Do you always have a show before the onset of labour?

[gingerninja]

With DD I had a very textbook birth. Show in the morning went into labour and delivered within 5 hours that night.

I'm already overdue with DC2 and every day I don't have a show I think I probably won't go into labour that day as I'm anticipating (naively) the same second time around.

However I'm wondering if maybe it will just happen faster and therefore the gap between show and birth be shorter or maybe I won't have a show at all. What are your experiences?

Not me. Show and waters breaking happened all at once during the transition, when I sat on the loo because I got the urge to push! Decided it was a good moment to get to hospital when I realised I could reach down and feel the top of the baby's head!

I didnt have a show until I was in well established labour...

..and I had mine over two weeks before!

gingerninja, I'm hoping the same as you, my due date is tomorrow, and I had a show about tow weeks before labour with both previous pregnancies, and they arrived on their due date. No show yet, so I'm either going to be two weeks late, or will have a show immediately before labour. Fingers crossed for the latter, for you two. It''s very boring this waiting game!

Lordy soundbites! ok so it's not an inevitability I'am encouraged by your stories, thanks very much. Feel a bit happier now

Good luck Minky, amazing that your other two arrived on their due date. That must be some odds. The third has a lot to live up to then

any news ginger? None here

I never had a show - maybe while I was in labour it might have come out in the general goop as my waters didn't break til I was pushing, and he had meconium, and I did a little poo

So you never know. I had zero indication the day before and went into labour at 2am.

I didn't have a show with either birth and my waters had to be broken.
Both times I had no clue what was to come until my contractions started.

Both times I only had shows in established labour.

Only had a show with #1, the other three nothing happened until vvv established labour.

Ive never had a show with all 3 of mine but everyones different Think I had one at about 9cm but I didnt really notice! My waters also dont break till the last minute either, dont know if thats related!

I only had a show with DD4, and that was a few days before she was actually born. The other three times the mucous plug came out in the pool fairly soon before they were born!

I didn't have a show with DC'S 1&2 that I am aware of, my waters broke and then I started having contractions with both of them.

With DC3 I started to get niggly back pains and went straight to the hospital, went to the loo in the labour room and saw the 'show' in the toilet, at least that is what I think it was, don't have anything to compare it to. Then my waters broke and then DC3 arrived 10 minutes later. All in all half an hour start to finish.

no - had three dc and no show.

I never had a show with my first.

No show that I noticed with dd waters broke slowly, then eventual contractions.

I've never seen either of mine!

here you go Minky

4 dc, and no shows.