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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

I'm about to ask the most stupid question in the world, but how do I know when I'm labour?

26 replies

ManchesterMummy2b · 17/09/2007 10:37

Okay please humour me - I know how ridiculous that must seem. Everyone keeps on telling me "you'll just know" but never having had a baby before, and all the people I know who have had babies recently where induced, I'm so scared I won't have a clue! Either that or I'll think I am and end up feeling very silly.

Can someone tell me what a "proper" contraction feels like? Been having lots and lots of Braxton Hick contractions this weekend that are slightly more uncomfortable than they have been - although I put this down to being the size of a house now.

"you'll just know" doesn't really help!

Am 37+3, so I know it could be a while, but I do rather like to be prepared!!!!

Thanks in advance!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Sheherazadethegoat · 17/09/2007 10:38

my waters broke first so that was a pretty big clue.

contractions felt like period pains X 10. start off quite mild and then obviously get worse.

and yes you will just know!

Original poster

ManchesterMummy2b · 17/09/2007 10:41

Ah thanks - will keep a look out! I'm still convinced I'll miss some obvious sign!

OP posts:

TotalChaos · 17/09/2007 10:42

I had period-like pains. Started off being every five minutes or so for a few seconds, then became more frequent and longer lasting.

feedmenow · 17/09/2007 10:43

Manchestermummy, I suppose that if you were in the advanced stages you would "just know", but that doesn't help regarding the less advanced stages!

I can only tell you my experience, but it might help. When I was 3 days od with my daughter I spent the evening watching a videa and just could NOT get comfortable. I was so fidgetty, and the feelings were more in my back/bottom/pelvis. I felft like this for a few hours, but did not have noticeable contractions, or anything at regular times. I then went on to have a show. For various reasons I had to go straight in to hospital where they confirmed I was having very mild contractions but was not in established labour. After another few hours of just generally feeling uncomfortable and unable to settle I found myself in a position where I had to stop walking and talking every few minutes to breathe and sway my hips.

I suppose if we lived in Hollywood then your waters would break and you would be oushing before you could shout "EEEEk!", but I think that in real life you might not realise for some hours (and I think many woemn don't) so just wait until you do know, IYSWIM!!

Good luck!

Hoonette · 17/09/2007 10:43

I'm not an expert, but with me, the real contractions (as opposed to BH) lasted a lot longer and were much more intense.
When they started they were about 30 seconds long.

I think they say: if you can't talk during the contraction, you're in labour!

Brangelina · 17/09/2007 10:46

Well, I didn't know, it took me all night of getting up once an hour to try to go to the loo for me to realise those attacks of trapped wind were in fact contractions. I only realised the next morning when they became more frequent and were only 4 mins apart. I thought it was wind and indigestion from the huge chick pea curry I'd made the night before and took numerous charcoal tablets in the night.

When they got stronger they were like tight period pains, but before that it was more like heartburn and uncomfortable trapped wind, so I suppose that despite being 41 wks I could be forgiven for thinking just that.

I only had a show 6 hours later in the hospital and my waters never broke, so none of the "classic" signs were there, which didn't help I suppose...

Original poster

ManchesterMummy2b · 17/09/2007 10:47

Ooh all helpful! You see, the books never tell you these sorts of things, normally something like "you have contractions". Hopefully I won't have too long to find all this out for myself!

OP posts:

Jbck · 17/09/2007 10:58

I asked the midwife at the hospital on Friday when you should come in to hospital, I was induced first time. She very unhelpfully said, oh everyone is different just don't leave it too late. Well that's why I'm asking!
I had a leak of hind waters first time round & was told to come in to get checked but sent home as only very mild contractions which stopped after a few hours & had another false alarm with contractions lasting for about 6 hours then tailing off, I wasn't made to feel daft or stupid just reassured that hospital asked so many questions & got me to come in anyway to put my mind at rest.
The m/ws are there to help so phone if you're not sure, hopefully you won't sepak to the daftie I had last week

mishymoo · 17/09/2007 11:10

It is different for everyone but my labour started with a small twinge (like period pain) and then an overwhelming feeling of needing to wee... my waters broke and I didn't stop gushing for about 20minutes!

After that the contractions started - very painful shooting/stabbing pains (where I couldn't stand up straight)! Thankfully my labour was only 6.5 hours start to finish but was very intense!

Friends have said there's was more like trapped wind and had this discomfort for about 2 days before the painful contractions started.

Good luck

spugs · 17/09/2007 13:07

real contractions get more painful and closer together over time. Or your waters might break. You will know though, the first part you might not be very sure if its a false alarm but once you get going theres no mistaking it.

