In hindsight, were there any signs that your baby was going to come early???

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

Hello, 2nd Q of the day.
I can't describe why I feel like I do at the moment but I just have this 'feeling' that my baby is going to come early. I am due in Feb.
So I was just wondering if anyone had their baby weeks early and if they 'knew' it was going to happen - or if in hindsight you realised there were signs that they were going to come early?

[SeeYouSoon]

I agree with HDee, sorry. Babies do drop it?s pretty standard at 30something (I forget how many) weeks. Mind was enaged for bloody weeks. He was born at 42 weeks. At my 38 wk appointment my mw told me she didn?t think I?d be coming to my 40wk appointment as I?d have had the baby. No such luck!

[LexiandBeanette]

I'm 27 weeks and had a bit of a false alarm this week. Midwives took it very seriously and had me in though as my mum went into labour prematurely with my brother at 28 weeks, was stopped but into hospital every week until he was born at 36. I was born at 35 when her waters broke. So while I am not sure about feelings I know that they take mum/sister's family history as an indicator & I keep telling my DH this LO may not go to 38 weeks :-/

[Marmiteisyummy]

I had that "feeling" with DS that he'd be early, was very sure for some reason. Had loads of BHs for weeks. DS was born uneventfully at 40+13, escaping induction by 12 hours.

So I agree with pp. the feeling is just a pg thing, it doesn't mean anything for most of us.

Hope your baby stays put til 37 weeks at least.

[Mandy21]

I had no idea, no inkling, nothing. I'm a twin and we were born at 33 weeks and I was pregnant with twins too, so knew I wouldn't get to 40 weeks, but when I had really bad back ache at 27 weeks that was more than just discomfort and went to the hospital, I could not believe it when they said I was in labour. So they were more than 12 weeks early (both absolutely fine now).

Maybe it was a twin thing, rather than a "family history" point of view as I got to 39+6 weeks with Number 3.

[kittenskittenskittens]

I had my dd at 37wks, no signs at all, no braxtons no sickness had mw ap the day before and head wasn't engaged or a show, think there is a link possibly in family's as my mum also had us all at 37 wks, lost count of the amount of times I've heard people saying they will give birth any day as fit to pop etc only for them to go over, I don't think you can know what will happen unless you've perhaps had a premi before and even then it's no guarentee

[GinSoakedMu1berryLush]

well, i'm only 5'2" and i only got to 37 weeks both times. like my body just wansn't long enough. i was active throughout but the 48 hours before I was hit with such a fatigue. walking became a supreme effort.

[GinSoakedMu1berryLush]

ps, my mum had me at 36 weeks and i have since read that it can be inherited. my kids are fine btw.

[sassytoo]

DS1 was 3.5 weeks early, DS2 was 3 weeks early on xmas day and DD was a week early. Had no clue with any of them until my waters broke. Nearly everyone I know had late babies and it seems more common but for some reason mine come early.

[berri]

DS was 9 weeks early, and the day before my waters broke I was absolutely ravenous.

I could literally not eat enough, and this has always stuck in my mind in case I ever get another day like that with this pregnancy!

Always wondered whether it's your body preparing you for labour, although I don't know whether it's typical or not...

[SevenElvesAndAReindeer]

Mine were born at 35+5 and 35+6. I started nesting a coupe of days before DC2 but no other signs of pre-term labour.

And I agree OP that if you're not due until Feb you really don't want to be desperate to meet your baby yet.

[C0smos]

I stopped putting on weight after 30 weeks so that was the first clue, scan then showed my placenta was not functioning optimally, DS arrival at 34 weeks was still a shock though

[NoTeaForMe]

My sister was certain her baby would come early. Adamant in fact, her son was born 3 days late!

HDee I think Fuckity knows whether the doctors were worried about her son dying or not better than you...

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

Thanks all for your responses - very interesting. I really was impatient to meet him but after watching a section on news about premature babies i have completely changed my mind and hope he stays in there as long as possible.
The people who linked it to hunger - i havent been able to eat properly for two weeks and have woken up today starving.... Oooh it's like waiting for Christmas.
Thanks all x

[GinSoakedMu1berryLush]

I think it's amazing that we can beam information around the world by satellite and a million other things but can't predict when a baby will come.

[HDee]

NoTeaForMe, they were obviously worried, hence the section. But not so worried because it took them 18 minutes to get the baby out. In true emergencies (like my abruption!) you are asleep and baby is out in far less time.

[HDee]

Gin, there is a kind of vaginal swab that can be taken which allegedly predicts quite accurately if you will go into labour within the next ten days or so. The trouble with it is that so many things can contaminate the results - semen, blood, amniotic fluid etc.

[GreatCongas]

I had dd three months earlier
The constant heavy bleeding, large clots, sporadic contractions and loss of fluid meant that it was highly likely (and why I was in hospital)

[1978andallthat]

I had same feeling from about 20 weeks. 39 weeks today though so even if it comes now not exactly early...

[NoTeaForMe]

HDee I still think its ridiculous for you to think you know fuckitys situation better than she does. Unless you were there of course?! I bet you're somebody who has a migraine if someone has a headache or a broken foot if someone stubs their toe!

[HDee]

Yeah NoTea, you are right. While my placenta was abrupting, it was probably just a braxton hicks. When my twins were born at 23 weeks, I was probably being over-dramatic by thinking they may die or be left permanantly disabled.

Yes. You are right. I just like the extra attention it brings.

I'm probably also over-reacting and being a drama queen by thinking you are a fuck head and should keep your opinions to yourself.

Do your research. If a baby is dying In utero, then taking 18 minutes to get him out would mean a dead baby. I never said Fuckity's situation wasn't serious. It obviously was for her to have been delivered so quickly.

[BionicEmu]

HDee, I think you're referring to the fetal fibronectin swab? It's useless at predicting labour, it's more useful for predicting a lack of labour. Well, a negative result means you will 99% NOT go into labour in the next 2 weeks. A positive result means you may or may not. I had a positive result at 27 weeks, and was having contractions. Had steroid injections, the lot, but am now 33 weeks pregnant and still no baby!

[NoTeaForMe]

HDee at no point did I say your situation wasnt serious. I did not mean to belittle what you went through, an if you feel I did then I am truly sorry.

However, when fuckity said that the medical staff rushed her in as they were worried her baby was dying in utero it's ridiculous for you, or anyone else that wasn't there, to tell her that that's not true and clearly there was nothing to worry about.

I will be ignoring the fact that you called me a fuckhead!

[NoTeaForMe]

Whoops! The last bit was supposed to be crossed out, not put in bold!

[BabysPointlessPocket]

Both mine were early, no signs before with either.

[hillyhilly]

Dd came 3 weeks early, I hadn't a clue. Two and a half years later her brother was a week late - that was a long four weeks as I was waiting & watching the entire time (& so was everyone else)