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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Help! Early labour or false labour?

27 replies

MrsJ1906 · 10/01/2020 08:01

Hi guys, I’m 39+6 weeks pregnant and last night around 23:15 I started having tightenings. I’ve been having them on and off every 30mins-1hr all through the night but then they seem to have stopped at 7am. I’ve managed to not need any pain relief and slept in between. At one point when going for a wee, I saw some really pale pink fluid on the tissue but this only happened once.

I’m pretty certain I’m not in full blown labour as I’ve no real pain. Just wondering what people’s thoughts were on whether I might be in early labour or whether I’ve had false labour overnight!

OP posts:

SmellMySmellbow · 10/01/2020 08:02

Early labour. I'm predicting baby will arrive on Monday

NewYearNewJobNewHome · 10/01/2020 08:05

Sounds like early labour DD was born at 35+5, started getting tightenings on the Sunday, on and off but ramped you by the Monday night and she was born on the Tuesday night.

Hopefully not much longer for you! Good luck, hope your delivery goes well.

Boymummy3 · 10/01/2020 08:09

Sounds like early labour if I was you I'd be as active (without over doing it) today.. It may help get contractions regular. Good luck

Original poster

MrsJ1906 · 10/01/2020 08:10

Hi guys! So I’ve just coughed and some more fluid (sorry tmi) has come out again slightly pink but also possibly some urine? Should I just see how the rest of the day goes or should I be contacting my midwife?

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shutupsteph · 10/01/2020 08:23

I'd pop a pad on to keep an eye on the fluid just in case it's a slow leak of your waters but it sounds like early labour. Maybe let your midwife know but keep active and calm throughout the day and hopefully baby will make an appearance soon!

Maryam18 · 10/01/2020 08:24

It sounds like early labour. Try to be active and go for a walk. You could contact your midwife to let them know you are in early labour but you won't need to go to hospital until your contractions get stronger and waters have broken. Good luck Xx

Bexy1393 · 10/01/2020 08:28

This is how mine started when I was 39+4. I woke up 6am Saturday morning with slightly painful tightenings about every 10-20 mins. Went to the toilet and was pinkish when I wiped. It slowed down during the day but then ramped up again later that night after I had been for a long walk. I gave birth at 14:32 on the Sunday 😁

Original poster

MrsJ1906 · 10/01/2020 10:19

Thanks for all the advice folks! Don’t feel like I want to go for a walk on my own, but going to use my birthing ball and potter around the house! Hopefully this will start things moving!

OP posts:

SmellMySmellbow · 10/01/2020 10:23

To see if it's waters, pop a pad in and lie down for half an hour. Then when you stand up note what happens. If you get a little gush of pinkish/straw coloured water that doesn't smell of pee it's your waters leaking (possibly hind waters)

Original poster

MrsJ1906 · 10/01/2020 10:33

Thanks @SmellMySmellbow I tried this earlier nothing leaked. It seems to only leak when I’m sat directly upright like when on the toilet. I can’t tell if it smells of pee as I have a horrific cold atm! But it’s slightly pink in colour. Very small amounts though!

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Original poster

MrsJ1906 · 10/01/2020 13:59

OP posts:

Boymummy3 · 10/01/2020 14:36

That sounds like your waters if its pink in colour you could give the hospital a call see if they want you to go get checked out but they may just say wait and see if contractions start and progress for now but no harm in ringing to ask.

Original poster

MrsJ1906 · 10/01/2020 16:49

Update: So my contractions still haven’t really ramped but I have just had some dark brown mucus, guessing this is the bloody show. So gonna continue as I am at the moment and see how quickly this thing progresses. Thanks to all for your help

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Boymummy3 · 10/01/2020 17:24

Good luck sounds like baby will be here soon :)

Original poster

MrsJ1906 · 10/01/2020 17:27

Fingers crossed @Boymummy3 she is due tomorrow so would be nice to have her on her due date. But I’m fully aware with it being first pregnancy it can take ages to get to active labour!

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SmellMySmellbow · 10/01/2020 18:49

Good luck! By the time DS popped out my contractions were still irregular and varying in strength - at 8/9cm dilated they were 3 mins apart, then 10 mins, then 7mins, then 15... it's common for contractions to remain irregular throughout labour. If I'd waited for them to stay 3 mins apart I'd definitely have had him at home!

Original poster

MrsJ1906 · 10/01/2020 18:51

That’s interesting @SmellMySmellbow how did you know when to go to hospital!

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SmellMySmellbow · 10/01/2020 19:00

I had a premature rupture of membranes - my hind waters broke at 36+6. I was given 24 hours to get into labour naturally but booked for induction because of infection risk. I was having irregular contractions when I went in. They broke my main waters and the contractions strengthened but still irregular 12 hours later so they put me on the drip. I went to max dose on the drip and the contractions were very powerful, (I'd had a lovely, lovely epidural by then!) but they never regulated. Midwives said it's not uncommon...

aNonnyMouse1511 · 10/01/2020 19:04

Good luck! My labour started like this. My waters went with a big pop and I hit active labour straight after. I can assure you that you’ll know when you need to go in!

Original poster

MrsJ1906 · 10/01/2020 19:05

@aNonnyMouse1511 thats good to know! How long did your first phase last? Mine started around 23:15 last night but had no contractions at all through the day today, they restarted at 17:30 this evening and seem to be coming every 20-30 mins

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aNonnyMouse1511 · 10/01/2020 19:42

Mine started at 11pm on the Friday night with a bloody show all night. Waters went at 6pm on Saturday night. Baby delivered midday Sunday by EMCS xx

Hollywhiskey · 10/01/2020 20:07

With my first I was in early labour for a week beforehand. My contractions went to every 2-3 minutes, we had the midwife out, they died down again and I was not at all dilated. Once things actually got going she was out in six hours. My second didn't get into regular strong contractions until an hour before she was born, then things ramped up quickly and I pushed her out in six minutes!
If this is your first, it's really common for early labour to take days. Please don't do what I did and spend all your time and energy trying to encourage it along as you'll need your energy later. Baby is going to come and when that happens you need to be ready. Make sure your bag is ready to go (mine wasn't and husband had to go home from the hospital to pack it!) and then rest and eat as much as you can. If you can't sleep, try a relaxing bath. Now is the time to have all the carbs so you have some energy stored up.
Good luck xx

Original poster

MrsJ1906 · 10/01/2020 20:09

Thanks @Hollywhiskey I’m totally aware that this could go on for days! Hoping not but I’m prepared for the fact it might. I’m gonna try and catch an early night tonight and see how it goes!

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aNonnyMouse1511 · 10/01/2020 21:08

I’m sure when I was pregnant I was told if you have your bloody show you’ll go into labour within 24-48 hours? It was the plug that was a load of nonsense?

SmellMySmellbow · 13/01/2020 12:31

@MrsJ1906, any new arrival yet?!

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