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Pregnancy

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

Original poster

What were your first signs of labour?

62 replies

Jessybear90 · 16/12/2017 21:11

Hi all Smile

38 weeks, first timer here.

Just wondering what your first signs of labour were? Had midwife last week and she said baby is head down but "not engaged"

On the look out for signs. Most people have said contractions start off not that painful and then build up in intensity and closer together. Hard hardly any braxton hicks at all so would have no idea what a contraction actually feels like.

I feel very crampy "down there" tonight, almost like a period pain, and baby is moving around like normal.

Thanks for any advice Grin

OP posts:
PasstheStarmix · 16/12/2017 21:20

Hi, I never went into labour naturally and had to be induced. I never saw that one coming! Shock

Original poster
Jessybear90 · 16/12/2017 21:26

I feel like that will be me as well!

OP posts:
PasstheStarmix · 16/12/2017 21:31

I hope not, one thing I will say though is make sure you're booked in for your induction at the 39 week midwife app if baby hasn't came by then. They forgot to book me in and I couldn't get induced until 42 weeks and an extra couple days at that point felt like months. It's so uncomfortable. I had a stubborn little baba and he needed evicted; he was way too comfortable in there. Shock

Jivebunny89 · 16/12/2017 21:34

Watching this as it's my due date on Wednesday…

Didn't know you could get booked in for an induction at 39 week mw appt.

My stretch and sweep is booked for Friday though.

PasstheStarmix · 16/12/2017 21:37

Yes they're supposed to book you in on your due date and they just cancel if baby comes before it. I didn't known that so went to my 39 week midwife appt and saw a stand in midwife and she didn't book me in. I then went to my 40 week appt and my regular midwife nearly had a coronary that I hadn't been booked in as she said they get fully booked and they're meant to have you in before 42 weeks.

Fitzsimmons · 16/12/2017 21:39

My waters breaking suddenly without warning immediately followed by painful contractions every five minutes. Sometimes it is like they show you in the movies!

OhWifey · 16/12/2017 21:42

Waters breaking followed by full on contractions almost immediately. No slow build up. The journey to hospital was no fun at all.

PotatoesGunnaPotate · 16/12/2017 21:49

I started getting dull back ache (bottom of back) got more and more intense as labour progressed. Then pains went round into my bump, like a very strong cramp. I highly recommend using a birthing pool. I did it was fab. Only needed to use gas and air.** Good luck hun xxx

Original poster
Jessybear90 · 16/12/2017 21:54

OMG pass Shock

No way! Thank you so much for the advice, I'm glad I posted. I have midwife at the end of next week so I will be asking her about if I need to be booked in! I really don't want to go to 42 weeks +

Read in my pregnancy book (although not sure about how reliable a source it is? Hmm) that at 42 week the placenta starts packing up basically and the chances of still born due to placenta rise.

OP posts:
jinglebells123 · 16/12/2017 22:02

My waters popping at 39 weeks. It was like a flood. Didn't bring on labour thought, needed a sweep for that which then led to period like cramping that got gradually worse.

PasstheStarmix · 16/12/2017 22:02

Pleased it's helped you, I tell everybody my experience now as it really stressed me at the time. Yeah I read the same thing and I was so worried and it didn't help that ds hardly moved for the final week before my induction; lazy little baba; too busy chilling like his daddy! He had me worried sick! My induction was at 9pm at night as well on a Sunday; I literally got squeezed in on 42 weeks exactly.
I've heard of situations where labour has literally started the night before induction was due so you never know. You could very well go into labour naturally. I hope you do, fingers crossed Flowers Almost there...

PasstheStarmix · 16/12/2017 22:06

I also envisioned a giant baby covered in hair Shock with teeth that I wouldn't be able to push out (my overactive imagination) he was only 8 pounds bless him and no covering of hair no teeth so it didn't do him any harm luckily.

annlee3817 · 17/12/2017 05:03

Noticed specks of blood Everytime I went for a week that day, irregular Braxton Hicks all day, they were painless. Then that night I had period pains every eight mins for an hour and a half, then my waters started leaking (didn't get the big gush straight away) and within thirty mins I had my first contraction, there was no mistaking that for me. :)

Bobbiepin · 17/12/2017 05:08

Period like cramps for a week beforehand. Managed to hold off for long enough to go to DSIL's wedding on the Sunday then waters broke at 2am on Tuesday. Contractions started slow and steady and 19 hours later DD was born. 15 hours to 2cm, 2 hours to 8cm, 3 mins to 10cm and 45 mins pushing. Good luck OP.

DryHeave · 17/12/2017 05:18

I kept waiting for that magical watery pop but my waters didn’t break until his head was out (!) and he was born a minute later.

I was 40+8 and had had 4 stretch and sweeps and lots of bloody show/mucuous plug loss. I’d lost all hope and had induction booked, but then went into labour spontaneously.

What I did notice on the day before I went into labour was that my pelvis felt more full than ever before (and it was feeling pretty full for weeks) - baby was right down, really really low and I literally couldn’t bend over any more. Then at 1am I awoke with what I thought was terrible wind - sat on the loo for hours trying to fart, until I ripped the towel rail off the bathroom wall and realised it may actually be labour rather than constipation...

OutComeTheWolves · 17/12/2017 05:35

I had a bad back all day. I just couldn't get comfortable at all. Then my waters broke.

PrimeraVez · 17/12/2017 06:07

I woke up in the night (2am) with explosive diarrhea, which I think was my body clearing out in preparation. I began to get very mild, intermittent contractions as soon as I got back into bed. DS was born at 4pm that afternoon.

TeddyIsaHe · 17/12/2017 06:16

My plug went at 9am the day before, a few hours later I started getting really gentle period pains which gradually ramped up to me screaming at 2am for an epidural. Dd finally born at 4pm the next day.

I hated it at the time but now I’m getting all nostalgic and can’t wait for a second!

Microwaved111 · 17/12/2017 06:17

I had a stretch and sweep at 3 days overdue which I was told by the midwife doing it probably won't do anything. An hour later I was having very painful contractions 5 mins apart!

This went on for two days before she was finally born Grin

NC1990 · 17/12/2017 06:18

Woke up at 3am with period-type cramps and a bloody show (mucus plug had gone a few days before). Contractions continued to get more intense throughout the day and DD was born at 9pm that evening.

Erica891 · 17/12/2017 06:30

Water breaking all of a sudden and there were no other symptoms. Really surprised that it went off as I didn't really see it coming, no contractions, pains whatsoever.

StellaHeyStella · 17/12/2017 06:47

My waters went at 37 weeks and within an hour I was having some very painful contractions, thankfully my lovely elderly neighbour was driving me to the hospital by then as DH was working a couple of hours drive away.

Bananacabana · 17/12/2017 07:07

The first time I went into labour I woke with bad back pains not realising at first they were contractions but when they got progressively worse, there was no doubt. I was in labour 16 hours.

The second time I woke to find my waters had broken, went to the loo and found my plug was present, then the contractions began and were quite mild to begin with but they rapidly got more intense and closer together and 6 hours later DC2 was born.

Bananacabana · 17/12/2017 07:09

I forgot to add that there were no obvious signs before going into labour for either pregnancy.

IWouldLikeToKnow · 17/12/2017 07:22

I woke up about 3 am and got up to use the bathroom. My waters broke then. It was 10pm that night before labour started. The pains were like period pain x 100. There was no doubt what they were. Good luck x

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