Could this be the very start of labour??

[Darksideofthemoon88]

I'm 37+4 and we're expecting DD a little early. Nothing that I would consider contractions (not that I've had a baby before, but I assume I'd notice!), but...

Nasty niggly crampy lower back pain, getting worse

Pains in thighs - there all the time, but kinda coming in waves to right thigh. Worse on standing

Feeling a bit sick

Increase in appetite

Leaking some kind of vaginal fluid - not enough to be waters, but definitely far more than usual

Generally achey back and hips, again getting worse

Pressure/pain 'down below'

Frequent bowel motions, pretty loose (sorry )

Baby not as active as she's been over the last few days

Could this be the start of something....or just wishful thinking?!

Yep! sounds like you're on your way. Have you got everything organised that you will need in hospital/labour? Good time to check everything over one last time.

Also try having a bit of a walk (with someone if possible or jut round the garden) to ease the cramping and also gets things moving along.

Btw, the vaginal fluid could be waters so i would give midwife a wee ring and they might get you to come in and check just incase.

Maybe, maybe not. However, pain, nausea can be a UTI, when were you last checked? And if your baby is moving less than normal, you must get checked over.

How exciting! The fluid I had with DD1 and thought it couldn't possibly be waters as in the films it always pours out, however it was. Your waters tend to smell quite sweet, so that could be a clue.
Also having a good "clear out" is deffo a sign!

Yes that cramping is early labour, you don't get the big obvious contractions until later on. Also agree with SillyBilly, waters can be a tiny tiny trickle. Put a pad in and see how wet it is in a few hours. Another way to test it is to cough hard and see if more fluid comes out. If you feel hungry now eat, whatever you fancy, it's your bodies way of fuelling up for the harder bit later on in labour when you probably won't be hungry or be able to get food down you with the contractions interrupting mid mouthful! I remember eating a whole sharing bag of Doritos, 2 Danish pastries, a jelly and a banana in early labour with DS. It got me through the next 48hrs of contractions though so just listen to your body. Good luck OP.

Exactly how mine started.

Probably 48 hours before DC1 was born and about 12 hours before DC2.

How exciting!!

Oh wow - was expecting a resounding No!

Don't think it'll be a UTI, Antinous : I get kidney infections from time to time and they're not normally like this. Urine was clear when checked less than a fortnight ago and I feel well in myself (my kidney infections tend to leave me feeling at death's door).

Please phone your midwife/hospital unit and tell them about the lower back pain. It may be nothing, but all my contractions were in my back and NOT in my front. This was because my son was in the wrong birthing position. It isn't necessarily a problem, but they will want to monitor you more closely. There was no problems or complications for me and my son with him being in the wrong position, but you do have to push and work harder, so definitely eat now lol!!! Babies are born in the wrong position all the time, so it isn't something to worry about - its just always best to be safe rather than sorry with labour! Congratulations!

Scoobs: It smelt kinda vinegary on the pad - though not nearly so strong. In my knickers - forgot to put another pad in - it smells sweetish, but doesn't have much of a smell really.

No advice as in same boat with first but I wish you good luck! [Thanks]

Jen: Could it be that even when it's mostly on the rhs??? That's what's confusing me - it's far worse on the right than the left.

Ring midwife!

My labour started in my back with period type cramps and gradually got stronger through the night.

I disagree with the above post. For a huge number of women labour pains present as pain in your back as well as low down cramping. That is totally normal and whilst it can be a sign that baby is back to back most of the time it is a sign of nothing - just the way you are feeling early labour. If baby is back to back they would still encourage you to labour at home for as long as possible anyway and wouldn't be checking positions at this stage as it isn't necessary until labour is established. And of course many women do have perfectly textbook deliveries even with a back to back baby (me included).

Don't worry about that now, focus on resting, fuelling and getting into a calm headspace.

Thanks guys

Just rung MAU and they've said to stick a maternity pad in and update them in a coupla hours. Eeek.

Its not a strong sweet smell I remember, it was faint. I had come to the conclusion it was urine, I think because I was in denial, (I also convinced myself the pains were trapped wind despite being 42+1 lol) but it kept leaking and sometimes there would be enough in one go to soak the pad. When I called the mw she said it sounded like my waters. This was 6 years ago so I don't remember the details, but it sounds similar to what you describe

Umm god this is gonna make me blush.... .... but is there any way it could be 'fluid' left over from sex this morning? I did go to the loo straight after and expel everything I thought was there, and it would be really odd for me to still be leaking over 6hrs later, but I'm wondering now if I'm being silly and it's just that? God I'm mortified - never posted anything like that on the internet before! Thank god you people don't know who I am!

And something just happened - she moved down? kinda felt like something bobbing down a little inside me? - and more fluid came out when that happened. Does that make it any more or less likely to be related to my waters? Pain increased in lower back at same time.

Exactly the same happened me when 40+6. Had sex, went to toilet, had shower but there was still more than usual leakage. Phoned midwife, they brought me in to check, waters still in tact so they told me i'd wet myself i didnt correct them and say it was sex juice

Btw, your morning sex could have started labour off. Were the pains there before sex?

Oh god sillybilly - that's mortifying! Definitely don't want to go in now lol. Is it possible to wet yourself without thinking you need the loo???

Re the pains, yes and no. I've had on-off back pains for weeks now and I was quite sore last night (though not the worst I've been), but I was happy enough this morning. I took a couple of paracetamol I think, but I got up and did some housework and drove DP to work without feeling particularly uncomfortable. They've definitely got a lot worse since then - which is unusual as they were bad by about 1100 and usually if I'm just having a bad day they aren't like that until well into the evening. The pain has also moved into my thighs and hips since this morning.

Did you tell the midwife that you have had reduced fetal movements for a few days? This is not normal and it need to be checked out.
As for the other symptoms it may be it may be not the start it can go on like this for days (obviously it you think your waters have gone this needs to be confirmed as the risk of infection will go up if you don't go into labour soon)
Good luck but please get the reduced movements checked out (I'm a midwife, I would want to see you and check you and baby over)

sex is one of the things they recommend to start labour!
I remember my back pain being one sided, but cant remember which, sorry! It may still be nothing, but was just giving you a heads up! You've done the right thing by phoning, now its just a waiting game! Just try and take it easy, it may still be just the joys of pregnancy and not labour, but if there is a big change in your symptoms, phone them straight back.

Me: It's just today she's not been as active. She's still moving - and had a big wriggle within the last hour - but she'd been driving me mad for a few days prior to that with constantly wriggling and kicking and giving me no peace whatsoever. I told the midwife, but she seemed happy enough as she's still moving.

I feel wetter than I am, bizarrely . Pad feels dry, but I felt stuff come out before

Was it a maternity pad or a sanitary pad? Some of the sanitry pads are desinged to wick the moisture away from your skin and the pad feels dry when it actually has fluid in it.

Maternity pad. It's very thick, but doesn't look or feel as though there's anything in it

Maybe just a bit of excess vaginal fluid earlier then but could be waters. Either way lots of signs there. How you feeling now?