Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Complete this: I knew labour was imminent when.....

70 replies

ALR123 · 27/12/2015 01:17

I'm 37+4 and curious. In the last 24 hrs I've had a lot of twinges, developed a cold, gone spotty and lost my appetite! Probably means nothing but wondering when you knew it was starting?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

TattieHowkerz · 27/12/2015 09:27

They put on the second pessary and I started getting strong cramps.

Christmascheerful · 27/12/2015 09:38

Placemarking as I'm currently waiting the signs!

MusicalFanjo · 27/12/2015 09:46

DC1- when my waters exploded Hollywood style in bed. Contractions started about 15 minutes later, extremely mild at first and I gave birth 24 hours later.

DC2- when I had my first contraction. It was mild and not at all painful but I knew it was a contraction from my previous pregnancy. They soon ramped up a gear (back to back) but I was still in labour for just over 2 days.

fudgefeet · 27/12/2015 09:46

When I suddenly needed to push. I stood in my bedroom scared to move waiting for the paramedics to arrive. She was born in the sack ( and in my trousers) so no waters breaking. I didn't even take off my slippers.

williaminajetfighter · 27/12/2015 09:50

Contractions for me but midwife said women get a rise in temperature so if you feel a bit warm and glowy then you may be in labour!!

ipswichwitch · 27/12/2015 10:05

When, for the first time ever, MIL said she'd have non-sleeping DS1 for the night so I'd get a decent nights sleep before the arrival of DS2.
Lo and behold, on the stroke of midnight, just as I'd finally dozed off, my waters broke and he arrived after a 10 hour labour. I try telling myself it's fortunate MIL already had DS1, but I still feel robbed of that nights sleep!! I bloody knew it would happen as soon as MIL finished telling me what a lovely sleep I'd be getting 😀

Original poster

ALR123 · 27/12/2015 10:27

These are fab keep them coming! It's so interesting to hear everyone's experiences. I made it through the night by the way and have just woken up at half 10 so I think I needed that sleep!

OP posts:

BendydickCuminsnatch · 27/12/2015 10:31

They told me I was 10cm dilated and +1 and having involuntary pushes!

SparklyTinselTits · 27/12/2015 10:39

My waters very slowly trickled down my leg after DTD with DH....I thought it was baby gravy at first
Midwife confirmed that it was indeed my waters, but also commented that there was "an impressive amount of semen in there"

Chopz · 27/12/2015 10:47

Id been having mild Braxton hicks for weeks. While driving home from the MW, along lots of bends, the braxton hicks felt much sharper. I thought I had ages to go so took the kids to my friends house and waited for DH to get home.

Ambientolf · 27/12/2015 10:55

I knew when I couldn't sleep through the contractions. I'd had on/off false alarms for days prior but always slept & they went away. I knew it was real labour when I couldn't sleep & the bath didn't help.
Also, as a side note, if you ring the hospital with irregular contractions they will tell you you're not in established labour. I had to phone an hour later & lie because I knew I needed to go in. My contractions NEVER got regular & I had a 40hr labour!

Ughnotagain · 27/12/2015 11:02

Ambientolf ditto that! I had contractions for 3 days before going into hospital, and even then I think they only took me in because I had such bad back pain I couldn't sit or lie down.

To answer your question, op: I didn't! My contractions started, and hurt a lot, so I thought we'd be good to go. That was Wednesday morning... DD was born Saturday lunchtime!

MistressMerryWeather · 27/12/2015 14:53

Oh my God, TinselTits!

Was your DH proud?

FourForYouGlenCoco · 27/12/2015 16:07

When contractions started! I'd had a few Braxton Hicks but nothing major beforehand. I hit my due date, convinced myself I'd be pregnant forever, had a strop and went to bed. Woke up at midnight with period pains, after a few more it became very clear they were the real deal. She was born just before 6pm that night! I had no signs at all til I actually went into labour. And my waters didn't break til an hour or two before I had her!

PouncerDarling · 27/12/2015 16:13

In between the time I walked all the way to Wilkinsons to buy a new mop that I suddenly had a desperate urge to buy so that the kitchen floor would not disgrace the baby and arriving at the hospital and being in such bizarre pain that the only relief was jumping up and down on the spot.

rallytog1 · 27/12/2015 16:28

When I was sitting on my birthing ball, heard a bang (which dh swears did not actually happen) and just knew that as soon as I stood up there would be water all over the floor. It gushed out of me like a river, then the contractions just came out of nowhere.

Dixiechick17 · 27/12/2015 21:38

I haf a feeling on the Friday at 40+2 that my DD would be here by the Monday. I then had a show on the Sunday and some tightenings on and off all day, then woke up in the middle of the night to dull period pains and realised that it was the start. Waters started to go an hour and a half later, contractions started within 30 mins and DD arrived 6 hours later.

DontBuyANewElfCashmere · 27/12/2015 21:54

I had my show lasting for about 6 days before DD was born. I had two failed sweeps, MW said I wasn't ready even for that.
Then on 40+11 I started having contractions so I knew something was happening.
On 40+12 I couldn't hold anything down at all, even water made me vom. That evening the contractions were regular so called MW (planned home birth) and she said at 8pm not to expect baby til the morning.
So at 10.30 when I had excruciating urge to do a poo but nothing was coming out, I still didn't get it.
Then at 11 my waters broke and I still didn't really get it. Then I saw vernix on my fingers and I got it.
At this point we rang MW again. DD came at 0016 so not long after I realised she was actually coming!

unimaginativename13 · 27/12/2015 21:57

When a nice male doctor shoved a pessary up me to start my induction

amitha · 27/12/2015 22:00

Ds1 (10 days early) my waters popped in my sleep and woke me up! He arrived 21 hours later.

Ds2 (7 days late) i got a period pain then realised there was a pattern to it. He arrived 5 hrs later.

timelytess · 27/12/2015 22:03

Couldn't eat my supper. I'd made it, it looked delicious, I just didn't want to eat it at all.

Mrscog · 27/12/2015 22:09

Ds1 - waters broke in bed
Ds2 - got in the bath and a huge quantity of bloody show floated out of me!

Outaboutnowt · 27/12/2015 22:10

Mines the same as mingzillas Im afraid OP.

Woke at about 5am and had to go to the loo. I never, ever get the shits so I knew something was going on. Then I decided to get a shower and my contractions started.

My waters never broke on their own, midwife had to do it. I would have definitely preferred waters breaking to having the shits

buddy79 · 27/12/2015 22:22

Contractions. Mild but regular and close together right from the start. 10 days overdue but I didn't have any other warning signs at all and was resigned to being induced - was great to go into labour naturally phew (although after another 29 hours I did end up on the syntocinon drip anyway....DS born by emergency section after 36 hours.. I had wonderful support in hospital and it was not as bad as it sounds!)

Original poster

ALR123 · 28/12/2015 10:47

So contractions and waters breaking tend to be the most popular theme! My spots have disappeared and my cold is almost gone so it can't have meant anything else. I still get a lot of twinges especially at night but I think I'm back to playing the waiting game!

OP posts:

Flip

1 2 3