Did your second labour start in the same way as your first?

[Kickedinthetits]

I'm 34 weeks with twins so at risk of preterm labour. I'm having a lot of braxton hicks which I didn't have first time round but I'm wondering how I will recognise proper labour. Last time it started with terrible diarrhoea, back ache and a show and then very slow progression. I also had a mc at 11 weeks which also began with diarrhoea and backache and progressed into contractions. I'm wondering if that's what I'm looking for this time or if it could be totally different! Any experiences?

They started the same - waters breaking.
Definitely not the same after that though.
Not. At. All.

They were just contractions that hurt. First time, enough to make me vomit, second time they came regularly and they hurt; that was the distinguishing feature.

I agree second time I had lots more (or noticed more?) Braxton Hicks. To PP who asked, they felt to me sort of like someone was giving my bump a bear hug. They didn't hurt but it felt as though someone had put a firm tubigrip all around me.

Mine totally different. First went to loo on due date, did a big poo (tmi!) and felt something as it came out and was my waters breaking. No contractions though so induced 24 hours later.

Second two weeks overdue, started with regular low level contractions a couple of hours before I was due to go to the hospital to be induced. That was at 8am. Got there at 9.30am. They ramped up around 10.30/11am at which point I was 4cm. And hour later I was 8cm.

My 1st and 2nd were completely different. With 1st I started getting very mild contractions which very slowly got stronger (took 3 weeks altogether). Lost plug about 4 days before birth. Waters broke while I was pushing. With 2nd my waters broke with a huge gush several days before labour started. With 3rd it was similar to 2nd but quicker. 4th my waters went with a huge gush but never went into labour (had C-section 51 hours after waters went as he was an unstable lie and risk of cord prolapse). With 5th baby waters went but didn't go into labour until 9 days later (longest 9 days of my life).

Mine were quite different.
DC1: Waters broke spectacularly at 39+6 then contractions started about 10 minutes later.
DC2: Contractions starting quite far apart on the evening of 39+5 and then progressively closer together over the course of the night. Waters broken by midwife in labour at 8cm.

I was waiting for the big water gush the second time round so took me a while to realise my labour was getting going!