What were your first signs of labour and when did it happen for you?

[RosaAbsolute]

Tomorrow I'll be 38 weeks with my first DC. I'm aware I could have weeks to go yet but would love to hear what your first signs of labour were- and when it happened for you!

This past week I've been having a lot more noticeable braxton hicks contractions but apart from that (and feeling massive/ exhausted) nothing at the moment.

Started losing my mucus plug a few days beforehand.

Had my bloody show on the Tuesday morning, accompanied by period pains. These were mostly kept at bay by my hot water bottle.

As the day went on, the pains were getting worse and the hot water bottle wasn’t helping as much. Downloaded a contraction timer app and they started to become regular that evening. Had DS the following lunchtime after a VERY short established labour.

FTM and I was 39+1

Period pains!! Had to phone my mum and ask why I had period pain at nine months pregnant!! How nieve was I!!

First signs with my first 2 were contractions starting.
40 weeks with my third and have been having strong Braxton Hicks for weeks but don’t think the baby is in any rush.

Ds1 was on my due date, I started having mild contractions and I just knew and was restless.

Ds2 I didn’t labour with.

Ds3 was the same as ds1, I was a week overdue and had been having lots of stop start contractions but once it was the real thing I just knew.

First sign of labour starting for me was contractions around 1 in the morning. My waters didn’t break and I didn’t get a bloody show. DD was born 10:30am later on that day an hour and a half after arriving at the hospital. I was nearly 2 weeks overdue and it was my first baby.

Lost mucus plug the day before with both then waters broke with both. Dd1 born 6hrs after waters breaking, 4hrs after contractions started, dd2 2hrs after waters, 1hr50 after contractions! Both born at 11pm on a Monday!

My first obvious sign was my waters breaking at 39+1! Contractions started half an hour later and six hours later I was 5cm so it all happened really quickly which came as a bit of a shock at the time.

In hindsight I had had aching in the front of my pelvis for about 12 hours before (to the point where I struggled to roll over in bed) but at the time I put it down to the start of SPD after walking loads the day before!

Watching this thread with interest.

38 weeks today and felt pretty rotten all day (dicky tummy, feeling sick, restless) so hoping this is maybe my body clearing itself in preparation.

Period pains for me too. I didn't even lose my mucus plug until into established labour.

I lost my mucous plug about 8 hours into labour, then my waters went the push before the baby came out!

Also watching with interest. I'm 39+4 and have had period pains coming and going all day, about 4 or 5 per hour. Now keeping an eye to see if they increase in intensity or frequency. No show or waters breaking although I've had watery discharge.

With my first baby it was period type pains for quite a while then I woke up in the night feeling quite strong contractions a few minutes apart. Unfortunately they tapered off and it was still a few more days until I gave birth, with on and off contractions over that time! With second baby I’d also had a lot of period type pain then one night at just over 39 weeks I was woken by a gush, my waters had broken in bed. Contractions started a little while later and gave birth that same day. Good luck!! It’s hard but worth every second. My best advice is to stay calm, breathe, focus and trust your body!

Got out of bed and my waters broke as I bounced down the stairs at 39 weeks.

My waters broke at 38+2 - first a leak and then a gush an hour later. Nothing else happened until I had a pessary 24 hours later.

Mucus plug started coming away the day before but I "knew" at 4am the next morning when I woke up with a pain that I can't even explain.. it was like it travelled around my bump and then went so deep down into my womb - everything set into motion from this pain.

I had backache which seemed to come in waves circling my lower back, and die down again and them 20 minutues later it would warm up again. That was 9pm or so sunday night, I started to get contractions every 20 - 30 minutes 4am or so on the monday morning, which would ramp up to every 7-8 minutes and then tail off again or stop completely for an hour or so. Baby was finally born 4am Thursday morning. It was a long week. I was exactly 41 weeks when he made his entrance into the world.

Mine was backache too, which I initially put down to being massive.

Took about 24 hours to get to the maybe I should go to hospital stage and then about another 14 hours until DS was born

I woke up with bad pains and tried to ignore them so I could go back to sleep. After about 15 minutes, I decided to get up and go to the loo to see if it helped and my waters broke on the toilet!

I had a sweep at 40+5 and the next day I had a really strong period pain out on my daily walk and they came every 20 minutes from that DS born at 41 weeks. Plug and waters went in established labour.

I had a bloody show on the Sunday, bits coming away all day, woke up about 11.30pm that night with period pains that were coming and going but nothing that regular and could have gone back to sleep. Went for a wee around 1.30am and when I got back into bed I had a small gush, waters started going and contractions started at 2am, DD arrived at 7.20am, all pretty quick

I woke up at 36 weeks with a period pain from 4-6am, nothing else so just passed it off then my waters broke at 10.30pm that night, went into hospital where I was given steroids and antibiotics, released 24 hours later had a contraction every hour for the next 2 days then on the 3rd day the contractions ramped up slowly, went into hospital at 1am 6cm dialated and he was born at 1.48pm happy and healthy ,hopefully it's not too much longer for you!