When did you know you were in labour

[lalala5]

FTM 33+4 - just wondering how did you know you were in labour? Did your bump feel any different? And could you tell baby had 'dropped'?

(Asking as I have very faint period like pains but baby is still sitting high up etc) Thanks!

When my waters broke all over the sofa unexpectedly at 36 weeks 🙈 probably not helpful, sorry!

Iknow this sounds cliche but trust me you'll know 🤣

I remember with dd asking people the same and when it happened you just know 🤣

Sorry not that helpful!

I knew with both my children, let's say the pain was very intense from word go - manageable (well when you get the pain relief) however my early labour symptoms didn't last too long before my contractions got more intense. The problem is you don't know how much your dilated until your checked so when the uncomfortable pains began with my first child and went to be checked and was told I was only 2cm and sent away (I did go back 3 hours later and was 6cm) but trust me you'll know!

I agree you will know 😂 the hospital was trying to say I wasn’t in active labour then I got checked and was 8cm! I didn’t have the tightening feeling many people told me about, but I was bloody sore at that point ha ha. I was very confident I was in labour the whole time though, the pain getting noticeably stronger was how I knew! I was very restless too even when it was only mild discomfort!

I took a picture of my bump the night before sending it to my mum thinking it had dropped. The next morning I knew it was labour about 30 minutes after it started.

I woke up every 9 minutes with strong period pains a few times through the night and just knew. Then 7 minutes, then 6...

Then knew it was heading the right way when I had a contraction about 11am that took my breath away.

Good luck OP!

I had period pains coming and going every 8-10 minutes, could sleep through them, but they were fairly regular when I timed them, went on for round ninety mins and then when I got up to wee, got back into bed and my waters started to go in small gushes. First contraction was around 1 hour later, that bought me to my knees, no mistaking that.

Waters breaking was the first sign for me. Then contractions started - at first they felt like Braxton Hicks but quickly became more painful.

Had period pains coming for a good few hours, started getting more intense. I was so worried before I had my first baby that I wouldn't know when I was in labour but as people have said previously you'll definitely know. Good luck !

I woke in the early hours thinking 'what are these odd cramping pains in having at regular intervals' followed by 'oh!'. Then my waters and plug went within the next hour or two (although most peoples waters don't go until they're in established labour so don't be waiting for that!).

Have you ever had really bad period shits? Where you have so much cramping going on, you don't know if it's your gut or your uterus that's causing it? Contractions are like that. They're like period pains bug somehow they're hot/radiate like when you have the runs.

DD didn’t drop at all before labour, not even 1/5 engaged at 41 weeks! I knew I was in labour as my waters broke at home and I immediately started having strong painful contractions every 2 minutes. She was born within 5 hours.

My waters broke, but nothing happened for 24 hours. When the contractions did start, it was like when you have trapped wind and get a really sharp pain which rises and then falls away. It didn't feel at all like period pain for me - it was more painful in my back.

No waters breaking, no bump dropping but contractions woke me up around 4:30. I had had then previously but going downstairs usually helped ease them. (tea, sofa or bouncing on ball). This time they continued and got closer together

When I called DH and said I'm either in labour or dying and being the more rational of us he decided labour was probably the more likely scenario.

I went 2 weeks over and had been having all sorts of twinges and was having to waddle because baby was so low down.

Went for a coffee and to finish my book just to get out the house for an hour on my own, as I was being induced the next morning. I had only just sat down when I had another twinge. A very different twinge and I just knew that was it, confirmed when it happened again 30minutes later!

I did 'just know' but I also didn't have Braxton Hicks or anything so it was very obvious!

Waters didn't break until 15hours later and even then it was a trickle as baby head was acting like a cork 🤢

Same as @MrsCl19 x

Different experience from most here- I didn't know! Well, that's not quite true, I did know when the contractions got so bad that it was too painful to lie down and try to sleep (like the midwife suggested) and then within 10 minutes I couldn't talk through them. DD born 4.5 hours later. But all day I thought I just had bad constipation. I have IBS and the pain was just the same as that rather than period type pain. Waters only broke 3hrs before birth when i was bent over with gas and air unable to move because of the pain so that was no use as a sign- no way would I have been able to get in a car at that point.

Eventually you'll know, but how early or late depends. I didn't realise until late with #1.
Pain all night, but very sporadic with no pattern. I'd been told there would be a pattern and that's when it was the real deal.
It wasn't until my waters went that the contractions settled into a pattern and dd was born less than 2 hours later.
With #2 I knew it was labour right from the start (9:30am after the school run) but assumed I'd still have a day or so.
Turns out I didn't and by the time it had become painful enough for me to call labour ward and head to hospital, there was just over half an hour until he was born. Needless to say, I labour fast and thank God we live 28 minutes from the hospital so we made it with 2 minutes to spare.

I had was felt like constipation and was in the bathroom for a while. Not diarrhoea like everyonr says. I was back and forth a lot with the stomach cramps. After a few hours I realised maybe it was labour! It was horribly long until it became active labour though.