What were your early signs of labour starting?

[ReginaaPhalange]

Due my first baby soon and I won't lie, I have a very low pain threshold, so I would be over analysing any twinge or cramp the closer I get to due date.

What were your symptoms that labour was starting?

Both times it was period like cramps that ramped up overnight.

I'm not sure if telling yourself you have a low pain threshold will help! It's like telling yourself that you won't cope. Do you have a plan of what to do in the early stages? I found a tens machine helpful.

Both times I lost my mucus plug 24hrs before my waters broke, dd1 contractions that felt like period pains started a couple of hours later and then she was born another few hours later. Dd2 was same pattern but much quicker, waters broke ,contractions started then born less than 2 hours later

I puked.

Contractions every evening 4 nights in a row before labour began (but always back to nothing during the day).

I just woke up at 5:30 one morning with contractions and after a few hours they stepped up a notch and that's when I knew it was the real thing. I woke dh at 9ish as I felt able to cope on my own initially and I'd really recommend that if you can manage. Dh had lots of energy to be able to support me and was brilliant.

@EnidFrighten yeah, I have a plan in place :) I'll be telling myself that it's good pain too as I'll be getting to meet my beautiful baby at the end of it all.

@firstimemamma I'm hoping I'll know the difference between "ok it's contractions and I can manage just now" to knowing when I need to go to the hospital. I'm a 35 minute drive from the hospital so don't want to have a wasted journey if I need to come home to let things progress further..

You'll do great. We are a half hour drive from hospital too so I can relate there! Pregnant again so will be doing it all again in March!

1st... Woke up middle of night and ran to toilet with diarrhoea...

2nd.. Urge to take notes out with me on day out... More obvious physical one... Waters broke

Mild period pains on/off, that gets progressively more intense.

I think you may benefit from hypnobirthing, have you looked into it at all?

You seem to have a fear mindset... which will not help of course. Labour can be a great experience! I proper loved giving birth to my 3 kids.

felt like I needed a poop! again and again- contractions all in my back though

My water broke at appx 9am. We were turned away when we went to the maternity ward. Gave us time to walk across the street, purchase a cot, have some food, and return to Lewisham hospital.

Approximately 36 hours later our first son was born.

Honestly, OP, your signs will be yours. We all experience things differently. Stay aware or an odd changes, but try to relax and carry on. Wishing you well.

First Braxton Hicks at 41 weeks... following 2 sweeps the week before and a bit of mucus plug out.
I had never experienced BH throughout pregnancy so thought they were actual contractions. But 12 hours later my waters broke. I went straight into active labor. Contractions started immediately every 2/3 min. I thought I was dying. For me the pain was unbearable. I lasted 45 min at home and was driven to hospital for an epidural 😂 forget about water birth I thought. That being said I was 5cm upon arrival.
So yeah... I thought I had a high pain treshold.
And I had a big list of things to do while in labor at home and in hospital because people told me first one takes time.
Baby was out 5 hours later and it felt like 2 minutes 😅

My waters broke for the first.

For the second, just contractions which got closer and more regular.

I also live 30 mins away from the hospital and left it too late - 9cm dilated on arrival for #1 and wanted to push in the car for #2.

I have a high pain threshold but labour is better than being heavily pregnant!

DS1: Literally nothing until my water broke at 1am after I woke up thinking that I needed a wee...

DS2: Period pain-like cramps, getting slowlystronger

Both my labour's started with a general sense of unsettledness. I remember pacing (waddling) around the living room lots. Like a lioness in a zoo.

Period like cramps which became a tightening sensation across my whole abdomen.

Being sick and having loose bowels came later. My waters didn't break with DD until I was actually delivering.

I had a couple of months of braxton hicks. The night I went into labour I was sick all evening, went to bed early, woke at midnight with intense pain like period cramps and was 8cm when we got to hospital half an hour later!

(That was my first). Currently 17 weeks with my second and wondering if I’ll give birth at 37 weeks again!

Heavy bleeding and a peculiar pressure in my lower back. This pressure gradually started to come in waves and get stronger, radiating down to pain in my upper legs. It felt absolutely nothing like what I had imagined contractions would be like with no sensation, let alone pain, in my bump. Baby was born vaginally less than four hours after first symptoms appeared at 33+1

Should add I had Braxton Hicks many, many times a day from about 20 weeks 🤷