Hi ladies,

I am a first time mom, 36 weeks pregnant to the day. On Thursday, I had about five episodes of long, painful contractions that did not get better with movement or rest. They were hours apart, but I packed my bags just in case. The next day, Friday, I had a regular OB appointment scheduled. I mentioned the contractions to my doctor, and she did a cervical check and said that I was 4 cm dilated and 70% effaced! She didn’t seem worried at all, and she told me not to stop doing what I’m doing, like working, being active, etc. So now it’s Sunday night, I’ve barely had any contractions that I could feel the last two days, but I’m pretty sure I’ve lost my mucus plug. Has this happened to anyone else, especially other first time moms? If so, how long before you went into active labor, and how quickly did things progress once you did?