39 weeks and feeling like my period is coming - am I in labour?

[Ella17393]

Hi All, so the past week and a half I have been getting what feels like mild period pains. However last night something seems to have shifted and my lower back aches a lot more and i feel like I’m open down below a bit. Could this mean I’ve started to dilate? My body feels like it would if I was expecting a period, I’m getting sharper cramps but they’re not regular. How long can this go on for until I’m in the active stages?

Probably is, see how the next few days go. I'm a few days away from 39 weeks, and I've only been having dull pain on lower abdomen. Doesn't feel like I'm progressing atm, but sounds like you are!

@Ella17393

Hi All, so the past week and a half I have been getting what feels like mild period pains. However last night something seems to have shifted and my lower back aches a lot more and i feel like I’m open down below a bit. Could this mean I’ve started to dilate? My body feels like it would if I was expecting a period, I’m getting sharper cramps but they’re not regular. How long can this go on for until I’m in the active stages?

You can't feel yourself dilating.

However it does sound like your body is getting ready.
But could still take weeks.
I had 2 weeks of period like cramps day in day out until I was induced.

That was what I ‘felt’ contractions as, period pains that just got more intense.

They were regular from the get go though. Starting one every 10 minutes.

"You can't feel yourself dilating."

When I was in labour with DC2 I felt the pain of contractions in my cervix, and I'm pretty sure that was my cervix dilating.

It was weird actually, I was expecting it to feel like period pains (as with DC1) but it didn't at all!

For me, labour felt like bad period pains and were completely manageable right up to the pushing stage. The first time I was 8cm dilated and hadn’t even really realised! So yes, it could very well be the start.

Thank you ladies! Just seeing how I progress over the next few days, it’s a struggle to walk today too feels like baby will drop out any second

You can't feel yourself dilating
Oh,yes you can.
Same as PP,most of my contractions felt like they started from my back and were radiating towards my cervix where the pain culminated.
Also,some women do actually check their cervix while in labour so I won't rule it out when someone feels like they are dilating.
OP,good luck,looks like a prelude to delivery of the baby.Sometime prolonged latent stage with not much pain,just a discomfort, means quiet,long preparation and a sudden rush of contractions and very quick,smooth delivery which I really hope it is your case.
Fingers crossed

Sounds like early labour, get walking and bouncing on a birth ball. Drink plenty of water, eat nutritious food and sleep when you can.

Good luck OP, sounds like early labour

@3JsMa

You can't feel yourself dilating Oh,yes you can. Same as PP,most of my contractions felt like they started from my back and were radiating towards my cervix where the pain culminated. Also,some women do actually check their cervix while in labour so I won't rule it out when someone feels like they are dilating. OP,good luck,looks like a prelude to delivery of the baby.Sometime prolonged latent stage with not much pain,just a discomfort, means quiet,long preparation and a sudden rush of contractions and very quick,smooth delivery which I really hope it is your case. Fingers crossed

I totally get you can feel it in that sense. I was referring to OP saying they feel more open.

My labour started like this in early hours of the morning. By 8am or so I was contracting regularly. So it definitely could be!