How did your labour start?

[Razzl]

I’m 38+2 and agonising over every little symptom and frantically googling whether it means labour is starting. I am so ready to have this baby!!

How did your labour start? If it started with your waters how did you feel before they went? And if it started with contractions did it start with an obvious contraction, or did your braxton hicks just start getting more intense? My braxton hicks have been steadily getting more intense (still not painful) and I’m wondering if this is how labour starts or whether I’ll just have a very obvious contraction which is totally different to the braxtons I’ve been having

Every labour is different.
DD1 I felt some pressure (like wind) and then my waters popped, contractions didn't start until about 10hours later
DD2 I was restless and couldn't settle at night, then started with some period/bad tummy type cramps before they got stronger and into a rhythm, waters went about 10mins before she was born.
37+6 with DS1 and had alot of cramps and aches last night but nothing today 🤷‍♀️

I just started with period pains about midnight. Monitored it till about 3am when they were closer together and more intense. Hospital by 5am and gave birth by 8.30am.

DD - woke up and my pyjama bottoms felt a bit damp and smelt weird. Popped a sanitary towel on and lay down for 30 mins, stood up and waters went everywhere. I went into be checked, had a sweep and contractions started around 4 hours later. Didn't feel any different before my waters went.
DS - I'd been feeling pressure for maybe 36 hours before, and kept thinking I was constipated as kept thinking I needed a poo but nothing was coming! I had been for a sweep the day before and midwife said I was 4cm dilated and waters were bulging; she expected me to go into labour at any point. I was struggling to walk after my sweep. Woke up and didn't feel right. I was having feelings in my tummy but they weren't painful. Got up and sat on my ball and they got painful so that was that!

I knew a week before I went into labour that I was going to have the baby within a week.
I lost my mucus plug on a Sunday, then for that whole week I had back ache, needed a hot water bottle on it to be able to go to sleep. The next Sunday..so exactly a week later. I woke up randomly at 6am needing a wee, went to toilet and after the last drop of wee came put I felt a fast heavy downward shift in my abdomen..heard a weird noise too. I was like wtf and stood up and sure enough my waters broke and it went everywhere. Contractions started within 20 minutes and there's no mistaking what they feel like.. trust me you will know.

My labour and delivery was really fast, I had him within the hour. But yeah I knew it was coming, maybe look out for you losing your mucus plug?

Braxton hicks got gradually stronger along with losing my mucus plug although with my second that was happening for 3 weeks before I actually went into labour!

I puked. Then my waters broke.

With all mine the braxton hicks were like cramps, had to stop catch my breath. But then labour starting it was these cramps + a pins and needles tingly feeling all through my body and they got longer lasting and closer together. My first was back labour and after getting going, it was excruciatingly painful and long, but the next three were normal labour and much easier to do. My waters exploded in all of them at the end of active labour as right after, is when I got the urge to push. (I had declined all sweeps and vaginal dilation exams, declined interventions such as breaking my waters manually, etc).

First 40+6 at induction. I had started losing plug at 37wks but that clearly made no difference! They put me on drip and broke my waters. Born 41wks via emcs. Had already been to hospital a couple of times before for high blood pressure. Had contractions for several hours that came to nothing. Was told just before 40wks that I was very favourable and they did a sweep said likely to go in to labour soon. They were so wrong!

37+4 waters went one night as I was trying to get comfy in bed. Was just a little bit of water. Actually thought I had peed myself a little 😂 but when I got up it was like a tap dropping constantly. Absolutely no signs whatsoever. Although I lost my plug that morning cld be coincidence or related 🤷🏻‍♀️ baby born 37+5 via emcs. Contractions started 10mins after and were very quickly strong and intense.

It didn’t feel like mine started…it just sort of built up very slowly. On the Friday I had very mild period like pains, couldn’t get comfortable, felt a bit odd. Very gradually the pains got worse. (Monday was my due date). By Sunday morning, I was getting quite sore, back ache, nausea. I was very anxious and I sort of went into denial that I was in labour. I walked to the supermarket and I had to keep stopping and bending down. On the way home, I had to stop and grip some railings. I was stopping every few minutes at that point. Back home, I was having the most horrendous pains. Asked dh to get me a hot water bottle for my back. Went to lie down, rolled over and waters broke. Finally gave in and went to hospital. They said Is this your first? In eye rolling/ bored way. Did exam, rushed me upstairs. I was fully dilated and had the baby in less than 2 hours. Too late for pain relief. Then an actual baby was looking up at me and it was all very surreal. I couldn’t believe I’d done it.