Habbibu · 17/09/2007 13:16

I woke up at 3am on the day my daughter was born in the worst mood. Sat on the sofa eating a bowl of cereal and looking up "signs of early labour" on Google, until I felt definite pains, and went to wake up husband. Not sure bad mood is a typical sign...

NAB3 · 17/09/2007 13:19

"You will know" is crap. The midwives were insistant I wasn't in labour because I didn't know. DD was born 3 hours later.

Waters going
Show
Regular pains which don't ease when you move around.
Good luck

doggiesayswoof · 17/09/2007 13:24

It's not that clear cut - as others have said, everyone's experience is different. It's unlikely that you will miss it when you start having real contractions though as they are... well, painful as opposed to just uncomfortable. IME real contractions last longer than BH, even at the beginning of labour.

There is no textbook pattern - my waters broke (big gush) 24 hours before I had any contractions, and I was booked in to be induced the next morning if I hadn't started on my own. So even if your waters break, you may not be in labour!

ImBarryScott · 17/09/2007 13:32

I had no show and thought I had trapped wind - I'd had a huge takeaway curry the night before, which I thought completely explained things. Got the shock of my life when my waters broke later .

Guess it's just one of those things that's different for everyone.

kittylouise · 17/09/2007 13:35

I was induced with gel pessaries. Convinced it was all a load of nonsense and wouldn't work, sat there in hospital bored rigid watching Ready Steady Cook for hours, no pain or discomfort whatsoever, just boredom. Examined by midwife to find I was 5 cms dilated. Waters were then broken for me and labour started in earnest, huge contractions coming close together, dd born under hour and a half later. So no, I didn't sense I was in labour until it really couldn't be mistaken!

The thing that surprised me was I was expecting labour to be constant pain, for some reason I didn't expect that between contractions I would feel OK. And I was dreading the oushing part, to find that it didn't hurt that much, was just bloody hard work. It really wasn't the nightmare that I had expected it to be (but I know that I was very lucky).

Just take some books in hospital in case you're bored, unless you like daytime telly!!

pigsinmud · 17/09/2007 13:49

I spend the day before I go into labour running backwards & forwards to the loo - that's the sign for me!

Original poster

ManchesterMummy2b · 17/09/2007 14:01

Thanks everyone - quite relieved by all this advice! I'm that impatient now though that I'll probably hope/pray that every single twinge is the start of something!

OP posts:

mixedmama · 17/09/2007 15:40

I woke up at 5 am with pain seemingly starting at the top of my bump and pushing down and happening at regualr intervals.

julie07 · 30/09/2007 15:52

this may sound silly but how would you know if your waters were leaking?? would you feel it or does it just happen when you go to the loo??? anyone have advice

pgTips04 · 30/09/2007 17:11

hi julie, when my waters started leaking at 34 weeks I would get a really sudden urge to go the toilet, which I couldnt hold more than few minutes. I went to hospital to be checked as I too wasnt 100% sure and I was kept in until my son was born. Good Luck x

NoviceKnitter · 30/09/2007 19:34

I didn't just know at all and made the mistake of spending all day on the net trying to work out if my symptoms (ultra long braxtons and periodlike cramps) could be start of labour. I learned that they might be but that it could still be 2 weeks away. In the event I was in full labour by morning and realised that a long bath and as much sleep as poss would have been a much better use of my day! Keep in touch with yr MW and try to rest amap! The other big clue was that I'd been feeling very mellow but on that day I felt restless and agitated and Very impatient. Also, in my case the not being able to talk during contractions thing didn't happen. They hurt but they never took my breath away. Good luck!

KerryMum · 30/09/2007 19:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lisad123 · 30/09/2007 19:54

there was no mistaking mine, i woke up in hospital (lucky for me), in major pain. I was already 4-5cm by this point
Water went in bathroom as soon as i got out of bath, no mistaking that either

Trust me you will know, but a few week earlier I worried i wouldnt know when the time was.

JimJammum · 30/09/2007 20:27

My waters broke at 8am while I was asleep at 40wks exactly and I though it was just another symptom of late pregnancy!! Then broke again at 9am, and when my mum popped in for lunch she told me it was my waters. DH had to force me to go to hospital to be checked out, as I was not having contractions, just niggly period pains. They strapped me to the monitor and pointed out that the spikes on the graph were my contractions, but I told them it couldn't be because I wasn't having any!! I was 5 cm dilated before I started to feel them, came home to get in the bath, and made it back to hospital in time to start pushing. So, I don't think you're silly for asking, and you don't "just know"!

PippiLangstrump · 30/09/2007 20:34

you won't know at first and wonder whether you have stomach cramps because you needs to go to the toilet or it's labour. don't worry though, soon enough you will just know.

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