What were your first signs of labour?

[Jessybear90]

Hi all

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

My waters broke with a gush whilst walking through a London mainline station at rush hour! I was 33 weeks and went into proper labour 2days later. Had to have a CS as she was breech but DD was fine and came home at 9 days old.

My waters broke before any contractions on dd and gave birth the next day. But you'll know trust me ! I brushed it off at first but all of a sudden BAM I had 5 bloody strong painful contractions all in one go hospital said to go in for an examination as my waters went first only just 3cmd sent Home again (this was at midnight) back again at 5 am as I couldn't take the pain anymore and was struggling to keep fluids down they still wanted to send me home (no way!) I needed some pain relief and considering they had already told me that they were very quiet. Fortunately my bf stepped in and said I'm not taking her a half hour drive back home in labour through morning rush hour traffic it will take over an hour. But not much can prepare you for the pain before I had my dd this October I thought yep I can deal with labour as I used to get the most painful periods ever but this did not compare. Trust your instincts you will know and don't let the hospital push you around you know what is best for you. Also no one ever told me how much you can actually bleed during labour I wish someone had told me that going to the toilet and just seeing red everywhere and freaking out

Back ache for a day, early night .Plug loss. Waters trickling at 6am
Baby delivered at 9am. Baby 1.
Braxton hicks at 11am. Nothing by noon. Baby at 3pm for baby 2.
Contractions at 8pm baby next day around 5am baby three. Varies a bit.

My first and second were different. With DS1, the regular contractions started up 40 hours before he was actually born. It was a very long weekend.
Second time, I'd gone over the point where I'd birthed DS1, so I thought I'd lug myself off down to the MW on foot with my crutches (SPD) to see if such athleticism would get me going. I came back on the bus, and not surprisingly, felt crap and achey. I went to bed for much of the day, and the backache worsened. I suggested going to the supermarket cafe for tea, but began to feel worse and lost my appetite. I went in the bath when I got home, and then realised that it was beginning to be in a cycle of 3 minute waves. I was 5-6 cm when checked over and had baby within 3 hours of admission.
I'd had a false alarm and been admitted (VBAC) a few days earlier. My false alarm had felt more like DS1's than DS2's did in the end.

First time, I'd been very emotional in the 24 hours before the contractions started and really, really didn't want to be left alone which is unlike me.

The trouble with the early signs like cramps, mucus plug and clearing out is that there's still such a broad timescale before the real action gets going.

I was induced with my first. I'm due in 3 days but lost a bit of my mucus plug on Friday and still nothing. Baby's head is down also.

Waters breaking at 1am in the morning of 39+6. DR arrived at 2pm that afternoon. I was booked for an induction the next day so pretty happy it was all spontaneous.

DS, not DR!

I had an induced I think I had started but stopped a few weeks before though.

Full aching and period like pains every so many minutes.

Mucus plug can come away
Waters break
Back aches
Pressure like you wanna push out a large poop (usually in later stages but depends how quick you go)

How did you go into labour? What helped? Did you help yourself the old fashioned way?

Massive contraction. And another and another followed swiftly by a baby coming out of me. That was a clue.

First time, textbook labour, cramps that felt like period pain and gradually ramped up over the hours. Waters went probably a half hour to an hour before she was born (my sense of time was pretty sketchy by then!). Was about 15hrs from first little ache to baby, but only a few hours of really full-on pain.
Second labour, the same but condensed into 3 hours from start to finish - very intense and quite a shock! Planned homebirth, midwives arrived 40 minutes and 20 minutes before he was born, they managed 1 listen to his heartbeat on the Doppler before I was pushing. Waters went about 20 minutes before he was born and he basically surfed out right behind them.
Expecting DC3 in April and wondering what this one’s going to be like!

Following... Just over 39 weeks and lost my plug! Waiting game begins 👀⌚