am. Not even 7 hours after it all started! I was left in shock and told my husband I didn't wantto see baby!