How did it start?

Question

How did labor start for you mamas? I see a lot of birth stories lately and I alway see “contractions started at 7AM” but like.... idk. FTM here. Do you get a contraction and then slowly realize that it’s continuous or were you like “oh I’m in labor!” Right away? 
I’m not sure what to look for.  Just wondering what it looked like for some of you guys 🥰

Answer

I started having intense stomach cramping with diarrhea so I thought I had food poisoning LOL. Then lost my mucus plug and had my bloody show about an hour later and realized it was contractions. Mine were every 2-3min from the start.

Answer

For me I had digestive upset that day with sporadic random contractions that felt like tightening and cramping. By about 11pm it got painful enough that I wanted to go the hospital to be checked and I was at a 4-5. So I guess it was kind of gradual build up that just didn’t go away. 
The whole “increase in duration and intensity” was true for me

Answer

With my first my waters broke at 37+2 contractions didn’t start till about an hour after was a 7.5 hour labour. 
My second I got checked on a Monday wasn’t dilated so was booked in to be induced on the Wednesday went home nothing Tuesday cramping bad but stayed at home went in Wednesday morning at 39+4 where they broke my waters as I was 4-5cm 4.5 hour labour 
My third I went to my appointment was 38+5 got checked was 2cm dilated two hours later cramping began got intense pretty fast waters broke and was 45 mins from there till I gave birth but 4 hours from first contraction.

Answer

FTM too! Mine started with a few contractions in the shower (mild, less intense than period cramps), then my water broke about half an hour later 🤷🏻‍♀️

Answer

Since it was my second, once I had two contractions in a row, I was like oh well this is probably happening now. My labor advanced very quickly too. With my first, I had contractions all day but thought maybe it was just prodromal labor and was very in denial that it was happening until they got severe and intense.

Answer

My labor started with contractions a few hours after a membrane sweep. I had back labor, and I had that with my first, so I recognized the pain. It started in my lower back and hips and felt like a wave of increasing pain that would then go away. I also had a lot of pressure from the baby. 
Once you’re in active labor and it’s time to go to the hospital, you’ll definitely feel a greater intensity in pain and you’ll know. 
I’m thankful to have recognized the labor early on so that my mother in law had time to drive over 3 hours to get to my house for my toddler. I’m also thankful that it wasn’t false labor, which I read/heard can happen when labor starts but then stops.

Answer

For mine my water broke, but I second guessed myself. I had gotten up to pee, went to lay back down and felt a “pop” in my lower back, instantly “peed” my pants. Went to get cleaned up and couldn’t get anymore out like with changing positions and stuff so I thought maybe I pulled something in my back and that was the pop lol. After that happened I also immediately had continuous dull back pain which is also what made me think I pulled something.
Shortly after my water broke I had a couple contractions, and they were far different than any contractions I had up to that point. They were like really bad menstral cramps and wrapped from the front to my back. All my BH ones had been painless or just uncomfortable, but these were painful. Once I had a couple of those I instantly knew it was labor and my peeing episode was my water breaking. A few days before labor started I was already 5cm 80% effaced at my appointment so labor progressed very fast, my water broke at 7:35 am and I delivered her at 8:57 am, almost in the car lol. So my initial contractions may have been poor painful because I was already at 5cm.

How did it start?

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey