How can you tell if labour is imminent???

[artyjoe]

I'm 39 weeks with my first (very large) baby and am wondering whether first time mums know when labour is imminent. Several friends have told me they felt 'weird' and just 'knew' and others have said they had the show and waters break and increasing practice contractions (I don't get practice contractions).

I have none of these symptoms but have been on the loo like never before this morning and my bump feels numb to touch..thinking about it baby is quieter than normal but that may be due to her keeping me up all night! My DP keeps asking if 'today is the day' which is highly irritating and I obviously keep saying no, whilst wondering if it could be..although I don't feel 'weird' or 'knowing' in any way.

Anyone got any experience to share?

oooh, i's say going to the loo lots is a good sign. (esp if it's no2s.)
i got monster energy/appetite surge the day before and ate like a horse: realised subsequently it was a pretty iron-heavy meal, steak, red wine, chocolate pudding (not sure of iron content there actually). it really carried me through the next day.
i knew things were definitely underway when i woke up feeling period painy-type cramps. after months of nothing like that, the contractions were unmistakeable.
good luck!

Think it just varies. Night before I went into labour with ds I just had to finish the jigsaw I'd started (by then 3 days over, so marking time!) Had a show at midnight when finally went to bed and woke at 7am with mild period cramps. Didn't have him till 3.30am the next day though !

i also think my baby went a bit quiet just beforehand

bakedpotato, laughing at your choc fest. Artyjoe, maybe today is the day, good luck! Babe is probably sleeping after giving you a hard night!

The day I felt weird and "just knew" came and went, as did another fortnight! Every night before I went to bed I got the house ready (tidy, clean, etc) so I was all set if dd came in the night. The night it all started was the only night I went to bed without bothering. Sorry, but I had absolutely no indication that it was D day! My waters didn't break, it had to be done for me when I was well into labour, and I had a show once I was in hospital. I didn't get the practice contractions either, or if I did I didn't know I was getting them!

The other thing I wasn't prepared for was that when my contractions started I went straight into 60sec ones 3 mins apart - no build up. That confused the hell out of me as we'd been told that when it got to that stage to phone the hospital, but I didn't think we'd be phoning the hospital for some hours after it all started.

How are you feeling about it all?

bakedpotato, it is no2's and just had another dreadful bout, talk about stinging now!

Still feel completely fine in myself though and no other unusual symptoms or cramping of any kind.

Good to know not everyone 'senses' it...I missed out on not 'knowing' I was pregnant until the blue line appeared too!

My baby was wild the night before I went into labour.
I had stomach cramps & bad braxton hicks all night & seemed to think I needed the toilet every few minutes, although I didn't need to go as much as I thought IYKWIM.

The night before I had ds, I had a weirdout time when all colours seemed twice as powerful as usual and the music I heard at the time seemed incredibly beautiful. Heard bells ringing in a church and nearly fell over with the intensity of it. However, I had a stretch and sweep the following day so have no idea whether this was 1 day or 2 weeks before ds would actually have been born. But lots of pooing sounds like serious action - how exciting for you - best of luck!

The thing with all of mine was a low backache and feeling as if iwanted to go to loo for a poo all the time.
I'm 1 week off due date now and last night couldn't sleep because of high winds, outside winds not me lol. I went for a wee then lifted up to use toilet roll and a load more water came out, never had my waters break so thought hurray i,ve started but nothing so put it down that it wasn't my waters i just weed all over my hand lol.

catnkids, sounds suspiciously like waters going to me. my midwife said to get in touch if I think mine have gone -- there's a quick test involving cotton bud that can tell if it's amniotic or not
my DH is definitely nesting today -- he's changing loo seats, sorting cupboards and talking about DIY a lot. i wonder if this could be a sign?
(i've got 3 wks to go but dd was early)

god daren't ask but what cotton bud test?

MW just said if i thought waters had gone but i wasn't sure to let her know anyway as they like the baby out within 24 hrs if they HAVE broken because of risk of infection.
i got impression it's a kind of dipstick thing like a urine test.

I was manic the whole day, cleaned ALL my cupboards out with bleach (which i hate and very rarely use) took dog for a walk with dp, went to hospital at 5.30ish and dd was born before 9!!

GOOD LUCK+++++++++++++

went 10 days over and had to be induced with db so am not holding my breath. Done the nesting thing all week though.

Artyjoe,
The first time I went to labor I had no idea what was going on. It was the middle of the night, but I keep feeling unsettled and needed to go to the loo all the time. I had some kind of discomfort or pain but never associated with contraction (was imagining contraction to be something very diffferent!). I finally woke up my husband saying that I was feeling weird, and this feeling coming and going. It was only when he said, let's time this feeling that it occured to me I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes!
So in my books, it is not that easy to know that you are in labour!
Hope this is your time!

Artyjoe, if you are doing loads of poos I would say that you have either eaten something that disagreed with you or your bowel is emptying out prior to labour and you will be in the real thing in a day or so. Hope it is the latter! How exciting for you!

How exciting, artyjoe! Hope it is the real thing for you. I was 11 days over with ds so spent a lot of time thinking 'Is this it?' When it actually happened, of course, I didn't twig for ages that what felt like wind or a stomach upset was actually contractions! Then I threw up - a lot - and after that they started in earnest. So I think my body was 'clearing out' - sounds like yours may be too. Good luck!

i had practice contractions for weeks before, and every one was sick of me phoning them saying is this it??? i went 5 days over edd and my 1st sign was my waters breaking the strangest thing was that i woke up at 3.50am my waters broke at 4.05am, it was weird i knew something was going to happen!! i then had a show bout 1/2 hr later and contractions started very mildly about 1hr after waters went.waters broke on the sun morn and had dd mon morn at 8am

the day I went into labour I couldn't be bothered to do the housework first thing as I had every other day so the house was a tip (it hasn't improved since). Then in the evening I watched a documentary about how dire hygiene standards were during the preparation of hospital meals (good idea of mine!), two hours after that I had to go the loo (no. 2) and it was then I felt my waters pop, DS arrived 4 hours later and 6 hours after that I found out for myself about those meals - they were disgusting!

Let us know how it is going?! xxx

All still the same, tummy sore when I stand up but just sore, no contractions or anything like that. This is going to be a looonnnng day!

I never new when i went into labour with my ds, as i had very bad stomach/pelvis pains for about a week before.
We decided to go to the hospital as needed stronger painkillers, the midwife decided to do an internal, just in case, but she said she doesnt think it was anyway, but she then found me to be 4cm dilated lmao