I'm getting close and have some labour questions that I keep thinking about!!

[roz1982]

Evening ladies. I'm on mat leave and apart from pottering, birth ball, nesting etc I have some things that I cant stop wondering about., I would appreciate some experience/answers from some mums!

1. What does it FEEL like when your waters break? Does it hurt?
2. Does the baby keep moving right up until labour or will go quiet for a bit before? Do babies still move when they are engaged?
3. Can you tell yourself when baby is engaged? Can you go into labour without baby being engaged?

And any other useful information I might benefit from please, I'd be very grateful as a first timer!!

Hi! Not everyone's waters break, or at least not everyone is aware of it! My waters never broke with my two DDs until I was actually pushing the baby out, so didnt feel it at all (DH told me later when they went). I never had the classic, ''i heard a 'pop' and there they went'' story.
You should still feel baby moving up until labour, though because space is an issue it might not move as much- if ever you are concerned though about reduced movements call the midwife/ward and they can always monitor you. I did that with both my DD's.
I dont think I remember when either of mine were engaged, I think its more obvious with your first and bump feels a lot lower, but second time around the baby can pop in and out of the pelvis right up to labour.

Good luck!!! :D

Thanks preggo, I know it can be so different for everyone which makes it even more frustrating not knowing what's going to happen!!

1. waters went during an internal when I was about 9cm, didn't hurt just a big woosh!
2. he kept moving throughout, it felt a bit different in later labour but still noticable movements. During early labour it was strange as between contractions I was still getting big kicks!
3. had no bloody idea! even as his head was ready to come out his feet were still under my ribs but he was fairly big.

As stupid as it sounds it took me ages to accept that labour had actually started, I kept telling DH that it it couldn't be contractions as it didn't hurt enough!

With DD2 my waters never broke - she was born in her intact bag of waters.

I went for a routine check the evening before DD2 was born at 10pm she wasn't engaged at all she was born at 3am the next morning. As for moving - yes she kept wriggling until she came out.

If you have any reduced movements and are concerned please get them checked out!

As Preggo says!

My first two went just before they were delivered and it just felt like a mass of warm wee gushing out didnt hurt, it was a lot more than I had imagined!

With my third I woke to a 'twang elastic band' type sensation inside,wasnt entirely sure that they had gone but when I kept leaking while walking and on standing up I began to think thats what it must feel like! They had gone but never gushed just trickled as DD head had moved down and was blocking them!

None of mine have ever been engaged prior to labour,but they sure got into position when it was time for action!

And again,good advice re movement from Preggo always seek advice and get checked out if concerned, no one will mind thats what they are there for!

Good luck!

1. I felt a build up of pressure like I needed a poo and the waters broke. Not painful though.
2. Yes mine moved all the time.
3. I couldn't tell. If this is your first you will more than likely engage early. 2nd babies can engage at last minute.

My first waters breaking felt like a painless dragging feeling

My second coincided with the most painful contraction which was hideous.

1. My waters have never broken naturally. I had ARM for both my DDs and it didn't hurt at all.

1. Yeah, you can still feel them moving in labour but I don't think I was as aware of it. DD1 seemed to go a bit quiet but I had an epidural with DD1 and they keep the monitor on with an epidural. With DD2 only had gas and air so I was more aware of her movements.

1. With DD1 I had no idea but with DD2 I was certain that she had dropped as my bump had dropped and there seemed to be a flat space between my boobs and my bump, whereas before my bump had stuck out from straight underneath.

It's possible to go into labour without the head being engaged, I think it's more common with first timers (or is it the other way around )

Congratulations and good luck!

I had my last baby 8 months ago and would give anything to do it all again. It really is the best thing in the world!

