what were your very first signs of labour

[JRmumma]

Right, the baby's room is ready, hospital bags packed, freezer and kitchen cupboards fully stocked, baby has finally gone head down at 37 weeks. Now in just sitting here waiting for it all to start.

Just wondering what other people's first inklings that it was happening was? Obviously i know im supposed to have a show, or waters breaking etc, but is there anything more subtle that happened to you?

Mine started with back ache both times long before I had show and was in active labour with both when my waters broke but funny cos even though I kept getting back ache I just knew it was different good luck x

The plug coming away was mine. A piece 3 days before then the whole thing the night before.

I'm 37+2 and keep knicker checking now :)

With DC1 it was the show coming away on the Tuesday morning (40+8) and then on the Thursday evening first contraction came.

JR Me too! Almost ready. 37 weeks and have woken up this morning feeling like my hips are being wrenched apart. Not painful, just uncomfortable..

Waters went at 11am and nothing all day woke up next morning to full blown every 3 minute contractions and a baby 6 hours later.

An audible pop and slight trickle of waters. Contractions started 3 hours later.

Second time around I woke up with contractions, no other signs at all

I had a weird niggling feeling in my lower back that kept me up half the night but by that point my back had been so uncomfortable for so long that I didn't think anything of it. My plug started coming away about 4 days before but I was only 38+2 and presumed it was nothing. I was already booked in to be induced for diabetes the day after I started contracting.

One sharp pain under my bump, which came on when I knelt down to pick up a weed from my garden, which immediately turned into contractions. No show at all for me.

For 2 or 3 days before my boobs started leaking like mad. They'd leaked since about 7 months but it seriously upped in those couple of days. And constant backache and increased period pains.

Waters went but only a tiny bit so wasn't convinced it hadn't just been a bit of wee half an hour later and in agony - thought it was an upset stomach but turns out it was back to back labour!

Was sick and had the runs at bedtime, woke up at 3am with an urgent feeling of needing to poop that didn't go away so by 8 I phoned my birth partner, 9 I was in the hospital and 5 cm dilated hadn't even had a contraction yet and my show and waters didn't happen until 20 mins before birth - quick and easy but a bit scary!

Second labour my waters went and I was induced 24 hours later and again managed to get to 5-6cms without contracting but loads of pain.

Not the annoying braxton hicks from 25 weeks..

Not the rhythmic tightenings (as many as three in eleven minutes one night) from 40 weeks...

But a partial show at 40+6, then waking up from a lovely nap to a huge contraction and the massive urge to, um, evacuate my bowels. From thereon in contractions were regular and increasing in intensity until DD was born a few hours later. My waters went when I started pushing.

Good luck btw - the four weeks from. 37 to 41 were ungainly and waddly for me

I had a pain that went from my toes all the way up my body which lasted barely a second or two and then I had to race to the loo with an upset stomach. Contractions started straight after and it was clearly labour and not braxton hix

With DS1 had a show then contractions started immediately.
DS2 just very mild period pain type cramps that built very slowly into contractions, took a while to convince myself I was in labour.
Good luck!

First time pregnant here... not to show myself up, but what is a "show"??

The mucus plug that seals your cervix :) can look like jelly/snot/mucus and be pinky, greeny, browny.. anything really! Mine looked like i'd coughed up phlegm in my pants

Thanks Foofighter! Gross...

38+1 here... first baby. This is a good thread to read.

Apart from SPD rearing it's ugly head once more after a reprieve, (and wriggly baby, and flat full of baby stuff) I don't feel remotely like i'm about to give birth. Part of me does wonder if that's my stubborn nature though, responding to everyone saying "any twinges yet" ?

One question (sorry to hijack but it does relate to the OPs question) and that is, how long before labour starting did baby 'drop'?

By drop do you mean the head engage? Or just it seem like the bumps lower?

If you mean the head engage then that is different for everyone. They can engage and bob in and out, and might not engage til labours underway I think.

Waters breaking. The contractions started 15 minutes later.

The monitor on the bump and the pessary up my you-know-where...
Induction, sorry not helpful

I started with backache on the Sunday @ 37wks, Monday I had a night of contractions, next day backache and period pains was loosing bits of plug, then the days that followed was diarhea and sickness. Friday I had a big bloody show and then contractions started :D he was born 2 days later after 2 days of slow labour. So it was a pretty long week lol

Ds2 - show, waters going couple of days later, contractions started an hour later

Ds3 - couple of small shows, contractions kicked in couple of days later and bam, straight into active labour

Contractions. Nothing before them.