People who didn't have a show/lose mucus plug/ have waters break... what tipped you off that labour was on the way?

[mummabubs]

Pretty much as the title says! I'm 38+4 and feeling very impatient! 🙈 I don't know why but I feel like I probably won't get the bloody show or have waters go before labour- I know a lot of people don't- so I was wondering what informed people in this group that they were in labour? Was it the obvious contractions or a sense of impending birthy-ness? My friends/ relatives all either had a show or their waters went first but I'm led to believe this isn't all that common?

I've been having braxton hicks contractions since 24 weeks and whilst they've definitely become more frequent and more intense in the last two weeks or so I feel these just tease me nowadays, as even when I feel them at a near painful level if I stop moving they go away... so I know these aren't the real deal just yet!

Thanks all 😊

Sounds silly but you just know. 1st time round I had a feeling of insecurity and few hours later the first contractions started I found them very different to braxton hicks, they were like quick pains where as I found braxton hicks lasted a few seconds. Good luck with everything

My husband!
It was the night before I was due to be induced as I was 12 days overdue. I'd had a hot bath before bed and had an upset stomach for a few hours. I woke up in the middle of the night with the same sort of pain you have when you've got an upset stomach and need the loo. After an hour or so of visiting the toilet to no relief, my husband tentatively suggested that I could be in labour. It had literally not occurred to me.

The night before I went into labour I suddenly started leaking a little colostrum!

A sinking feeling. It was the baby sliding into position, I later realised. Labour didn't come immediately afterwards, a few days I think.

Both times I woke in the night with tummy cramps which were like period pains or the tummy cramps you get if you have a bit of a dodgy tum. The intensity ramped up bit by bit from there.
I know it's difficult to understand when you've never been through it before but it really is true, that generally you do know.

Vomiting.
I'd been grumbling away with aches and pains over the past few days, but I suddenly felt really sick, puked up and then my contractions ramped up. Dd born 6 hours later.

Contractions.

Never did find out where/when my waters went - but there was no sign of them when I arrived at the hospital.

My husband too.

Like you, I'd had Braxton Hicks for weeks and weeks. He found me doubled over, leaning on the kitchen work top and struggling to breathe properly.

DH: Shall I call the midwife?
Me: nah... just... braxton... hicks...
DH: I'll just get her number, just in case.

DC2 born 3 hours later. Thankfully he ignored me and made the call and DC2 was delivered safely.

I was all a bit 'it's only a scratch' about the whole thing.

Thanks ladies. Haha good on the husbands who clocked it! I do occasionally get those period cramps and painful contractions but only when being active so I'm not taking those as any indication. I also now have a wicked sore throat and blocked nose, which whilst I would love this to be a sign of labour coming I suspect it's just a poorly-timed cold! I didn't feel any need to 'symptom spot' at all when TTC, can't believe how hard it is not to at this stage though!

I think part of this is that I was told a couple of weeks ago that I'd need a c sec at 39 weeks and would spending the rest of pregnancy in hospital, and after a grand total of 3 hours in hospital the issue resolved itself so I was put back to midwife led care and discharged back to wait it all out in the community... so in my brain I feel like I should be meeting our baby tomorrow but instead could have another 3 weeks of this if I go overdue 😩 Just very impatient...

Contractions.

Contractions that didn't stop when I got up and moved around.

No signs all until I woke up in the night with a 'dodgy belly' that wasn't alleviated by going to the loo took a while to realise I was actually in labour! There was certainly no slow build of period type pains that I was led to expect!

Contractions for me! My waters/plug didn't go until 12 hours later when I was waiting to be assessed at the hospital (was 6cm dilated by that point).

Contractions, regular and increasing in intensity.

I thought I had trapped wind! Another vote for the husband knowing, he said that trapped wind doesn't go and come back every five minutes! Baby came 8 hours later. Still no waters or show

Felt very tired and went to bed early. Pelvic girdle pain got worse. Thought I was finally getting BH until some hours later realised they were waking me every 15 then 10 minutes. Second time round the same, figured the PGP was bad enough I'd have to call the wheelchair hire firm again in the morning, and only realised when the contractions were waking me every 8 min...

No warning at all, no gradual build up, was just sat having tea about 6pm and got a strong pain. Another one 5 mins later, then another..... Within an hour they were 2 to 3 mins apart and really strong. Arrived at birth centre and was 9cm at about 9.30pm! I was in shock for a while after to be honest! No show, no mucus plug, nothing.

Similar to a pp, I was just drifting off to sleep when I had a sudden stomach pain and had to run to the loo. Within an hour I was having regular contractions and throwing up too. Mind you I was 10 days overdue and had had a sweep that day, after which I'd had several hours of intense Braxton hicks so I kind of expected everything to kick off that night. I'd also been especially grumpy and didn't feel like talking to anyone the previous evening but that could have just been because I was thoroughly sick and tired of being pregnant!

Woke up at 3am feeling hot, uncomfortable, dripping with sweat and like I needed a poo but couldn't do one, then half an hour later the contractions started