Can labour start with no contractions?

[Excited85]

I've had real bad constant backache since around midday, the odd tightening in my stomach but nothing contraction wise. I'm overdue and baby has regularly flipped between being the right way round and back to back.

I'm aware that back to back labour can be felt much more in the back but figured it would still come in waves or would be in conjunction with contractions so am wondering if this constant and painful backache could be the start of labour? Or is it just wishful thinking?!

Sounds like it could be!!

With DS all I had was backache and period type pains, I never had the tightenings across my bump that I expected contractions to be.

Thanks noodie, I'm a little concerned that might be the case. Can I ask how you knew when to go to hospital, just when the back pain got unbearable? Am getting a few tightenings now so hopefully this could be the start of something :-)

Can't answer the hospital bit as I was trying for a homebirth with DS but I just pottered around had the TENS machine on, had a couple of baths, tried to sleep a bit and things gradually ramped up, at which point I rang the midwife.

One thing I wish I'd done was get more sleep but I was too excited and was convinced that it would all happen quickly. As it was it was about 30 hours from the first pains to actually having DS and I was knackered by the end of it. So I would advise having a and putting your feet up for a bit.

Yes it can some women have silent labours and do not know until baby is nearly out

Looks like it was another false alarm... Back still bad but nothing like yesterday and cramps/tightenings have stopped again. That's the third time now I've thought it was going somewhere... Argh!!!!

Excited, we are in the same boat. I am now ignoring all aches and cramps and putting it down to being heavily pregnant, not in early labour.

It's like when you are waiting for a bus and light a cigarette, the bus always arrives (nb I haven't smoked in years).

So I am trying to keep busy doing things about the house (freezer is totally full so can't cook anymore meals, may have to resort to baking! eek), reading, sleeping and spending hours on mumsnet. Hopefully, while ignoring all pains, I will suddenly find myself in labour! Good luck, keep us posted when something does kick off!

Ahh spoonful it's horrible isn't it! I didn't mind when I could keep myself busy but now I'm just sitting around waiting as I'm too fat and in pain to do anything worthwhile!! They should make weeks 40 and 41 so that you feel perky again, a bit like in weeks 16 onwards! If only I could get out the house I'm sure I wouldn't be analysing every movement!!

I'm sitting aching too, hoping that this is the start!

I spent yesterday with niggling pains, couldn't sleep when I went to bed so have only had about 4 hours sleep. Luckily DM has taken DS overnight so I should be lying on the sofa watching crap tv. Instead I'm reorganising the kitchen which finally got completed last week.

I'm hoping this means that my nesting instinct has kicked in and that these niggly pains are going to work their way up to being proper contractions!