1. No pain when waters went. Didnt even realise they went apart from the fact my jogging bottoms were very very wet, midwife had a descreet 'sniff' ( as it has a distinct smell, so she told me) to tell it was my waters. No pop, no noise. Just after they went, i could feel baby's head pushing down and the urge to push shortly followed.
2. All babies are different, I can only vaguely remember my baby moving but i was too happy on the gas and air to notice!!
3. For me i waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity for baby to become engaged. But i could tell it was engaged when things started moving as the pressure and urge to push is soo intense (not painful for me) you know things are ready to rock and roll :D

I think the main thing i learned from my labour was not to panic. Yes it is very daunting as you really do not know what to expect. But overall i found the experience the most wonderful amazing thing a woman can go through. It is truely amazing how our bodies cope. I found that understanding what you're body is doing during each phase of labour really helped so you know whats happening and what will happen next. best of luck!! :D

Thanks for all the responses ladies, really helpful!! He's still moving around like a nutcase, ive just heard that babies can go a bit quiter when they are getting ready for labour.

Hey OP I'm 38+4 and asked my midwife some of these questions yesterday!

She said that waters going could be an unmistakeable big gush but more likely slower leaking. She said I'll know if it's waters as it will keep leaking slowly rather than weeing, which would stop!

My baby (first one) is now 3/5s engaged, but it's not a reliable sign that anything will happen soon.

She said movement continues right up to the end. I know mine's been wriggling like there's no tomorrow and I thought that might mean s/he is not getting ready to come out. Thankfully I was reassured by the MW.

I've talked with her a few times about how I will know if I'm contracting as I'm unsure of the 'you'll just know' school of thought. It seems this is the recurring feedback though so I suppose we'll just wait and see.

Good luck!

Hi there
It doesn't hurt when your waters break. Just feel a gush of warm water.
I could never tell when each of my 3 babies were engaged. Only midwife could. Babies do still move up to labour but I found it more difficult to identify this as by that time they are pretty squeezed in and there just isn't much room for them to swim around anymore. Goodluck!

It seems as though the only sure thing is that somehow, in multiple different and possible circumstances, the baby will come out!!!

Yep! He/she will def come out!
All labours are different. The only thing I can say is that it starts off like period pain, but gets much more intense. Everyone has a diff pain threshold though!

With my first, my waters didn't go until I was pushing. With DD, I had about 6 intense contractions (came from nowhere, woke me up!) and they were REALLY hurting down below, then my waters just sort of gushed out and the relief was immense, that was why it was hurting my fanjo so much, my waters must have been bulging out. Nice. There was no 'pop' or anything, I just felt an odd feeling then they gushed out. And didn't stop until I gave birth (although that was only an hour later!).
I really don't remember if either of them were moving during labour..my daughter came out too quickly to really think about anything though. I don't remember feeling my son engaging either, but I'm fairly sure I actually felt my daughter manouvering her head into my pelvis. The night before I had her I was having some really sharp stabbing pains in my bump every time she moved, didn't feel like contractions and as she was moving about a lot I put it down to her not having much room. Now I'm quite sure that was her engaging herself.
Good luck, don't be scared! I'd love to go through labour again [weirdo].

I'm loving these little labour stories! I can't stop bloody cleaning today, obsessional, eagle eyed cleaning!! I cant leave anything not done, like washing on radiators or pots in dishwasher even though clean! And last night in bed I was really awake and excited! I just can't bloody wait now!! Hmm, might go and do my hypnobaby cd to calm self down a bit!!!

For me my waters went as a very lonh slow trickle, woke up one morning feeling damp, put a pad on & felt like i was slowly weeing myself for the next 2 days. No pain.

Baby's movements were normal up until i was in established labour, then i have no idea as the contractions distract you from everything else.

I had a feeling he had engaged as bump just felt lower, and one mumsnetter helpfully said that it feels like you have a bowling ball between your legs.

Good luck, sounds like it wont be long now.

Mine went properly; IE a whoosh, not a trickle. It fel like a gurgle and pop down below.

Yeah the baby keep moving, it's quite uncomfortable without waters but not painful.

The baby doens't have to be engaged for labour to begin but it's the pressure of the head on the cervix that helps labour progress.