Real daft question

[finallypregnant]

But how do you know when you are in the early stages of labour? Please don't laugh but it isn't anything that has been talked about at ante-natal with me. I am 39 weeks and have just felt really weird all day.

Been in bed most of it and getting some twinges lower bump. Where do twinges start or could they be anywhere?

Off to have a bath now to see if I feel better.

Wished I had asked before but I just sort of thought I'd have a show and then my waters would go (neither have) so I feel a bit unprepared.

it's not a daft question at all.

And the simple answer is: you don't.

You have the right idea, to have a bath and then see how you feel, if it is the onset of labour, you will find out about it soon enough, and if it isn't then things will probably settle down a bit and you will feel a bit more normal soon (well, as normal as someone 39 weeks pg can feel )

I always assumed like you that I would have a show, or my waters would go in a really dramatic way in Tescos or somewhere. As it happened, I didn't have a show until I got to hospital well into established labour and with both labours the mw had to break my waters, closely followed by a baby

I will keep an eye on this thread as it may turn into a labour thread

That is not a daft question at all.

Other mums will be along with better advice but with my first my waters broke no twinges for ages. With my second i had a show and did it all in a more traditional manner but still ended up having my waters broken.

Also - there is a thing called prelabour which is your body gearing up for labour.

In short, there's no definite moment when labour starts in my experience. Although it has happened to friends.

Good Luck!!!

Oooh Squonk if it does - i AM SO up for some bacon.

You've all made me feel better. Off into bath now but will keep you posted. Thank you xx

Yes Do .

we need updates at least every half hour.

If we don't hear from you, we will assume it was labour after all, you have disappeared down the hospital, had the baby, named it and everything, we will be opening a book on the weight, sex and name of said baby and when we find out that you've been fixing windchimes and "forgot" to update us, we will be a tad cross.

Not that that ever happened, oooohhhh nooooo

It's different for everyone (women mainly!) but my waters had to be broken which was about 5 minutes before the baby!

Agree with others - you KNOW when it's a contraction.

And don't want to get gross - but I didn't feel the contractions in the tummy area - but rather felt this incredible need to have a poo, which of course was labor pains.

actually, I disagree that you will know when it is labour.

I had back labour and it didn't feel at all like I expected it to. It felt like back-ache that's all. It got worse and worse, but I couldn't feel any tummy tightening or anything, there were no feelings at all at the front, it just felt like it does when you've lifted something heavy and pulled a muscle

(although I don't expect you to be able to remember lifting anything heavy )

I think what Squonk is trying to say is that if you are lucky you may not know it's labour. Some women do seem to just pop em out while feeling slightly under the weather. Lucky bitches

Update please?

oh no, before too long, I knew it was labour! I just meant that I didn't know at first. I knew I was getting pains, I knew that they were regular, I knew they farking well hurt.

They just weren't what I was expecting.

Not that I sailed through and popped a baby out like shelling peas or anything (christ, no!)

OK, it wasn't where you thought it would be, which was exactly my point. We are agreeing .

I expected labor to be like dreadful period pains, rather than um, a pain in the arse!

yes!

if you imagine someone putting their hands on your belly and squeezing... that's what I imagined it would feel like (except I thought it would probably hurt a bit more than someone just squeezing )

I sort of expected to be wandering around town, casually doing my shopping then suddenly be keeled over with this huge pain (in my tummy, like the squeezy thing) cue ambulance call, lots of ladies bringing me smelling salts, my waters breaking in tescos, whereupon they would give me a voucher for a years worth of nappies or something... twenty minutes later I would have a beautiful lickle baby.

What I got was backache!

Had bath and now going to try and eat. Appetite not been great today.

DH just arriving home so off to update him. Will defo keep you posted.

Thanks again.

ahem!

Still don't feel right or as right as I can do at 39 weeks but will see how things are overnight.

Get DH to give you a massage/foot rub...

I blame the soaps and films for giving women a false impression of labour.

Sleep well finallypregnant.

while we wait, shall we think of a new name for finallypregnant when she has the baby?

How about finallyhadit for a little while, followed by finallypregnantagain?

finallyamummy?

Like it Squonk .

Perhaps with a finallysleeping in the middle of those.

twasntwindafterall?

how about finallyeatingbrieagain

I think it's safe to say twasn't wind