Silly question????

[Jaysthird]

Does anyone know if you can dilate significantly without having really strong contractions and therefore not realise you are in 'labor'?

yes you can

Not really a silly question: with my first I only realised I was in labour about 90mins before going in to hospitl and was 5cm dilated. With next 2 deliveries, I realised I was in labour and went in only to find I was significantly less dilated (can't remember details)

First delivery was on due date and quicker than next two which were overdue and longer labours... so much for myths that first babies are always late and always longest labours.

hmmmm, thanks!

third baby
6 days overdue
No show though
waters intact
Strong but irregular contractions ( i know this can happen for 'weeks' beforehand')lasting over a minute every 4-6 minutes, but then they stop after an hour or so, returning once or twice a day on and off for the past two weeks...

i just had a thought today that maybe i wont know till right before it happens!!

I didn't really clock I was in labour until I started to want to push . And I was having a hb, so we called mw v v quickly and she got here 40mins before ds arrived! I was in pain, but coping with contractions. And, the mw had seen me the previous day and tried to do a sweep and couldn't (cervix not ripe) and said that nothing would happen in the next 24hrs. Definately .

So yes, I got to just about full dilation without realising. Perhaps I was in denial . Oh, and was 4days overdue.

Good luck , by no. 3 you should be a pro