How did your labour start off?

[PhoebeBear]

First time mom here. Currently 36 weeks😬
I'm over pregnancy now- so tired, acid reflux is awful, babies kicks are so strong in ribs and I sick of having to roll myself out of bed for toilet trips with my belly in the way..

Anyways usually on a morning now I'll wake up with dull period like cramps which will last around 20 minutes and subside. I don't think labour will start anytime soon anyways but I was wondering how was everyone else's experience?

I made a previous post about how my midwife appointments are 3 weeks apart and my next one won't be until I'm 38 weeks and she hasn't told me anything yet about what to except about labour starting etc.. I've read up on what to look out for. Just wondered how labour started for other mums? Oh, and also were you early or late? 😊

My labour just suddenly started, really. Contractions started to come fairly regularly and strong within an hour of the first one. I didn't have any signs beforehand, although I had a weird hunch/feeling. Mucous plug didn't go until I was in hospital and waters didn't break until he was crowning. First contraction to birth was around 6 hours.
Looking back it was a really good, straightforward labour and birth. DS was born at exactly 41 weeks, weighed 7lbs14.

Good luck and congratulations!

Hi Phoebe, I hope you’re not feeling too bad tonight.
My labour started at 40+3 with some fairly bad back ache and then clear pinging cramps about 15 minutes apart. I was an older mum so it didn’t progress very fast but obviously different from the practice twinges I’d been having for months.
Good luck

First baby was like braxton hicks that just gradually got stronger. I was 3 days overdue. Second baby my waters went before anything else - weirdest feeling ever just leaking for the whole day. That was a week before my due date.

4 nights before the real deal there were lots of 'is this it?' moments and false starts in the evening. I tried to stay as relaxed as possible and not get too impatient with it or put pressure on things. Easier said than done but I had a hypnobirth and mindset is a huge part of it.

Then one morning at 5:30 contractions stated quite gently. I got up without waking my fiancé and pottered around downstairs for a few hours - my thinking being if this was the real thing then he's going to need some energy! Things just picked up from there really. Contractions just got stronger. Being on my birthing ball helped loads. Managed to stay at home for 3/4 of my labour.

Lost my plug about 2 days before the start of labour I think (can't remember even though it was only 11 months ago!)

Waters didn't go until the final hour of my 16-hour labour so that's not always a sign of labour starting for everyone!

Good luck op, you'll be brilliant! You'll soon be enjoying newborn snuggles.

Both of mine were a week over and my water went first before any contractions. The first was like in the movies, a huge gush that went everywhere and kept dripping out of me, the second was a small puddle but confirmed it was my waters in hosp. Then after the waters went with both of them the contractions hit pretty quickly and built up. First one was 2 days before he came out, second was 6 hours!

Oh it's great hearing everyone stories and how different they all are!
My Braxton hicks tonight have been crazy and I struggle to keep still but they've subsided a little more now. So exciting reading how all your babies began their adventure into the world! ❤️

I had very irregular light period like cramps and braxton hicks from around 37 weeks on I think... Actual labour started in early morning at 40+4, I woke up at 5am with the familiar light cramps but they suddenly came around every 10mins. They slowly got stronger and more frequent and at 6:30pm my baby girl was born.

Good luck :)!!!

I had a routine appointment at 37 weeks. My dr gave me an internal (standard in some hospitals in this country apparently ) and said I was 2cm dilated. Turned out I was having milks contractions but I had literally no idea and frankly didn’t believe him. I was pissed off when he told me not to go to work. Honestly, I felt absolutely nothing.

My waters broke spontaneously a few days later.

I was a bit emotional the night before and, although I didn’t believe the dr about contractions, like the previous poster I had a bit of a ‘hunch’ that I was ready and wasn’t going to be pregnant much longer.