Labour details... please don't just tell me 'you'll know!'

[aerokitkat]

Hi
I'm hoping some of you might be able to tell me what the start of labour was like for you.
I'm 37 weeks and have had so many 'signs' it's not funny!
But when I try and ask anybody what to really look out for, they just say 'oh you'll know when you're in labour!'
That's all very well but it can't be the same for everybody! I wonder if anybody could be a bit more specific about how it was for them.
Did you feel different on the day, or the days before? Did you know it was coming? How did you know it was the real thing?
All responses gratefully received ;)
xxx

[MrsJamin]

I had a gurgling in my tummy - I googled "gurgling labour" and 3 hours later DS2 arrived!

[Wigeon]

In retrospect, I had a couple of signs:

Monday - had a show - in my case this was a sort of small slimy bit of discharge vaguely brown/ red / cream ish (hopefully not TMI!) so not at all dramatic and I wasn't quite sure what it was. Only worked out it must have been a show in retrospect.

Tuesday - small little leaks, thought it might be wee, given there was a 39 week baby pressing on my bladder all the time, but again in retrospect I worked out this was probably my waters breaking very gradually.

Wednesday, 4am in the morning - woke up, knew I was in labour almost immediately as I started having unmistkable contractions - regular, painful, had to get out of bed and concentrate on every one. No mistaking it even though it was my first (and so far only) labour.

DD born 2pm that day!

Also, once you start getting contractions, even if you aren't sure to start with (some people start with less painful contractions than I did), you pretty soon will be sure that you are in labour, as they will be getting stronger, more frequent and generally require you to do nothing apart from deal with each one! You will not be wandering about thinking "am I in labour or not" until a baby pops out!

Good luck with the birth and enjoy the last few weeks (days?!) of pregnancy!

[Katkens]

I had absolutely no signs at all. Woke up at 5.30am the day after my due date and ten minutes later my waters broke in the bed!

Started having regular period type pains almost immediately and went to the hospital. They confirmed my waters had broken and wanted to send me home as they said it could be a while but if I didn't progress they would induce within 48 hours.

I was in a lot of pain by now and on the monitor but no one seemd to believe that I thought I was progressing rather fast.

To cut a long story short I was examined and was 3 cm and told I wouldn't be examined again for 2 hours. About half an hour later I said I wanted to push - they reluctantly checked me again and I was fully dilated - baby arrived about 10 minutes later exactly 4 hours after my waters broke with an actual labour of 75 minutes!

I was supposed to have an epidural because I suffer from High blood pressure but there was no time so I managed on gas and air - although I wouldn't class that as pain relief, it just made me feel drunk!

[Lovethesea]

Had no BH or anything the whole pregnancy. Waters went 11 days over, but not dramatically. Next morning at 4am I woke up needing the loo, went to the bathroom and threw up 4 times.

Started feeling an odd pain in my back/stomach which came and went for 20 mins and then became intense and every 2-3 minutes. Sat on birthing ball, hit space bar on computer for contraction timer and left DH in bed for a while.

Went in to the ward at 7am as the tens wasn't doing enough with no significant gaps between contractions. Was 4cm and sent up to labour. After that it all went badly so I'll leave it there for this thread!

[GJ91]

I was in latent labpur for 48 hours before active labour started and it stopped and started, and I was completely confused. You'll know when you are in established labour because you stop feeling confused and everything gets rather intense. It becomes very hard to breathe through contractions you won't be able to talk through them. For me the pain radiated round to my bum more , it felt like the contractions were taking over and I had a strong sense of urgency to get to the hospital. If you are calm enough to wondere if it is established labour it isn't!
best of luck

[Lucy85]

hi aerokitkat,
how exciting! You're about to get to see you're lovely little baby!

Basically you're looking for something unfamiliar falling out, or unusual pain (as most things are a bit painful at that stage!)

i got out of bed and red water fell on the floor. 'Weird', I thought but carried on as normal, went out for lunch. Then a couple of hours later, more, yellow water fell out. 'Hmm, that's odd', I thought.

Then I called the hospital midwives who said it was a show / my waters had broken and I needed to come in because there was a higher risk of infection once your water broke.

There follwed 4 days of going backwards and forward whilst they tried to persuade me to be induced, and I refused, then they monitored my baby to make sure there were no signs of infection.

Then one day i got regular period pains and that was it! Did I 'know?' - No! not really I just thought it was odd, plus I wanted to go out for lunch! However looking back I think there wa a little bit of denial in there - I was terrified of the pain. And it didn't even hurt that badly, I used TENS and pethidine and did it all by myself!

