What were your first signs of labour?

[sel2223]

Just that really......looking back on it now, what were your very first signs of labour?

Was it just a case of waters breaking or contractions starting or were there other 'signs' before that?

Was there a long build up over several days/weeks or was it all very sudden?

Waters broke. I’d been at work all day, my due date was 2 weeks +2 days away (although I thought it was nearer 4) and we’d just got back from the last antenatal class.

My waters broke, contractions started about 3 hours later. Started on due date but she was born the following day as took about 18 hours once th3 contractions started.

Really uncomfortable lower back pain with ds. Drove to an appointment without realising I was in labour.

Waters broke with dd but labour didnt start for 39 hours and when it did it was unbearable!

For me it was waking up in the night to 'pain' and then went for a wee, had the show, didn't have the lights on and it was pitch black but I knew. I remember saying oh no! Was scared about labour and not making it to hosp etc etc but there was loads of time!
Then couldn't get back to sleep through the pain and went downstairs suddenly dawned on me that it was happening at intervals and started timing it. When it was morning I rang mum to confirm if contractions felt like pain rather than anything actually contracting! I never felt like any contracting was going on, even at the end, it wasn't obvious to me that that's what it was, which sounds stupid now but I'd had a really really busy physical day at work beforehand so I just wasn't sure!

Contractions, I was literally symptom spotting everything from about 37 weeks. I had diahhrea one morning about 39 weeks and everyone was like omg it's a sign!!! It wasnt 🤣

Shooting pains down my legs. Was induced.

Lower back ache

Thanks for the replies ladies! I'm a FTM and having an ELCS but have started to panic that I'll go into natural labour sooner and won't realise until it's too late!
I'm reassured that it's normally fairly obvious with waters breaking or contractions starting but just wanted to see if there were any less obvious signs I can prepare for.

Unbelievably emotional, I woke up that morning and I sobbed because my hubby made me a crap cup of tea - completely irrational! I couldn't bare it lol

I put a Disney film on to chill and feel better - and I sobbed the whole way through (Up!)

And he finally dared approach me later and offered to take me for Sunday dinner, we walked in the pub at 3.30pm at 4pm my dinner was put in front of me - boom, contraction out of no where and that was that (I ate my dinner first mind lol)

I just couldn't get comfortable in the afternoon. I couldn't sit or stand comfortably. I picked DS1 up from school and felt really fed up, then contractions started about 6pm. Waters didn't break until just before DS2 was born.

Waters broke as a big flood at 36+4, before than I was trying to judge if baby had engaged, she hadn't was very high.

The day before DS was born I had a small 'gush' when I got up in the morning along with brown spotting. I didn't lose anymore fluid but the spotting continued throughout the day.

Went to bed at midnight, all good. Got up at 3am to pee and when I got back into bed my waters broke in spectacular fashion. Ran to the bathroom and found I'd lost my mucous plug and contractions started straight away. DS was born 3.5hrs later.

Had my show and then started getting achy contractions. DD born 17 hours later.

I went over by 12 days. I was incredibly lucky that I wasn't uncomfortable or fed up by that point, as some ladies are desperate to deliver the further on. Anyway my first sign was swollen lady bits and loose bowels.. didn't really link labour and these symptoms. Then hour later water went and contractions immediately after. Good luck with your delivery

I had on-off contractions for 3 nights before the real thing. They would get to moderate period pain intensity and about 8 minutes apart for a few hours overnight, but then tail off by morning. The day he was born I had a bloody show about 4 pm, the pains restarted shortly after but intensified instead of tailing off, and he was born about 8 hours later.

Just to add, I'm not sure exactly when my waters broke but it was at some point during the pushing!

I had contractions but only in the evening for 4 evenings in a row then one morning I actually woke up with contractions and wondered if this was the real thing! 4 hours' in to the morning contractions and I realised this was it!

I gave birth 16 hours later at nearly 10pm and my waters didn't break until 9pm so they aren't always an early sign!

Very bad lower back pain the day of .. waters went 3am contractions started straight away what surprised me was I was expecting the pain in my stomach but they were all in my back

Waters broke and within an hour I had contractions, baby arrived quickly

It's so interesting reading all your responses.

Before falling pregnant, i always imagined the movie scene type gush of waters breaking and having to rush to the hospital immediately was the way every labour started!

My waters broke.

Painless regular contractions

I didn’t find contractions painful - it was like going over a speed bump too fast.

Looking back, it was waters leaking and some vague pains in my belly. But at the time they were so unremarkable that, despite being 39 weeks pregnant, I honestly just thought I was leaking a bit if wee and that I'd maybe eaten something dodgy.

I got hit by INCREDIBLY painful and regular, close together contractions several hours later and by then I was 4cm dilated and baby born 4 hours later!

Thanks for the responses ladies.
I've had a growth scan today and little lady is 3/5 engaged (whatever that means).
Only 2 and a half weeks till my.ELCS.