How did your labour start?

[Thingiebob]

Was talking to the other couples in my antenatal class the other day and we all were wondering how our labours would start.
I wondered if anyone would be happy to share their experiences.
Did it start with pain, a show, waters breaking? And when did it start. Was it around your EDD or early/late.

I think we are all panicking slightly as we are all around the 35/36 wk mark.

DS1 - Saw MW on the thurs who exclaimed I 'looked huge' so booked me for a scan on the following Monday.

I started to get backache and period like cramping that night which went on and off until Saturday night when it didn't let up and DS was born at 6.29am on the Sunday morn at 39 weeks exactly. Waters broke randomly in the birth pool at full dilation.
Built up very gradually and slowly with him.

DS2 - Saw consultant as was 3 days overdue and she gave me a sweep and told me I was already 3cms gone.
A bit uncomfortable/crampy after that but it went away. Backache, closely followed by contractions started next day at 9pm 2 mins apart and he was born as 00.43. Waters never broke and he was born still inside his amnion in the pool.

DS3 - Backache and period crampiness came on and off over the last week. They then built up and didn't let up at lunchtime and DS3 was born at 4.45pm after 5 mins of pushing. Waters went as he emerged on the bed.

DD - Am hoping for another quick one in April.

DS1 & 2 waterbirths with gas and air until pushing stage then chucked it. Couldn't push and lug at the same time.

DS3 'dry land' birth (too short staffed at hosp for the pool )with gas and air, again, chucked it for the pushing part.

labour first time was HORRIFYING ..waters 'popped' after induction..went into labour around 4 hours later...I WAS IN PAIN' they 'let' me have a bath to calm my pain.(3 hours later)..it didnt help AT ALL... ended up having a C-SEC because my fanny was too small..........
with my Second child....I was petrified of having a normal birth , so I had 2 c-secs.
my husband is gratefull,...for obvious reasons, I am not!...I have 2 hidious scars...

Woke up on Saturday morning having 'twinges' and they came and went irregularly. Started to feel a bit worried when they came back two minutes apart so was told to go into hospital to be checked over.

Got to hospital at 12am, who were surprised to find that I was 4cm dilated, and admitted to delivery suite, still having twinges, but not proper contractions.

At 5am the midwife broke my waters and at 6.30 was fully dilated, DS was born at 7.53am Sunday morning.

Absolutely amazing experience (possibly due to the pethidine) and am lucky to have had only 3hr labour.

Was 6 days overdue.

First baby came day before EDD,woke up with slight period type at 4am, took the dog to the vets at 8.30, bought newspaper at about 8.45 while in the queue got my first contraction. 5 minutes later got home and had second, then third. By the time we started timing they were 3 minutes apart . Phoned hospital, who told me to go in as I was having trouble talking as contractions were one after the other. Got to hosiptal at 10am was 8 cm's dilated and DD was born at 11.55am. No time for pain relief, just gas and air, and waters didn't break until I was actually pushing. Good luck and get that bag packed.....

forgot to say had show while having contraction on the loo, as that was the only place I could get comfy. Please don't worry it is an amazing experience and that is coming from someone who was terrified. I wanted and epidural and I kept saying to DP on the way to the hospital as "I won't have time". Gas and air was great

Oh dear Lady, it does sound like you had a bad time. Sorry to hear that.

Thanks for taking the time to answer this thread.

I'm aware that it may turn out not to be the wonderful positive birth being plugged in my NCT class! Just really curious as to how it all starts. Asking friends and family and a lot of them say they can't really remember.

Have now packed bag. I should still have five weeks left. I think I panicked as suddenly had a lot of deep twinges and pressure in both bum and front yesterday evening which ended up becoming low back pain and thigh pain as though legs being pushed out of sockets. (sorry mentioned this on another thread) Couldn't sleep much because of it last night and have now caved today and taken paracetamol. It's not getting any worse so am assuming perhaps baby has dropped lower or moved and these symptoms are pretty normal.

It made me realise that having no frame of reference regarding early labour signs is a bit scary!

Thigh pain could just be baby pressing on sciatic nerve. I'm now 5 days overdue and in the past month or so have had a bit of pain in thighs (at the back) and hips. It's often like a shooting pain which doesn't last that long. Also had a bit of pelvic pain - mainly when moving about. Judging by the other woman at my preg yoga class, I don't think this is that uncommon!

That said, this is my first and I have no idea what going into labout feels like. I just hope mine starts soon!

I had just got into bed at 39+6 (well as it was past midnight it was actually 40+0) and my waters broke. Just gently, not a big gush. It just felt a bit wet, I hopped out, turned on the light and stared at it.

DH looked worried. I told him it was fine and to go back to sleep. I then moved into the spare bedroom. Labour started pretty much straight away with contractions every 10 minutes and then the show etc. I then kicked DH out of the master bed and had him to to the spare bed so I could labour in a nicer room!

We headed to the hospital when my contractions were around 3 mins apart (early morning) and when I arrived I was 5 cm dilated. I was ready to push at about 12 pm. Labour was around 12 hours in total.

Thanks Haribo

It's more of a constant ache rather than a sharp sciatic pain. I know what that feels like.

Hope your labour starts soon!

Spectroscopy - so you were pretty much on target then?

My waters broke in a big gush at 6.30 in the morning when I was in bed. contactions started thick and fast 16 hours later, DD was born 6 hours after that.

At 42 weeks with the help of pessary, artificial rupture of membranes and finally oxtocin/syntocin drip.

My only advice is try not to get too focussed on "the baby might arrive soon". It's really difficult, especially with the first to not count down the days to due date, but if you can, try not to focus too much on it. I was on tenderhooks from week 35 and after 7 weeks of waking up and thinking "will it be today" I was stressed and exhausted from the anticipation!

congratulations, and I hope it all goes well when the day does come!

