how do i know that i am in labour?

[EdenJayne]

hello i'm 35+3 days, and i was just wondering if there are any signs other than waters breaking, mucus plug ect.. that labour has started or is starting soon?

contractions?

They're unmistakeable once they get going, trust me.

will i be able to tell the difference between braxton hicks and real labour contractions? because i struggle to tell the difference between all the different pains i get now..

Yes, you will be able to tell. . It's not for nothing that many hospitals/midwives only seem to see you as seriously 'in labour' once you can't talk any more.

Contractions that increase in intensity, and become closer together = labour. Personally (of course everyone is different though) I didn't lose my mucous plug and my waters didn't break until I was already 5-6cm and in hospital.

My waters didn't break until thirty seconds before the baby arrived, second time

Yes, you'll be able to tell the difference between BH and contractions because they'll come more regularly and get stronger and stronger.

oh right thankyou thats a help, because my boyfriend the father lives a few hours away at the moment and i don't want to ring him if i'm in a false labour but i don't want to ring him too late when my waters break ect.. incase he does'nt make it in time..

You'll know because it bloody hurts.

Painful contractions at regular intervals is the usual definition.

My contractions last time started sort of like mild period pains - i.e. at the cervix, rather than across my whole belly (assume this the same for everyone else?). They became regular and more frequent and much more intense.

I'm getting branston hicks regularly at the moment and none are down there where I'll be expecting the real ones. And my waters didn't break till last minute either.

Don't worry, you'll know it when it happens, in plenty of time to make a phone call.

I started gettin a bit of a show a couple of days before labour and had a couple of contractions on those days, very painful. Then I knew I was in labour as they were so close together I had 12 in 15 minutes! A bath didnt ease them unlike braxton hicks. They got further apart then close together again. Once i started trembling (after 6 hours labour) I was in established labour and was 8 cm when i got to hospital where i had my waters broken.

this has been helpful. thankyou

I remember aasking my mw the same question with DD1 and she said, "Oh, you'll know!" as if it was stupid to ahve asked.

As it was, I didn't know! I had been in such pain for the last month of pregnancy that the latent stage of labour was much the same - bad braxton hicks, back ache etc. By the time I realised 'this is it', DP almost missed the birth (he too lived a couple of hours away then), and a neighbour had to take me to the hospital - 45 mins away.

I was a bit like bossyboop. I had contractions 5 to 8 mins apart for a few days and ended up going in to hospital to be told I was only 1cm! Gutted. I was convinced that was it. I think the clincher was that that time I was able to let my DH park 5 mins away from labour ward entrance and walk. The next night he had to drop me off by the door whilst he parked and I clung to a bench.
It's easy to say you'll know when you have done it but you it is hard to know the first time round.

Well I couldn't tell. I went to hospital before I was really sure as it was DC3 and hospital didn't want to take any chances - I had been having mild contractions for 12 hours plus a show. Arrived at hospital at 4.30am having very mild contractions, no pain relief, just doing little breathing exercises to get through them. Able to walk out of lift during one when lift stopped etc.

As for not being able to talk anymore well that didn't happen. Happily chatting away to midwife between contractions at 6.35am - suggesting she fill pool - her - oh no you can still chat to me it will be ages yet far too early to fill pool.

At 6.40am my waters break, she agrees to fill pool but baby born at 6.43am - not enough time to fill it!

I didn't have any VEs (I didn't want) but I don't think I would have been very dilated on arrival.

With my first my waters broke over 24hrs before the first contraction. Then I had my first contraction (and boy did I know it ). Within an hour and a half of the first contraction I was holding DD1.

Everyone's different I guess