How did early labour 'hit you?'

[tracypenisbeaker]

Some questions for you guys to pick and choose from- I'm 40+5 and at the point where I am questioning little twinges. I am also dead nosy and love hearing other people's labour stories.

Where you in an awkward/ very memorable place when it started?
Did your waters break?
Did it feel like period pains?
At what point did you think, 'Shit, this is it,' especially if you had Braxton Hicks/ false labour before?
Where you scared?
Did your labour start without any prior warning i.e no show or waters till later, or perhaps the baby's head wasn't engaged at your last MW appointment so you thought you had more time?

Contractions woke me at 4am and I had my show along with a bit of water leakage. I hadn't really had Braxton hicks so I knew it was it! Effing painful from the off I am afraid, with very little let up. Threw up and my whole labour felt like one long contraction. My waters broke steadily through my labour whichwdas very unsettling and I felt like I was constantly wetting myself. Sorry, not a great story! It had a good ending though :)

Both times a day of niggles which got more and more regular until I thought 'yup, probably it'.

First labour was a long slow start; period pains then contractions that were sometimes regular. I realised it was the real thing when I could no longer lie back in the bath, then my waters went!

Second time I started getting contractions and about 5 hours after that turned up at hospital 4 cm dilated.

Both pretty good experiences!

Now I'm waiting for number 3 and will be reading this thread with intrrst as I'm only 38 weeks but having a lot of niggles already (both other dc overdue)

Totesamazeballs Perhaps it started off gradually in your sleep, and when it was really sore it woke you up? I'm hoping that is the case for me because I'm tired of getting ready to fire up the Quattro every time I feel a dull ache.

Penguins did those niggles stop and start with big gaps in between?

Sorry, told you I was nosy!

First labour I was having a little siesta on the couch, I woke up, sat up & my waters went with a gush like they do in American movies... I was told it didn't happen like that... But mine did!

Nausea and constant discomfort for 2 days, never like period pain for me, pressure in my down below area, oh and did I mention nausea.

Oh another question, did anyone cry when they realised what was happening to them

Ds1 - no idea that anything was about to happen until my waters went with bit of a trickle. MW did a stretch and sweep and the first contraction floored me an hour later. Baby arrived 6hrs later.
Ds2 - it took me a couple of hours to realise that contractions were actually getting regular and continuing rather than just braxton hicks.

Ds3 - on/off labour for 3 days nearly drove me insane. I was convinced every little twinge was the start of labour.

Yes, to start with they stopped and started. But then they became regular but widely spaced. 30 mins. Then in both cases hours of 15 minutes ( at an intensity where I could still talk to Dd1 during one, but made DH wait for it to pass). I have had long slow starts both times.

No, didn't cry then . Did 48 hours later with DD1 when still 3cm though

Keeping an eye on thisvery interesting! Iv had nothing so far so im looking for them stories were you just went into labour with no sign and preying thats whats hAppening to me :)

Waters broke with a pop, strong contractions started soon after,I declined tens machine telling hubby I'd rather just go to hospital (thinking this was the start of a long night and also that it hurt a lot more than I imagined do best not start pain relief too early), hot to hospital an hour and a half after it all started, by the time I had let them examine me (hurt too much to lie on back) I was ready to push. 3.5 hours in total.

With dd 1 of had niggles all day but put it down to being busy. By 6pm dh and I had fallen out and I kind of new I was in labour. We were supposed to be going out for our last child free meal so I didn't tell him and we went. By half 8 I had to cave and tell him, never seen him eat a meal so quick.
Dd2 woke around 7am having contractions dd arrived at 3.15pm.
Ds I woke at 3am in a bit of pain but went back to sleep.. By 8ish wh kikids woke me they were proper contractions but never regular by 5pm the pain got worse so I went to hospital. When I saw mw at 6.10 she was convinced she was going to send me home as they weren't regular enough for her. He arrived at 6.40. All mine have been different but similar. With all 3 everything has been manageable until my waters go then the pain is so intense it's time for a little more than g&a but always too late. I can never tell when my waters are going to go and I can still walk and talk through contractions right up until they go.

contractions started but scatty so didnt think it was the real deal lol but nothing major tiny bit of backache much later in the day the whole thing was actually pain-less so my home birth was un assisted due to the fact i didnt know i was in real labour lol

We had sex to try and shift baby and a few hours later I was woken by bad back pain in my lower back muscles. I thought I'd been sleeping funny. I checked the time then a few mins later it happened again! I went to the loo and there was my show and I actually laughed! Couldn't believe I was actually in labour!!
It didn't slow down at all and I had him later that day.

Watching this with interest. Am 39 weeks on Friday and booked in for a elcs as baby is breech.

However since last Friday I haven't felt right. Restless and twitchy.

Snappy and pmtish with cramps low down.
bump seems to have changed shape. More pointy out and round.
And I have had more poo in the last couple of days than the last month.

BH hurt like a bitch now. Take my breath. But nothing is regular enough to be too concerned really.

but am thinking that I won't make it to Friday.

First time started with waters going. Never had the smallest twinge before that, no Braxton Hicks or anything, and baby's head wasn't engaged (this made me high risk once waters had gone, so instead of checking that they had and then sending me home like all the antenatal classes said they would do I was in hospital for the duration from that point).

Second time, started right off the bat with proper contractions ten minutes apart to begin with but getting stronger and closer together.

Third time, generally crampy and twingy day, then had rather wussy painful but not unmanageable contractions starting that took hours to settle down into a regular pattern.

So three very different experiences for me. I do consistently throw up a lot in early labour, though -- once the contractions get regular it'-s vomit city around here. So that's nice.

Hate to say it Froubylou, but with DD2 I felt like that for about a fortnight before labour started. You might make it to your calm planned section!

Hope so penguins lol. Just blitzing through housework just in case.

At least if things ramp up enough I now have a shiny bleached bath to jump in before I go.

Not said much to DP as he is a flapper but he has just phoned to say he has swapped his work around to be 20 mins away rather than 90 minutes.

Hope he doesn't know something I don't.