How do I know if labor has started? What do contractions feel like?

Question

I'm a FTM due September 6th and I am very curious and anxious about the labor process. How will I know it has started?

I had my appt today and my doctor asked me if I was considering getting induced and that I had to tell him soon to schedule.

I want to go into labor naturally.

Thank you if you took the time to read :).

Answer

Unbearable period cramps that start in your back and wrap around to your abdomen all the way to the top of your uterus
They get more painful as the contraction goes on
Starts off at 30-45 seconds and gradually increase to 1 minute
Get closer together
Don't go away with pain relief or drinking water or taking a warm bath
Get more painful 
Can't walk/talk through them

Mine woke me up from a dead sleep at 4:30am

Sometimes we have to be induced - but I wouldn't get induced till your atleast 1 week overdue (unless there are medical reasons to be induced before) babies are happy in the womb for Upto 2 weeks after due date

Answer

My contractions started the day before. I felt a little crampy and started timing my contractions they were about 7 min apart. By that night I knew I was in labor due to the intense back pain and was contracting every 5min (yay for back labor). I was sent home twice because my contractions didn't pick up on the machine. By the next morning I was on my hands and knees trying to remember how to breathe and contracting 2-3 min apart. That afternoon I had my baby girl.

Answer

I went to Lamaze classes. My contractions did not feel the way they described them. There was no pain wrapping from my back to my belly or anything of the sort. It definitely feels like period cramps though. Except you get them after a certain amount of minutes. I realized I was having contractions when I noticed my "cramps" were about 7 minutes apart. This actually went on all morning. Later on in the afternoon these cramps started getting stronger at this point I knew that I was going to be having my (5 minute apart) contractions at some point in the midnight or early morning hours and I was right. The key is to keep track of the spacing between whatever sort of "pain" or "cramps" you feel. Of corse the pain gets more intense as your labor progresses but the breathing techniques will definitely help. I wish you the absolute best of luck and wish you a fast and easy labor. 😅

Answer

following😖

Answer

I had been losing bits of my plug all day. Was feeling a bit crampy, but went about my day. That evening at 1130 my water broke while driving!  It just gushed. And by the way, your water keeps leaking out. I thought it was once and done. Anyway, at that time I didn't really have contractions. As the hours passed they became more frequent but just felt like period cramps. They eventually get more painful. Like stabbing almost. Near the end, they take your breath away. This is if you don't have any drugs. I tried the gas but it didn't help. By the time I was 10cm they were coming so fast and hard I was crying and screaming. They hurt so much! You can't even describe it to someone who hasn't done it. After all that I had an emergency c-section as my son was breach. So I can't help you out on the pushing part, but the c section was scary enough on its own!

Answer

Following so I know too!

How do I know if labor has started? What do contractions feel like?

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