DId you know labour was imminent?

[tex111]

I'm 36 weeks pregnant tomorrow and have already started looking for signs that I might go into labour soon. The baby is 3/5 engaged, which I know could mean nothing, but it gives me hope that she may come soon.

A friend told me that she always knew when she was going to go into labour because her skin would break out. She would be glowing until a few days before labour would start and then she would get a sudden outbreak of spots. Anyone else have some way of knowing that labour was on its way?

No. It was a complete surprise each time.

Well obviously not a complete surprise, but you know what i mean!

I KNEW I was going to go into labour the week she was born. I just had a feeling. I even knew the day she would be born, and she was.

i knew ds3 was going to be born in may. couldnt get my head round the idea that his birthday would be in june, it didnt sound right. he was born on 31st may! no idea why i knew, i just knew it all through the pregnancy (he was 10 days late, would have been born in june if i had been induced)

Actually, GG I had the same kind of feeling with my DS. Just couldn't see him being born in August and he arrived 31 July. He was induced though and helped along every step of the way so this is like the first time all over again.

tex111 i felt like that from about 36 weeks too... ds was 2 weeks late. sorry!

i got strong braxton hicks every evening for an hour or 2 the week before i went into labour

My dd was born in May (first baby) I had no idea she was coming a day after her due date. I though she would be 2 weeks late! LOL when my waters broke (well I didn't actually..I was to scared!!)

no inclination whatsoever

yes

I was induced

I did not have a clue but when i look back i feel that there was some strange signs which i should have realised, I was doing the nesting BUT i was actually getting our clothes back out of the wardrobe and re-ironing them dp thought i was going mad! Ds was 10 days late though

i don't think i know a way of telling if its on its way but if reading other peoples experiences helps, here goes -

with dd, the day before at routine anti-natal, bp was high, next morning had bad upset tum, lasted all day, then waters went in evening

with ds, had a false alarm a week before, starting strong regular braxton hicks at 11pm, then up all night with bad upset tum, had him at luchtime.

so for me, the sure sign with both that something was going on was the upset tum, hth, x.

With hindsight there were several signs with DD2 - lots of 'discharge' down there (a show i guess), needing to go the loo every 10 mins (presumably baby had dropped right down), diarrohea, incredibly tired (went to bed in the afternoon for a couple of hours - i guess my body was telling me to get some rest). Waters went that evening and DD2 was born 3 hours later. becuase i had been induced with DD1 i didn't recognise any of this at the time ! good luck !

Message withdrawn

Just the mad cleaning thing. From someone who normally is a bit of a slob. I went quite beserk and re painted the entire hallway the week before, it was like i was possesed and in my head it was THE BABY CANT COME UNTIL IVE DONE THE SKIRTING BOARDS! DH came home one day and i was in my underwear on all fours sliding all over the bathroom floor like a sumo wrestler actually using a scrubbing brush.

The day before ds1 was born, I got an urge to bake cookies, it was almost a compulsion. I just had the dough made when my waters broke. After that I assumed that would be my clue that I was going into labour, but it never happened again.

Although with ds3 I was in the shower the morning before he was born singing 'Tonight's the Night', and thinking 'hmm, why did I sing that song', so I reckon I knew subconciously.

I had absolutely no idea. In fact with ds (second child) although my waters had broken, the midwives had to practically beg me to stay in the hospital, I was so convinced labour wasn't going to start as I had no contractions yet (was very surreal as there were about 4 other women who really wanted to stay and were being asked to go home!). Lucky they did really because ds was born within the hour. I was completely clueless!!

the bit that i didnt get though was this. i was in the bath for most of labour having g&a getting on well, thinking i wonder how long this bit will go on for. i mean pretty painful but ok. and then when mw had a check, she said " oh my goodness your so and so cms apart, you could have started pushing hours ago!!) i didnt have any urge to push at all!

no.

DS1 - waters broke 13 days before EDD - strangely I knew my waters were about to go before I felt the pop and was already half way down the stairs when they went! No braxton hicks, no contractions - and ended up having a CS the following day (long story).

DS2 - waters broke 6 days before EDD. Had a few minor contractions while being monitored at the hospital in the afternoon. But they only lasted a few hours (and I didn't dilate at all). That was on the Sunday - and there had still been absoultey no progress at all by the Wednesday afternon when I was induced - mind you things got moving quickly after that - pessary at 3.30 - contractions unbearable by 7pm!

I'm wondering if I ever have a 3rd baby whether my body will ever go into labour on it's own LOL.

my water breakage was very pathetic i thought! i was expecting a hollywood film version of you know " whoooosh" and it was barely a trickle! ive wet my knickers laughing more than that!