Beginnings of labour? Should I feel this bulge down below?!

[ExquisiteChristmasCake]

My due date is today. Already had a ds (20mo). Woke up with chronic back ache and cramps at the top of the thighs, chilled out today with my TENS machine (having a home birth so not much else to do). The pain has subsided to be a bit dull, but I am suddenly acutely aware of a bulge in my fanjo. It feels as though there is a grapefruit pressing against it from the other side...could this be the head and is it normal to feel this? Or could it be my waters?

Ds was an easy labour (woke up 10 cms gone and literally began to push whole ordeal was over in a few hours) so I "missed" the beginnings of labour and have no idea what I should be expecting. I know not to bother my midwife to come out until I have contractions/a show (have rung to let her know I'm feeling a bit weird though).

Is it normal?

any news ?

10 that's a whole 38 minutes away woman! Oha baby on the first day of Decemeber

I opted out of a pool as I refused to get in it last time after my poor dh had to erect it.

Have a brand new mattress for the guest room still with it's wrapping on for the sitting room floor, and obviously the sheets/towels etc are here.

hospital bag is by the door, TENS machine is on me. I can't reach the medicine cabinet for the paracetamol (am allergic to opiates so no pethadine for me). Bastard pine needles need hoovering.

Have peed about 50 times in the past 30 minutes.

whoops sorry, thought it was friday there for a minute? :)

you sure you're weeing? pop a pad on

Ooh exciting don't think I'll go to bed just yet. Anyone know how to refresh on an iPhone?

If I lean forward on my birthing ball and bounce I can feel the baby moving up and down so obviously something is blocking it's way and squidging it up. Feels so pressured it's horrible (not by you lot, but actual pressure internally!)

How exciting! Good luck!

Are you sure you're weeing and it's not your waters? I got up 3 times to 'wee' and was mortified that I'd wet the bed, creeping around incase DP woke up to find me changing my pants!! Turned out my waters had broken .

I think you should call dh and the midwife.......NOW!!!

I m definatley thinking your waters are leaking!!!

Did you mention that to the midwife, if not It might be worth another call, I would wait until DH gets home before getting in the bath!

Call your MW. tell her to come around.

Call your DH. Sod his snooker.

Leave the pine needles, stop rummaging in your Fanjo and pour some champagne. Baby is On The Way

you obviously aren't bloody weeing are you! It's trickling through I presume? ooh!!

More mucusy discharge but again no blood and not enough to be a "show"....just when I wipe from peeing.

It isn't like normal discharge (TMI) it's stringy and thick almost elastic like. Rather disgusting, sorry ladies.

You are like the calmest woman EVER.....I'm thinking get the midwife over sharpish....4am my arse. If nothing happens she can Hoover the carpet.....

shuffle, go to top of page and click on the curled arrow

agree with everyone else. call mw, sounds like waters going, the pressure is immense, am thinking baby will not be far behind

Seriously get your midwife out now to check you! I felt just like that with my last one (no.4), went to the MLU to get checked, left the bags in the car because I thought 3-4cm, not yet established labour, my previous labour was 16 hours so thought ages yet. Was there 7 mins and my baby was born, almost painless, 2 pushes, first broke my waters (they were bulging so much the midwife couldn't tell how dialated I was) the second shot my daughter out in one go. The midwife didn't even know I was pushing, I didn't even realise I was pushing, we only realised she was born because she cried, was totally wierd, didn't feel anything like my others when they were born.

this is show exquisite

Eeeeeeeeekkkkk!!!!!
Very unhelpful but had to be done!

call her back - and yes, she could hoover up the pine needles right I am going to sort DS out don't do anything til i can get back

Gosh. How thrilling

Well it's weeing because I can control it.

Weird thing is, when I've stopped being (all 15 mls at a time) i can feel something shift and some more comes out, so I'm wondering if it isn't the head instead of the waters.

Without the waters going or a show the baby isn't going to come out so I don't really want to bother my MW in case she comes and then says oh no, false alarm, you're fine (have a phobia of giving birth so I don't want a false alarm I need it to be over with fairly soon of what I think is starting).

The pressure is building in my lower abdomen, feels like wind, but it isn't but it's that kind of bloated feeling. Think I'll hop in the bath. (and by hop I mean heave my massive body over the side and pray dh has his keys so I don't have to heave myself out).

Think it's even more likely that you would have an almost painless labour as well because you did with your last one! Get on the phone and get hubby and midwife there asap!

Ooh exquisite, good luck