What happens the days leading up to labour?

[Thatsmoneyhoney]

Hi all!

So I'm 38 weeks pregnant and I'm getting excited about the birth of my little one and finally getting to meet him ❤️
What were all your experiences of labour starting? Did it start suddenly or did you have things happen in the days leading up to it?
I find it so interesting hearing people's stories 😊

I had a slight backache and mild tightenings for a couple of days but didn't think anything of it as I was 39 weeks and convinced baby would be late. Then my waters went Hollywood movie style in a big gush in the middle of the night followed by immediate strong, close-together contractions. So I guess in hindsight that was my latent phase!

Mine was a slow progression of events that started the week before I gave birth.

Week before I woke up to D&V at 3am, then the following few days I had mild period pains. This then progressed into contractions but these stopped after a few hours but my mucus plug came away. The next day my waters went but contractions didn’t start, so I had to be induced due to risk of infection (plus GD and signs of preeclampsia).

1st born absolutely nothing no clues whatsoever just climbed into bed and waters broke, 2nd mucus plug day before and some spotting.

Both my experiences so far have been moping in hospital for at least a week, before going downstairs and having labour started for me with a drip.

I really hoped I would have a labour 'experience'. I had a little bag packed and slept on a waterproof mattress cover for weeks in anticipation of the big event

Instead I ran 2 weeks overdue. No signs or feelings of labour at all. Got induced cuz the midwives said that's the rule...

Not a lot in my experience! I went to work the day before my first was born. Had a bit of diarrhoea that evening. Woke up the next morning with a bit of a tummy ache, phoned and cancelled going to lunch with my Mum. Baby was born at 1pm.

With my second I had a few cramps during the afternoon which I now assume was early labour. Ramped up from about 9pm and she was born at 1.30am.

For me (3 DC) absolutely nothing. No show, no BH contractions, waters breaking, etc.
With each I woke up normally. When the contractions (twinges) started with DC1 (I wasn't sure if I was in labour. They weren't painful at this point but very close together.) I'd spent long periods in hospital so rang my midwife who visited daily if I was at home. She advised me to go in and be assessed. DS was born an hour after arriving. I was 8cm when I arrived.
DC 2&3 from first twinge to birth was less than an hour. Everyone has a different story to tell.

My waters broke on our daily walk around the block, I genuinely thought I was peeing! 😆 and it continued to trickly out over the next day until I starting wondering if it was my waters, should have really clocked onto what was happening because I know it can lead to infection. I didn't think much of it, just kept thinking to myself why do I keep peeing myself today, this is a new symptom 🤔😂😂😂 and only when I phoned the midwife, I realised it was the start of labour 😂 so strange because it was so obvious now looking back but I just couldn't believe it was finally happening at the time. I went for a sweep and they told me my waters had broken. That night I had a few niggles, and the next day my contractions started. I still wasn't convinced that I was in labour 😂 and then it all just happened so quick after that, my beautiful baby was in my arms after only a few hours of labour ❤️ best day of my life!

Nothing much, looking back now I had a tightness for about 2 days before hand. Like when you have eaten way too much!!!
Woke up at 36+5 weeks 6.30am lost some fluid when I rolled over, slightly bloody when I wiped after a wee and then the contractions began!
She was born 11 hours later!

With DC1 - nothing. Woke up one morning and my pjs felt damp. My waters gushed half hour later and baby was born 25 hours later.
With DC2 - felt constipated for the 48 hours leading up to it. Had my midwife appointment where I asked for a sweep, she said head was low, I was 3-4cm dilated and labour was imminent. Struggled to walk an hour or so later on the school run as could feel pressure. Woke up the following morning still with this pressure, having contractions but not painful - thought I was in early labour and was planning on going about my day as normal so food shop, DH to go to work etc. Baby was born 3 hours later.

Induced. Pessary inserted at 11pm Friday night. Felt nothing the whole day Saturday. Examined at midnight Sunday morning and told no change.

Gel applied at 3am on Sunday morning. By 5am I was on the phone to DH to tell him to come to hospital. Passed plug shortly after. Examined and said I was 1cm. I was in pain so asked for an epidural. Anaesthetist arrived an hour later (around 6:30am) to do epidural. Examined and told I was 10cm! So no chance of epidural.