Good luck with it all, you'll be fine - it's amazing what you can do !!

[thedollshouse]

I knew that labour was coming, or I thought I did anyway as not having been through it before I couldn't be sure.

I felt a bit crampy just over 24 hours before I went into labour and I had a sixth sense that things were happening. On the day I went into labour I noticed that my braxton hicks were becoming more intense and when I timed them they were very regular, only a few minutes apart and each lasting 30 seconds. Eventually they stopped feeling like braxton hicks and felt like the worst period pains I had ever experienced, my waters went at this point too.

[BessieBoots]

With DS1, I was violently sick a few hours before it all kicked off. Couldn't stand to share the bed with DH, so he slept on the sofa. Went to sleep about 9, woke up about 3, no pain, but my thighs were a bit damp (TMI). When I went to the toilet, my waters just kept coming, but slowly.Within a few hours, the pains had started.

With DS2, I went to bed as normal, and woke up about 3, not in any pain, just wide awake. I went downstairs to watch tv, and within about 30 minutes, the pains had started. Also, interestingly, I kept thinking I couldn't be as close to giving birth as I felt as my waters hadn't gone, but when I got to hospital I was fully dilated and my waters had gone. I wonder how they could have gone without me knowing??

[Hollyoaks]

I woke up at 6am and was wide awake immediately and I felt the first contraction almost straight away. Was like a very mild bh but another one came in exactly 5 mins and then 5 mins again. This continued for a few hours but the contractions got more painful.

Went to hospital about 1pm where I was 3cm dilated. Pain got more intense and closer together, dd was born at 8:02pm. 14 hours from start to finish.

I knew after the third contraction came in exactly 5 mins, that and I was due two days later. No waters till they were broken in hospital and a small show a couple of weeks previous. Felt fine the day previous apart from being uncomfortable and high bp.

[SqueezyB]

best advice the MW gave me was that if the contractions/pains don't stop when you lie down or rest and carry on getting stronger, it is probably true labour!

This was true for me - early labour was no different to the BH I'd had for weeks except that it didn't stop, just got worse. When I reached the point where I couldn't speak during a contraction I called the hospital.

Hope that helps!

[nunnie]

I got a bad case of the trots, and for some reason I rang the delivery unit and they told me to pop in and they would ahve a look. I was 5cms when I got there and within 20mins I was pushing. Hoping I get the same sign with this one, think we may need to go on the motorbike though to be sure we arrive in time .

I should say I have a shorter than 'normal' cervix length so was warned my labour may be quicker than an 'average' first timers.

[LuckyC]

I will be of no use to you:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childbirth/944549-36-weeks-odd-pains-this-is-normal-right

Eve ntually the only real sign for me was that these pains were insistent enough for me to have to breathe deliberately through them; could have talked still but not really; could not lie down on back; were coming more frequently.

in retrospect would have known earlier except that she was so early, so I genuinely did not expect it.

[chubbychipmonk]

Hi, My son is now 4 months old so will fill you in on what happenend in my labour . . He was due to be born on 20th Dec but I 'knew' he was gonna be an early baby, just had a 'gut' feeling I guess. Was very active through all my pregnancy and on day before he was born cleaned my house from top to bottom as I had such a strong gut instinct that I was gonna go into labour at any minute!! I had slight blood stained discharge (sorry if TMI!!) which looking back was the 'show', also had diarrhoea in the morning which again is another sign! At 5pm sat down on the couch and my waters literally popped!! All the antenatal classes said its not a huge gush . .but for me it def was! Went to hosp at 7pm, came back home at 10pm and by midnight went back to hosp, son was born at 3am after only 15 mins of pushing, no stitches or anything (I know how lucky I was!!!)
Lookibg back it all happened so quickly but it was a lovley experience and I wish at the time I had taken even just a second(between contractions!!) to think how wonderfull that my baby was about to be born. The only other sign I had thatI was about to go into labour was that he became very stll in few days before I went into labour, was always a wriggler and squirmer but then went very quiet! . saved his energy!! im aware I had a really easy experience compared to a lot of other people but from a personal point of view, its not as bad as you think its gonna be and def the best momnet of your life when you hold your baby for the first time!! You can do it and you'll know when its time, good luck!!!!

[Leojones26]

Hi I’m due today with my 4th baby could someone please help me for about a hour now iv been getting pains every ten minutes but I dunno if it’s labour or just the baby moving can someone help me