You’ll just know!! Hell!

[ps1991]

I’m 38 weeks and really want to know how I’ll know when contractions are starting! I’m sick of people saying ‘ohh you’ll know’ Bleugh! I haven’t had any Brixton hicks so those who say ‘a more painful braxton hick’ aren’t helpful either!! I think I’ve lost a bit of my mucus plug, and I think my bump has dropped a bit overnight but I’ve carried low the whole time. Today my bump has been stinging across the top but I don’t know if this is a sign 😭 please offer some advice!

I never had BH, mucus plug go or waters break. I also had precipitous labours. I just made sure my bag was packed and I didnt venture too far from the hospital. I live five minutes away. With PL you definitely know because it goes from 0-100mph. The one advantage is that labour has lasted less than an hour each time. Everyone really is different.

Im nearly 39 weeks and exactly the same !

I didn't have BH, never lost my plug til labour was well established, waers didn't go til the midwife did them. But I honestly did just know.

My waters broke first then contractions, I can only describe the feeling to that off when your periods start, see that pain you get when ur periods first come, that cramping pain, that's what it's like it at the start of contractions you could mistake it for just pregnancy pain as it quite mild with long breaks in between. So just look for any kind of cramping that you getting regular even if it's 1 every hour. Contractions are like the worst period cramps in short bursts. I have a very high pain threshold so didn't find it too bad. X

I actually didn’t just know. Despite the fact I was 3 days overdue, when I started to get a tummy ache I thought it was indigestion. I spoke to my mum on the phone and said no no, not Labour, just a bit of a tummy ache. It wasn’t until I realised the tummy ache was coming and going with startling regularity and has reached the point where I had to get up and wander around during it, that I realised it was probably labour.

Contractions are like the worst period cramps in short bursts, once they get started and are a few minutes in between

I didn't have a standard labour but I strongly suspected and then I knew. You'll possibly feel a bit ill and at the very least you will have some pain - probably like period cramps as PP said, if not recognisable contractions.

Mine were like the most horrific stomach cramps ever. I've had IBS related cramps since and honestly they were exactly the same. Horrific!

Early contractions to me felt like period pains, then became period pains on steroids.

I'm in my second pregnancy (also 38 weeks) and still wondering if I'll know when something is happening, so you aren't alone! My last labour my waters broke before anything else happened, so I got some advanced warning. This time could be totally different though!

Good luck!!

You will know, because quite frankly they’ll hurt! They’ll also get more intense and closer together.

I feel like this and I'm 37+4 with my second. With my first I had a sweep and 2 days later contractions started but I had to have my waters broken.

This time I'm still currently carrying so high. Labour feels so far away yet I'm scared to venture too far incase it all happens all of a sudden.

I thought I was having a bit of wind at first, like rising in intensity period pains but as they went on and got worse I did "just know", sorry if that isn't helpful but that's the way I'd describe it too. Unless you get intense, rising tummy pain regularly or have an extremely high pain threshold then surely you'll just know too. My waters have never gone first as I expected they would either and i never noticed my plug go. X

I didn't know. I thought I had wind. For my 2nd!

Ahh thanks for all the help guys!! I keep having very painful cramps, then it just turns out to be wind hopefully something will happen soon!!!

Tightenings or cramps that come regularly, and increase in strength over time

Precipitous labours here too - this time I did “just know” as all I was having were pain free BH - but something told me they weren’t going to stop. Luckily the midwife believed me as once it started to get uncomfortable the baby arrived within 20 mins

I never had Braxton hicks, when I was induced all the pain started in my back & radiated to my thighs & my bladder felt like I had a bad uti. My DS was back to back & we ended up with EMCS for failure to progress.

The things both times that made me aware it was kicking off (both times at 39+3) were that I felt incredibly, inhumanely sick and then I was really sick, but only once, just really, really sick. Then contractions started and there was no missing them. It was like being squeezed around the middle by a python. So I think everyone really is different, but bonus, you will definitely know!

With dc1 I had very bad back ache, I didn't know about back labour. I didn't get front contraction until my waters went.

Yep soz, but you will know. I always found it ‘ooow fuck ouch’ but also ‘hurray exciting’ in equal quantities. They are like period cramps that come in waves. When you’re holding onto things during them, you’ll know it’s probably hospital time