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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Are there signs of labour in the days before it comes?

27 replies

firsttimemum111 · 01/07/2021 14:18

Hi all!

I'm a first time mum at 37 weeks and am just wondering if there are any signs of labour coming in the days/weeks before it starts?

Should I expect to just wake up with contractions or are there symptoms to watch out for along the way?

For any mums already, did you know your labour was coming or was it a surprise on the day?

Any advice/experience is appreciated ❤️

OP posts:

Wnikat · 01/07/2021 14:20

My contractions started slowly, like period pains, then got bigger over several hours. Also Google purple/ red line as that can be an indication that labour has started. It’s a purple line visible on the bum crack, basically! I had it both times.

sarah13xx · 01/07/2021 15:17

My friend said she just didn’t feel right that night, thought she wasn’t feeling well and went to bed then woke up during the night and her waters broke then she got the period pains. Never heard of this purple line before.. will be checking every 5 minutes 😂 @Wnikat

ArchbishopOfBanterbury · 01/07/2021 15:18

I had a dodgy belly and needed a lot more toilet trips!

ChocOrange1 · 01/07/2021 15:20

Sometimes there are, sometimes not. With my first i woke up with a bit of a tummy ache and she was born by 1pm, so not much warning. With my second I had mild contractions in the afternoon which felt like the cramps you're probably getting already, occasionally. Then they got more frequent and stronger and developed into labour. So a bit more notice but still less than 12 hours in total.

becca3210 · 01/07/2021 15:20

Nothing until waters broke and then all followed from there

SwimBaby · 01/07/2021 15:23

I didn’t get any signs in the days leading up to labour. All my DC were born at 40 weeks and 6 days so by number 3 I didn’t expect anything to happen earlier.
Early contractions may be tiny, no pain, more like oh I’ve got a period feeling going on.

PanamaPattie · 01/07/2021 15:23

I felt uncomfortable in my skin. I couldn't settle. I threw up and had a very loose bowel - making room the final descent!

MyGrassIsBrowner · 01/07/2021 15:25

Nothing until I had a sweep at 40 weeks, then lost my mucus plug that afternoon, contractions started and was admitted by 6pm. Had my DD at 12:14am so very quick labour but honestly, anything can happen!

yepitsmey · 01/07/2021 15:26

On the Tuesday night I was feeling VERY heavy as I waddled back to the car from our dinner out. Told my DH at 9pm I thought we would have a baby by the end of the week. I woke up to contractions the next morning at 6.30am at 40+1.

Pumpkinstace · 01/07/2021 15:28

I lost my mucus plug 24 hours before

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 01/07/2021 15:30

I had 7 and the circumstances were different every time. and DS4 was an ELSC anyway.

I can write a essay if you wish!🤣
But honestly no rhyme or reason.
Apart from maybe Braxton-Hicks becoming stronger. I'd literally had to stop walking and catch my breath. but it didn't mean going into labour, DS2 was still induced and born 14 days late.

I'll tell you one thing though.
that Hollywood cliche of waters breaking (every time!), then labour starting immediately with a vengeance is just not true.
I mean it maybe true for a few people but mainly it doesn't go down like that.
DS3 was very nearly born in the amniotic sack which they broke just prior to first push - he was coming so fast they barely had time to break the waters!

BunnyRuddington · 01/07/2021 15:45

With the last one I cried at almost everything all day then went into labour at 11 pm.

DH said he knew the baby was coming that day because I'd been so emotional.

BunnyRuddington · 01/07/2021 15:47

@yepitsmey do you have a new LO then? How exciting!

yepitsmey · 01/07/2021 15:52

@BunnyRuddington ahh no, she's 9 months old! 😂

elvis4nuts · 01/07/2021 16:02

Anyone not see their show before going into labour?
I'm 39+3 and so ready but no show yet 🤦🏼‍♀️

yepitsmey · 01/07/2021 16:12

@elvis4nuts I'd already been having contractions for 8 hours before my show.

Whereland · 01/07/2021 16:16

I had no symptoms at all, my waters just suddenly broke which apparently rarely happens 🤷‍♀️

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 01/07/2021 16:22

didn't see a show with most of mine.

it's not a huge amount anyway.
it looks like a blob of thick-ish snot from a sneeze, sometimes a bit pinkish or reddish, especially if you've had a sweep.
if you pee when it happens to come out you might flush it away without noticing!

that's why, if you think your waters broke, you should pop in a pad. then you can see anything discharge. and if it gets wet without peeing (also amniotic fluid doesn't smell like wee) then you should go and get checked out. they might send you home if no active labour but you'll know what's going on.

hope this is helpful

elvis4nuts · 01/07/2021 16:31

Thanks girls! Maybe it's gone already then.

My braxton hicks are getting stronger and longer, that's for sure!

Sorry for hijacking your post @firsttimemum111

Hope you don't have to wait too long!

BunnyRuddington · 01/07/2021 16:33

BunnyRuddington ahh no, she's 9 months old

Sorry. I'm on the app so didn't realise this was an old thread. Glad your DD is here, that could have been the longest labour ever

yepitsmey · 01/07/2021 16:44

@BunnyRuddington

BunnyRuddington ahh no, she's 9 months old

Sorry. I'm on the app so didn't realise this was an old thread. Glad your DD is here, that could have been the longest labour ever

😂 it felt 9 months long at the time! 🙈🥴

MisdemeanorOnTheFloor · 01/07/2021 17:42

Mucus plug lost about 4 days beforehand. Then over the next 4 days, I kept having to stop and kind of take deep breaths as my stomach was tightening and knocking breath out of me. Basically I kept being asked by my MIL if I was in labour and I kept saying no, mostly as I was in denial! The morning he arrived, kept getting increasingly 'uncomfortable' contractions before realising they'd quite rapidly ramped up to 1 every 5 minutes and I couldn't sit still/talk during. Turns out that was 3cm but I've clearly got a low pain threshold!

MissChanandlerBong90 · 02/07/2021 22:19

A show was my obvious one (around 12 hours before labour started). But also I see there are a couple of others on here saying they had a very runny tummy - that was my experience too, for 2-3 days beforehand.

Ava50x · 04/07/2021 11:05

With my first, had a bit of a show and then lots of stomach cramps/diarrhea in the 24 hours leading up to labour. Woke up with contractions on Wednesday early morning, which got stronger for a few hours then stopped altogether. Restarted that evening and baby born several hours later.

With #2 and #3 never saw a show, just had the diarrhea/cramps in the 24 hours leading up to it. Again woke up with contractions in the morning which then stopped, and restarted again in the evening when baby was born. I guess thats my pattern but there's no knowing!

My sister has had 4 and never had any notice whatsoever- contractions just started out of the blue.

BeautifulandWilfulandDead · 04/07/2021 13:04

I was induced with DD so have only had one natural labour, at 40+. I felt extremely restless all day and couldn't sit down.

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