How do you know if you are going into labour

[Mumtobelee]

Hi there
I'm a first time mum and wondering how do you know if you are going into labour or not . I'm due on 4th Feb but I'm scheduled for elective c-section on the 29th however I feel a lot of pressure that only eases when I lay on my side . Is this normal at 37 weeks or is it a sign of labour . Water hasn't broke but the pain is there . As a first time mum I don't know what to look out for .
Please help

Pressure is probably due to the baby's head engaging.

My first sign of labour was waters breaking, but other people get contractions first which feel like bad period cramps. Other people lose their mucus plug, which is jelly like and sometimes streaked with blood.

Labour can also be stop start and this be absolutely fine. So for instance with one of mine I lost my plug and started feeling period pain like cramps which went on and off for two days, never getting to the point where I had to breathe through them/use hypno etc, then my waters broke and I had a five hour total stop in the pain. Then the cramps started again very gently progressing to delivery the next day.

With another my waters broke and the pain was intense immediately and I was in absolutely no doubt labour had begun. Baby arrived very shortly afterwards.

So basically you'll know because at some point you'll be needing to focus on nothing but managing each contraction! Until then it could be labour or not.

Good luck.

Same due date! I also have the pressure, i’m assuming it’s from baby being head down x