How did you know you were in labour?

[purplepolo]

With my first I was induced so I dont know what it would actually be like to go into labour naturally, and even with my induction i didnt know if I was in labour or not as I didnt think my excruciating period pains were contractions, as i was expecting pain in my back or bump!

Tell me your stories please! Hoping to labour naturally this time round so would like to know what to look out for

I woke up to slight pains in my lower back, not enough to make me scream or wince in agony but enough that I couldn’t stay in bed ignoring them. They came every 10-15 minutes or so and gradually got closer together so I knew this wasn’t Braxton hicks! I would look out for any pain you get anywhere in your lower region, and time them to see if they’re real contractions, also when your mucus plug turns bloody (bloody show) is usually a sign your baby is going’s to arrive very soon.

My waters broke and then contractions came right after.

I woke up around 1am with very slight period pains very low down in my bump. Managed to sleep on and off until the next morning. Lost mucus plug at around 9am and the pains ramped up until I knew they were definite contractions.

I was worried about not knowing too, but I did just 'know'. I woke up the day before my due date with a dull backache, but it was coming and going at regular intervals. I went back to sleep and when I woke up they were more intense and still stopping and starting, so I started timing them and sure enough it progressed from there. I lost my mucus plug about 2 weeks before that, and my waters broke when I was about 6cm and in hospital, so none of those signs for me.

My waters broke at night after going for a pee. No any signs before that. Second baby due in 3 months and wondering the same thing - how I'm gonna know?! ☺️🙈

DD1 was very obvious- my waters broke. With DD2 I was very ill with gastroenteritis, vomiting buckets, having diarrhoea, and suffering awful colicky abdominal pains. It was only after ten hours of this that I suddenly realised the colic pains were coming at regular 3 minute intervals...!

With my first I was just about to fall asleep when I got woken by a sudden sharp period type pain, waited a few minutes to see if it came again. Totally different than a Braxton hick, they made me breathless and just tightened my bump, real contractions had me gripping onto something for dear life until the pain passed. Then I got a bloody show a couple hours into labour after I'd been loosing my mucus plug for weeks

I was induced with the drip for my first & worried I wouldn't know for my second, you definitely do 'just know'. I had a bit of a bloody show mid afternoon & by 10.30pm I started having period pains, coming regularly & intense enough to stop me sleeping. By morning we went to hospital & I was 5cm.

My waters broke.

With DD I had non-stop contractions which were coming every couple of mins that's when I knew it was show time.

However with DS it was really hard to tell because I was in false labour for 3-4 nights (I was in agony!) before actual labour happened. Things moved way too fast that my waters broke in the car 🤦🏽‍♀️

I felt a bit odd during the day, eg was trying to buy groceries and abandoned them on the checkout belt as I didn’t feel I could wait. Then did the same at the vet when trying to buy some pills. Went to bed early around 8. Woke up at 11 and felt a strange pop feeling, jumped up and waters went. Headed up to hospital as a precaution expecting to go home and have something happen in the next day or two - but had my baby in my arms by 0200!

I was 39+1. I woke up around 3am with a contraction, went back to sleep then was woken again at around 5am with another one. Realised that things were definitely happening when I lost my plug around 11am, then contractions ramped up gradually from then on. It went on a bit long & I had an epidural eventually. DS was finally born just after midnight, so it was a very long day.

I actually didn't "just know" which was annoying. I started having contractions but they were more very uncomfortable rather than actually painful at first, and were only 2-3 mins apart for a few hours. They then gradually got further apart (7-8 mins) and more painful. Since this wasn't the pattern I was expecting, I wasn't sure until they started getting more painful.

Er....I had contractions. Mild at first of course but frequent enough to be noticeable. My husband said, "No, you can't be in labour, it's too early", it was actually five days earlier than due date :-). What was funny was that I was at an ante natal class, laying on the floor doing breathing exercises when they started. I went home and they gradually became stronger and closer, eventually waters broke and I went into hospital. Baby born shortly afterwards.

People say you forget afterwards, maybe some people do but I remember every minute, it was so exciting.

Both times my waters broke and then the contractions started soon after.