How far in advance of labour starting did you have a show?

[laa]

I'm due in 3.5 wks. with baby no. 3 and for the 1st time in any of my pregnancies I've had a show. I was overdue with the 1st 2, so I'm assuming I will be again. But I've been getting lots of period pains in the evenings and today I've had really bad low back pain. Could this be pre-labour. No. 1 was induced and no.2 was v. rapid - I woke up and just had contractions straight away - must've slept through the pre-labour bit!
My neighbour said her show happened 5 wks. before labour began. What is other people's experience?

Not much help I know but I didn't have one with first two, and I was already having contractions when I got it with DD.

My show came at 6am and my contractions started very infrequently at 10am, by 4pm they were ever 10 minutes. DD born at 23.11pm. All in same day.

Spontanious water break, show and contractions from the off pretty much like youe second to start with.
I was ten days overdue.
Good luck anyhow.

4 days before (after a sweep) followed by hindwaters breaking and then induced labour.

I had mine 9hrs after the first back pain and DS was born 14hrs later. Sorry to be gross but have you also had a big bowel movement? It's just that this is usually part of the show process. I'd probably at least call the hospital or midwife and let them know because it could be the real thing. Good luck and hope all goes well

Had mine 2 days before pre-labour began, it was another 2 days before 'proper labour' began (i.e. before I got to 3cm dilation.

I've read that it can be several weeks between the show and labour - and I think that is particularly true in later pregnancies?

Hard not to get excited though ... looking forward to a baby announcement in the not too distant future!

Thanks all. It is exciting - at least I feel my body's getting ready to do something! Feel like I've had a tummy upset and my morning sickness is back in a big way (not that it has ever quite disappeared!). Ho hum. I'll just sit and wait!

Had a show on the sunday morning, had contractions until tues afternoon when I went into labour, had baby at 9:30pm on the tuesday night.

Methinks you are getting ready to have that baby, laa. All sounds very promising to me. The period like pain could be the neck of the womb preparing to dilate.

All the best.

Mandy

I only had a show with my dd and it occurred in two parts, the first the day before and the second, the day of her birth. I think it is imminent laa! Good luck!

Woke up in the night with mildish pains, went to loo and had had a show, so that was sometime in the 6 hours before I was woken.
With ds was induced and had no show.

show on the thursday labour started properly midnight on saturday, bubba monday morning - v long labour

show on the Tuesday, waters broke on the Saturday, labour started the following Friday and baby born on Monday = so nearly 2 weeks