38 weeks, August Bank holiday Monday 12am, woke up to a feeling like something was wrong, not bad, just like maybe when you get your period.

Stood up, and then my waters broke... stood there in the bedroom feeling very silly, leaking calling my DP trying to wake him.

He then got a towel and put it in between my feet !!

Went to Hospital an hour or so later, and nothing happened till the following evening, though they kept me in.

They said my contractions had started, around 9pm, but I couldnt feel anything... went down to the Labour ward about 10.30pm.

Started to get back ache about 11.30pm and decided I should try and get some sleep.... didnt sleep, but got up again about 12.45am, back ache getting stronger.... then started on the gas and air about 1am.... cant remember where the time went but I remember telling the midwife, at 2am that this baby would be here by 4am... she said ' oh yeh ?'

I gave birth at 3.58am

Everything seemed to go quickly... just the Transition was the most painful bit.... I remember asking DP to knock me out !

Due again March 8th.... hoping its the same as last time !

finger crossed x

DD-waters broke at 9pm but it was just a pop and trickle, not a full on gush. Contractions started at midnight and DD born at 10.30pm. She was a week late exactly and the labour whilst long wasnt particularly painful until the end. Didnt go to hospital until 8cm because they didnt believe I was in labour and was shopping whilst contracting in the afternoon.

DS- Contractions started 2am, waters broke in the same way as DD at 4.30am and DS born at almost 9pm. He was 5 days late.

After having a sweep at 41 weeks, I woke at 3am in the night feeling like I had food poisoning. I promptly vomited in the bath. I didn't have any of the traditional "signs" like period-type pains/show/waters breaking. Gave birth at midday.
Even though I was late I recommend packing that bag because as soon as I was in labour I was incapable of doing anything including putting my shoes on - let alone pack a bag!

37+6 we were just serving sunday dinner when I felt an odd feeling and ran up to the toilet. Managed to get my things down and waters went like the biggest wee ever as I got onto the toilet (thankfully my aim was ok). That was at 8.30ish. Nothing was happening so I decided to eat before calling as I was worried if I went in I wouldn't get to eat. Got to hospital at about 9.40 with no contractions yet, by 11.20 I was 2 cm and my daughter was born at 1.04!

Simply woke up at 2:30 am having twinges every 20 mins. At 5am, DP woke up and went to the loo, told him it would be that day, and I promptly went back to sleep. Contractions suddenly became much more intense at around 2:30 pm that day, but waters had to be broken at hospital as I apparently had a thick membrane. DS born at 10:55pm after ten mins pushing, and I went home at around 1pm next day.

Wow thanks for all the responses. All really interesting as well.
Anyone totally taken by surprise and not expecting it - as in early?

Mine was only a day early but I wasn't expecting it - first baby, was convinced I would go overdue.

I had a night of awful diarrhoea, crazy Braxton Hicks, vomiting and generally feeling v unwell two nights before I gave birth. The day I gave birth, I just woke up with contractions. My waters never broke at all - the midwife did it for me once I was fully dilated. Spent approx 90% of early labour pooing. A lot. Also vomited about twenty times during labour. The bright side was that it was fairly short and not anywhere near as painful as I'd feared.

Mine started with DS2 whilst looking on this childbirth thread desperately seeking some form of hope that babies do come before 40 weeks - I was 39+3 and at 10.30pm got a sharp pain, thought I'd wet myself and then realised it was my waters. He was born 7 hours later....

No-one seems to have mentioned it here (just read Hoxton - cross-posted) but my first labour started by a great big dose of the shits. Oh yeh, baby, sat on the toilet for most of the labour and throwing up as well. Apparently it's not that uncommon.

Once I had a good clear out, managed to push her out pretty speedily though. Gas and Air was a great help, but it wasn't that that was making me sick, it was just labour.

Ah - the dignity of motherhood... Good Luck - however it happens it'll all be worth it...

Ah yes they do say it can start with a comprehensive clear-out!

DD1 - woke up on my DP's 30th birthday (40+9) at 6.30am, punched DP and said 'Something's happening'. Soon as I had said it my waters broke. Went for a shower feeling pretty calm, had my first contraction while I was drying off. It knocked me to my knees and I remember thinking 'Wow, I thought they were supposed to start more gently than that'. Then I had another one 2 minutes later, and they came every 2 minutes after that. DP rang my mum in a panic, she came over, took one look at me and rang an ambulance. Blue flashing lights and a couple of very lovely paramedics later I arrived at hospital, where I had my beautiful daughter 5 hours after my waters broke.

DD2 - went to my best friend's wedding where the running joke was I would go into labour during the speeches. I managed to stay all day, then went home around 10pm. DP stayed on to get drunk. At about 3.30am the next morning I woke up needing a wee, and noticed DP wasn't home yet. I went to the bathroom and my waters broke. I started contracting immediately, and spent the next hour frantically trying to ring DP, but his phone was off - as well as everyone elses (I even tried the bride and groom!). At about 4.30am DP staggers in, just as I was about to ring an ambulance as my contractions were about 45 seconds apart. We rushed to hospital with me screaming at him for being so f*cking selfish between contractions. When I got to maternity I said I needed to push, but I don't think the MW believed me and told me to push if I wanted to. I pushed once and out she came! My DP was yelling at the MW 'there's a baby on the bed!' as she'd left the room! DD2 was born less than 2 hours after labour started.

Reading all that back I think I've made labour sound terrible, but it really wasn't. It did hurt, but not as much as I'd imagined. It was also the most amazing thing I've ever done, twice!