Bit hazy here - but sure DH said they then were about to break my waters but they went themselves. Baby born around 45 minutes after ( just after 7:15am). I think I was in shock at how fast it all went. I guess I got used to hearing people telling me that first baby can take a while to arrive lol.

Not much, I went out for a family dinner with PIL then went home and watched a movie. Woke up in the middle of the night with what felt like period pains which eventually got worse so I called the hospital the woke DP.

I do remember going for a poo a lot on the day before I went into Labour. It was like my body was cleaning itself out ready for labour. Every time I went to the toilet I did a poo, never happened before or after. It was the same when I had my second.

Nothing! Waters broke early one morning when I went to the bathroom, I actually didn't realise what had happened and went back to bed. Only twigged a few hours later when I woke up and felt leaking 😄
Mild prelabour contractions started in the afternoon. Was (lightly) induced the next afternoon at 4cm dilated and she was born that evening. Labour was pretty straightforward.

1st - mild cramps the day before, increasing gradually. Was only 2cm when I got to hospital tho 😂 had another 12 hours from there!
2nd - no cramps In lead up, pain started quickly. Rushed to hospital 10cm, baby born immediately.
3rd- had bracton hicks from about 28 weeks, was induced on due date. Some mild cramping. Actual labour snd 3 hours.

I was 10 days overdue and went for a sweep at noon. While I was waiting to go in I felt a little fluttery tingle across my belly and thought, "ooh, I wonder if that's something". It was. I had the sweep, drove home and painted my toenails (very challenging with the size of my bump) as the tingles got progressively stronger and became very obvious contractions. Called DH around 4.30om and said he might want to leave work a few minutes early. Around 9pm we headed into hospital (quite strong contractions by this point), by the time I got in the delivery room it was 10pm and DD was born at 11.15. My water broke all over the midwife just as I was getting ready to push. No time for any pain relief. I am so grateful it was straightforward and quick. Very painful but it all felt like it was supposed to. Good luck OP! However it goes, the labour will be over quickly relative to how long you'll be a mum!

Slight heavy feeling in the bump during the day (like period pain but continuous, not well defined cramps) at 38w. Waters broke in bed at 4am (glad I brought a properly water proof mattress protector). Cervix was still closed at this point. Contractions started around 10 am whole waiting for C-Section (baby was breach).

Waiting...just waiting. Time slowed down massively and I resorted to watching bad films to pass the time, as it was too hot (summer of 2019 was horrific). Went on some walks with friends in same position (due same day/day after).

My daughter was 10 days late, and I had already had one sweep and another booked, plus an induction booked for later in the week if she didn't come.

On the night, I went to bed. Woke up feeling a bit sick, sat on the toilet with a bucket whilst googling "could this be labour?". Went back to bed. Woke up 2 hours later. Got out of bed and....gush.

I had a feeling of not wanting to leave the house, despite being active and going out all the way through my pregnancy.

I also had a lot of pressure down there and was starting to feel very uncomfortable. I spent a lot of time bouncing on the birthing ball which helped somewhat.

Later that night my waters broke ( proper gush of water) and I had very mild contractions. My contractions didn’t pick up though after being monitored and we were told to go home - waters still gushing out & had to change my pants at the mat ward!
I was booked for an induction the next day ( I was already a week over due date) which I was hoping I wouldn’t need, the midwife didn’t think I’d need it either, but I did in he end. Waters broke on the Mon and I gave birth to dd on the Weds!

I’m currently expecting dc no.2 and hoping for a slightly quicker labour/birth!🥴

Lost my plug on the Friday, went out shopping on the Saturday my bump was bloody massive and it was effort but felt fine in myself. That night ate so much food 😆 made a really hot chilli, ate a tower of profiteroles! My legs and feet were very swollen though I do remember my partner saying I looked like a rugby player ! About 2am that morning woke up with period pains in my back which got worse and worse. I also couldn't stop going for a poo !! I got to hospital about 10am and was only 3cm but they admitted me because I was in so much pain. Baby boy born at 7:45pm that night !

Aww I'm loving everyone's stories 🥰🥰
I saw midwife this morning and baby is 3/5 engaged so still not fully engaged yet. Hopefuly this doesn't mean labour is still weeks away!! I just want to meet him now and see his little face 😍