How did your labours start???

[Mummykaz90]

So I'm 37 weeks and onto my 3rd. But my other 2 were induced at hospital at 36 weeks. So thus is the furthest I've gone and on my own....just curious as to how everyone else's labours started?? How far along were you...what no baby were you on...how did it feel??

I lost my plug 24ish hours before them all so knew it would be imminent (I know plug loss doesn’t equal imminent delivery for many but it always did for me). The actual Labour always started with strong period type cramps right across my front and lower back that came and went in waves. It’s hard to explain but I remember a midwife likening a contraction to climbing a mountain, it rises and peaks then starts to decline.

The pains were constant with DC1&3 because I had back to back deliveries. DC2 had the classic pains that could be timed which was a lot more pleasant...

Oh and I only lost my waters shortly before delivery so never had the classic movie spontaneous loss of them before any pains.

All these stories are amazing I love seing how different labours are for people.

Did any of you notice loosing your plug?

Last night I was very uncomfortable and I got up to go to the toilet and it must have took me a good 5 mins to get out of bed everywhere seemed to really ache. But then when ice got up this morning and gone to the toilet I've lost a massive blob of clear/cloudy jelly. And again when I went to toilet after that. Plus starting to get a few back pains.

Both my labours started by losing a bit (but not all) of my plug. First time round my waters then went a few hours later but contractions never started so was induced & he arrived at 37+2.

Second one lost some of my plug again & contractions started about 8 hours later, she was born in water the following day at 39+4.

Very different labours but both started the same way!

Good luck for when the day comes 😃

Started very gradually and very slowly building up.

My fourth one started with a bloody show on Saturday I was 39+2, had contractions that night which varied in intensity I tried to stay upright and walking all of Sunday (after a nap in the afternoon as I was so tired from being woken by contractions the night before), then Sunday evening at 10pm I went into hospital they checked me told me I was only 2cm dilated and sent me home with cocodamol, I went home and lay in a bath as everything else hurt.

Around 11:30 DP called hospital as contractions were unbearable they said I could go in if I wanted, so I did.
Got to hospital about midnight they checked and I was only 3cm dilated was so annoyed by that and begged for gas and air as contractions really hurt. Midwife offered me diamorphine I think at this point the midwives thought I was a big wuss and moaning about nothing as at 3cm I wasn’t considered to be in active labour.

I declined the diamorphine and stayed clinging to the gas and air.

Baby was back to back so the whole thing was agony!

I was classed as high risk as I had a whole range of complications with my pregnancy and my consultant expressly refused to allow me a water birth in the midwife lead unit as I was meant to be carefully monitored during labour. So I should have been strapped to monitors and a canula was supposed to be administered and I was meant to have my blood sugars monitored every hour during labour (I had gestational diabetes). None of this happened.

My midwife went on break and we were left alone. At around 3am I started pushing, DP got up to cover my back and noticed the water sack hanging out of me and decided he shouldn’t be the only person in the room with me and pressed the alarm. A nurse popped her head in and went errmmm I’ll get the midwife.

Three pushes later and out popped baby, I could vaguely hear people telling me not to push but I was beyond reason at that point my body just had to do what it had to do.

Does sound like things are moving for you OP, as I had increased discharge before the show.

39+5 fore waters broke at 2am, just a little trickle. Cramps started immediately and got stronger over the next 15 hours. Examined at 8am, not dilated at all. Examined again at 5pm (2cm with meconium so taken to labour ward) and at 8.30ish (8cm) was pushing within minutes and DD was born after 45 mins of pushing.

I'd been having minor contractions for a week before hand but tried to stave it off for a wedding 2 days before DD was eventually born.

With Ds (my first) I went for a wee at about 11pm, felt a big kick and a pop and my waters broke. I was 40+1. Contractions started about 20 minutes later at 2 minutes apart. Had to wait in triage for about 90 minutes (without being seen) before being sent up to the birthing unit. Started pushing walking up the corridor and Ds arrived soon after. Just under 4 hours from start to finish.

With Dd I was 40+1 again. Sat on the sofa at 10pm and felt a big kick /pop but didn't realise my waters had broken until I stood up about 20 minutes later. Contractions started off very mild and about 15 minutes apart. I was due to have a home birth and there didn't seem any need for the midwives to attend at that point. Then it all changed and Dd made a very speedy entrance. She was delivered by DH whilst a midwife was on the phone and the actual midwives arrived about 10 minutes after Dd did. My whole labour with Dd was under 2 hours.