Incredible pain as my pelvic bones parted. 4.30 am. I hadn't been able to eat my evening meal 9pm the night before - I was told that's a common sign of impending labour.
Baby born at 8.40.

Back ache all night and crampy twinges, then one big cramp that was so strong that I vomited.

First labour - woke up with period like pain on due date and just knew it was today.

Second labour - waters went in bed, woke up with a start because of warm and wet gush. Made me shout in shock which woke DH. Went to hospital. Contractions started about 4 hours later.

Mine started with having the 💩's. I was up and down on that toilet more than a friggin yoyo. Then the back pain started.

First labour - waters broke out of the blue at 38 plus 4, no prior signs. Baby arrived about 24 hours later after a difficult labour

Second labour - had a few weeks of period pains, then on 40 plus 2, waters suddenly went and baby arrived 3 hours later!

Sort of noticed that the tightening feelings were in a regular pattern. About 7 mins apart each time. With the first we then left for the hospital (supposed to be an hours drive, it took 2hrs!) So arrived hospital mid afternoon. Got closer together all afternoon. Waters went just after 7, contractions still not overly strong (I was talking through them) so I was told to get some rest and left alone.... Baby was born at 7.15 with no assistance (or anyone else in the room)

Second child... called the midwives when contractions started. They came to check (planned homebirth) and decided not to leave knowing the history. Again baby arrived 10 mins after waters went a few hours later, in a more sedate two pushes.

My labours were undramatic until the end, just a quiet build up. Not long before I realised I was in labour I was joking about how she wouldn't be born for days since I had no signs of imminent labour.

Got home from work felt tired and started to cry so had a lie down on the bed. Needed a wee, sat up on the edge of the bed to go to bathroom, thought I'd wet myself but still felt i needed to go! waters had broken at 33 weeks.

I woke up at 3am with an unmistakable contraction, then again a couple of hours later.

Thank you all for sharing. I love reading these stories, so many different ways to go in to labour.

I’ve been having rhythmic braxton hicks that are beginning to ramp up in intensity so I imagine that these will just start getting more intense but who knows!

I woke up to a contraction at 40+1 at 6:30am. Thought I'd wait a while before waking my husband. I then had one at 6:45am and 7am and I thought I'm in my 40th week, so this must be it. It was - though my dd was another 33 hours away via emergency section.

I also had the 💩s... the next morning, I stood up from the sofa and my waters went. Mucus plug came with them. Went to the hospital to confirm and got induced. No contractions beforehand or even b hicks. Good luck!!!

Mine started at lunchtime with a very light tingling across my belly. I was actually waiting at the hospital to have for a sweep (40+10 overdue!) and remember thinking, "Oooh, I wonder if that's anything". I had had Braxton Hicks but this felt different. After the sweep I went home and the tingles got stronger until it became very obvious that's what it was and they could no longer be described as 'tingles'. Finally went to hospital about 8pm and DD was born at 11.15.

I had Braxton Hicks for weeks before my labour started. My waters went first (completely unexpectedly) and then proper contractions started. Good luck OP!

With DC1 I should have realised something was happening because I was so moody and irritable all day which was unusal (37 weeks and not expecting her to make an appearance yet). I was also incredibly thirsty in the days leading up to her birth but I didn't think anything of it. I'd had a long day of shopping for food and the last few bits we needed for her and I went to bed around 9pm. I rolled over and felt a short, sharp pain and realised my waters had broken. Proper contractions started within maybe an hour of that. She was breech so was born by EMCS.

DC2 was ELCS so I knew the date ahead of time!

First (37 weeks), eating dinner and my waters went with a pop. Was like a tsunami. 31 short hours later, 6hrs of pushing, attempted ventouse, attempted rotation, DD became v distressed and I had an emcs.

Second (36 weeks), fast asleep and my waters went with a pop. Was like a tsunami. 38 short hours later, emcs... much calmer though and a joy throughout.

With a gush of waters breaking in the night when I was asleep.

And I do mean a gush - it didn't hurt at all but for a moment I actually worried that my insides had fallen out 😂