How "sudden" is labour?

[Dontjumptoconclusions]

I'm 38 weeks pregnant with my first. Really excited for my Christmas baby!

I've read a lot online about how to know when you're in labour - contractions, water breaking etc. But how sudden are these instances?

Are you just going about your day, taking a walk, having a shower and bam... First contraction? Or is there more of a build up with BH, mild cramps and then progression to contraction and birth?

Hi OP - haven't been through labour yet, but if you have time I would recommend listening to the first episode of a podcast called Birth-ed (and other episodes for other topics!). Really interesting perspective and advice from a midwife/doula.

Mine came on very suddenly with no warning. Went for a wee then started getting really intense contractions every 2 mins from then onwards. Went to hospital and was already 10cm and pushing. Labour was 5 hours start to finish

I felt unwell on the Saturday, I was a week overdue at this point was in town shopping so went home. Ended up at a surprise 50th much to my disgust. Then at 00:55 my waters broke when I was In bed, contractions started before I'd even got out my bathroom. I went to hospital at 6am couldn't cope with the pain, ended up getting the dreaded drip to speed things up. 18:34 my daughter was born. Pretty traumatic but not too long.

I have an appointment tomorrow to discuss delivery for my 2nd hoping for a induction plan or section this time.

I have 4 children and expecting our 5th.

First baby had to be induced as he was late. Took a while to get things going with pointless pessaries.

Second baby, did the business with hubby which brought labour on. Waters went but it 48 hours later I had her and needed pessaries and the drip to speed things up.

Third baby, waters went at home and contractions were mild and then built up and had him over 30 hours later.

4th baby born in 2018, contractions started at midnight. Had her 32 hours later as things were going slowly.

Hoping 5th baby will be quicker lol

I had period like cramps every ten minutes that got more and more painful. It took 3 days from first contraction to baby being born, it certainly wasn’t quick.

I did notice the day before I had a break down, not whether it was a rush of hormones of impending birth that caused the break down OR my breakdown causing the hormones I don’t know but 24 hours later it started.

In future I will keep an eye for that if we have anymore.

I had backache all day on my due date with #1, which in hindsight was probably the start, but I started feeling a bit periody that night and gradually I began to realise they were cramps that were coming on a regular basis (my noticeable contractions were 2-4 mins apart from the beginning). So a gradual buildup.

Most women's waters don't go until quite late in labour - mine didn't go until I was in transition and about 9-10cm. Some people's do just go abruptly though.

I was in the first stages of labour for two days 🙃 nothing sudden about it for me. After spending a whole day and night in the delivery suite, the midwife told me at 5am that we would start pushing in an hour, 3 hours later she was born!

My DD was only 4.5 hours so relatively quick. I know people whove had 30minute full labours though. Super spontaneous.

From experience, and their experience, it is so much better to have it be slow, less risk of prolapse etc.

My labour with my twins (stillbirth) was induced - 5 hours.

My induced labour with my ds turned into a csection.

It really depends

@Doublebubblebubble

I had 2 sweeps to try and get things moving. Had some loss of plug/tiny bit of bleeding follow sweeps. Sweep at 40 & 40+7. Baby was 9 days late. Woke up at 4am having contractions. No signs the day before.

It really varies. It think it’s more common with a first baby for it to be a bit more gradual.

My waters broke ‘suddenly’ when I got out of bed on the Saturday morning. Then nothing until that night when I got into bed and started having contractions. That went on for about 4 hours then they just stopped (maybe BH in hindsight). Then absolutely nothing until the Monday afternoon when I was put on the drip.

To add - it was about 9 hours from starting the induction drip to delivery

I didn't get a show either time.

First time I was induced at 10 days with no indication that labour would have started on its own.

Second time I was sitting up late, about 1am the day before my due date. I was going in to get induced at term the next day. No signs of labour. Felt some period pain like aches which ramped up pretty quickly over the next few hours and ds2 was born at 7am that day. His waters didn't break until about 30 seconds before he was born.

Pretty sudden twice for me.
First- had my show in the shower, bang on due date. Contractions then slowly started, by time in car on way in they’d ramped up massively, born 3 hours later

Second -waters suddenly broke - gushing out like in movie 2 weeks early while shopping- contractions soon after, barely made it to hospital to give birth 2 hours after waters breaking.

It’s not always a slow build up- really feel general advice that it’s usually this gradual slow thing can make you pretty unprepared. Can go either way! All the best x

It's different for everyone my first I woke to pressure and just as I stood up my waters broke, contractions started and less than 12 hours later I'd had dc. Second time was 3cm at 34 weeks and had pressure /tightenings was taken into hospital at 36 weeks and had dc at 37 it was a long few weeks.

With my first I felt a bit yucky the evening of my due date, got up to go to the loo at 1 in the morning and had a massive gush. Went to hospital to check it was my waters which it was and contractions had started by the time I got home again. Was admitted around 8/9am and she was born around 11. Hoping the second is similar!

I went in to be induced, but couldn't at the time because the labour ward was full so they intended to keep me in over night until there was space. Cue the next time I nipped the loo I lost my mucus plug and by the time I had walked back over to the bed from the en-suite I had full blown contractions and was 5cm dilated. Even though I went in to be induced It was completely unexpected caught the midwives off guard and I marched myself down to the labour ward. 😂😂 waters didn't break until I fully dilated though. Good luck, it's the home stretch now!

Mine was a slow burner. Actually envious of the amount of quick labours on this thread! Was having mild pains for a week or so before. The Monday of the following week woke up with slightly sharper cramps. This went on for two days, show around this time too and everything very slowly became more painful. Labour started Wednesday morning, he was born Thursday night...

My waters broke in a huge gush at home. My midwife running antenatal said that rarely happens like that and is more likely to be gradual. I started having contractions about 8 hours later and from then my baby was born within 12 hours. Pretty quick for my first baby and I never had the show or mucous plug as I was expecting.