What were your early labour symptoms?

[Aug122020]

Hi everyone,

I’m a FTM, due 12th August and I’m 36 weeks today :)

I’ve been feeling generally off for a week or so at this point, and as I get closer every twinge I get I’m panicking wondering if this is the start of something.

It’s sort of dawned on me that I’ve got literally no idea what to look out for. I don’t know if I would recognise a difference in any pain as I’m in near constant pain and discomfort with SPD and I’ve been having uncomfortable period type cramps on and off for a few weeks.

What do labour pains feel like? Will any pattern be obvious?

At what point did you realise you were in labour?

I also dont really know what to do when it happens, do you call the hospital as soon as you think you’re in labour and they tell you what to do, or do you wait til it progresses and then call?

Please feel free to give all the info and advice you can as I am totally clueless 😬!

My dog acting weird was the first indication I had haha. She was so odd for 2 days before I went into proper labour. Pacing, and looking uncomfortable and nervous, she is normally so relaxed. I even said to DP, if she was still weird the next day I would take her to the vet Incase she was sick. But My waters broke at 2am and it just kind of rolled on from there. Pains followed and became more intense as it progressed. Only lasted 12 hours and she was born. Dog went back to her normal calm self the same day.

Oh and I had fake pains from about 36 weeks overnight. I would wake up with a pain, get excited thinking this was it and maybe I would be in labour by morning and finally not have to be pregnant for much longer, but I would wake in morning and nothing had happened.

Baby arrived 41+1 ; Period type pains every night for the week before hand. Some painless braxton hicks in the daytime

Felt very grumpy and uncomfortable an hour before labour started at 8am

Baby born in the water 5 hours later, once the contractions started it was intense and never slowed down - I used hypnobirthing and highly recommend it. Once things started, the techniques helped me stay ‘ in the zone’ and shut everything else out, which is key to keeping momentum apparently!

I also recommend the exercises on ‘spinning babies’ x

Period type pains. Which I dismissed as simply 'period type pains'!!

I only really clocked on when I had what was unmistakeably a massive contraction at the same time as my waters breaking.

I'm 36 weeks friday and had to google labour signs this morning!

Had really bad period pains this morning and felt a bit weird and more uncomfortable the last few days, also pelvis pain has ramped up. I haven't had or at least felt braxton hicks so haven't the slightest idea of what pains/tightening to look out for. Luckily the period pains have now gone I have an appointment friday so will be sure to ask what do I do when I actually think its happening 😬

I had little specks of blood in the toilet everytime I went for a wee, that was on the Sunday, then i was woken up from my hypnobirthing cd that night with period type pains and wondered if it was the start of something, they were every 8-11 minutes, my waters started to leak at 1am on the Monday and first contraction was at 2am. The contraction was unmistakable for me, bought me to my knees, whereas the period pains were just slightly uncomfortable.

I had mild backache all day but when you’re 41 weeks this isn’t exactly surprising - it wasn’t until I had a bath about 9pm with no other distractions that I realised these back pains were every 2-3 minutes like clockwork! For some reason I expected any pain to be at the front but it was only ever in my back.
The pain got worse for a few hours after that but stayed 2 mins apart then my waters broke and off to hospital I went! Baby was born a few hours later.

I'm currently 38 weeks pregnant, and had lots of period type pain overnight the past two nights, so I'm crossing fingers that this is a slow beginning & I might get some more definitive signs soon! It's really interesting to see people's stories.

I had period pains for about 4 days with my second

With my first my mucus plug went 🤮