Start of labour or normal pain?

[Lou98]

Hi! I'm 38+5 weeks with my first baby so this is all new to me and no idea what to expect when it comes to labour! I'm hoping someone might be able to tell me if the pains I'm feeling are normal or not.

I have SPD and so have had a lot pain in my hips/pelvis for weeks now.
I have been being monitored at my local maternity unit as the baby has been moving less frequently for days now so I've been in every few days on the ctg monitor and they are talking about potentially inducing me towards the end of next week so I'm nearly at my due date.

Since I got home from the hospital today I've been feeling quite stiff and sore (as I have every day) and been getting period type cramps (continuous not coming and going). About half an hour ago I started getting them quite intense but towards one side (left) only, my stomach isn't going hard and it's been continuous rather than coming and going. Sitting isn't helping, neither is standing/walking and it's just getting more uncomfortable. I've taken some paracetamol so waiting to see if that helps and I'm going to try a bath. My stomach isn't tightening up like I would expect if it was contractions and the intense pain isn't across my full stomach, just on the one side (although I do have the period cramps across my stomach).

I was just wondering if what I've said makes sense and if anyone else had this kind of pain, was it the start of labour or something else? Should I be worried?

Sorry that was a bit long winded! I hope it made sense.

If it's relevant, when I was at the hospital today the midwife checking baby's position said she thinks he's sitting at an awkward angle, he's definitely head down and she thinks engaged but also thinks he's back to back

Bumping!

@Lou98

Hi! I'm 38+5 weeks with my first baby so this is all new to me and no idea what to expect when it comes to labour! I'm hoping someone might be able to tell me if the pains I'm feeling are normal or not.

I have SPD and so have had a lot pain in my hips/pelvis for weeks now.
I have been being monitored at my local maternity unit as the baby has been moving less frequently for days now so I've been in every few days on the ctg monitor and they are talking about potentially inducing me towards the end of next week so I'm nearly at my due date.

Since I got home from the hospital today I've been feeling quite stiff and sore (as I have every day) and been getting period type cramps (continuous not coming and going). About half an hour ago I started getting them quite intense but towards one side (left) only, my stomach isn't going hard and it's been continuous rather than coming and going. Sitting isn't helping, neither is standing/walking and it's just getting more uncomfortable. I've taken some paracetamol so waiting to see if that helps and I'm going to try a bath. My stomach isn't tightening up like I would expect if it was contractions and the intense pain isn't across my full stomach, just on the one side (although I do have the period cramps across my stomach).

I was just wondering if what I've said makes sense and if anyone else had this kind of pain, was it the start of labour or something else? Should I be worried?

I was induced with my 1st (still pregnant with my 2nd) and so didn't go into labour naturally, which means I may not actually be very helpful! However, when my contractions started and I wasn't sure if that's what they were , the midwife kept asking me if it felt like tightenings and I kept saying I didn't know and I still didn't really get that sensation even by the end so you not feeling a tightening may not be a sign they're not contractions.

All my contractions started in my back and then went round to the side but I think everyone seems to feel them
Differently. Hope everything goes well!

I’m 35+2 with my 4th and get similar. Low down on my left there’s obviously a weak spot for me and so I get pain there that is very sharp/crampy and does come and go, along with general low level crampiness low down but contractions for me roll intensely and tightly across the whole bump, then totally die, then come again. I’m a bit waiting now for ramp up, cos sometimes the first stuff can suddenly turn into something else but for me quite focused cramps in one place are just the general joy of being uber pregnant.

@RosieRabbit17 thank you for your reply! See that's it, I don't think I'm getting tightenings but then I'm not sure that I'd know even if I was. I've had a lot of pain in my lower back and then these ones seem to be on my left side but they're very intense! I took some paracetamol and went for a bath and that eased it but they're still kind of coming and going a bit

@confettiballoons ah that's good to know that when you just felt them in the one place it wasn't labour! I'm so ready for the baby to come now but my partner works away and isn't home until Tuesday so I'd really rather not go before then!

I have had a lot of pain in my left hip that's been continuous for weeks now, I assumed just part of the SPD but this pain seems higher up and a lot more intense. It seems to have eased off a bit though and is still coming and going but a bit more bearable so hopefully stops soon!