FTM here. I wanted to share my story because it actually DOES happen... I didn’t know I was in labor!

During my entire second trimester, I had Braxton Hicks CONSTANTLY. All day. They weren’t painful, just like a mild menstrual cramp, but it was non stop and I could feel my belly hardening each time. My OB constantly told me if you have more than 6 in an hour go to L&D. I went a few times, but each time I wasn’t in labor and they’d send me home. Sometimes I would have upwards of 10-15 an hour. I stopped bothering to go to labor and delivery because I soon realized this was just my normal.

At seven months, the Braxton Hicks just stopped. I never felt another contraction... ever.

As all first time moms do, I googled the heck out of “how will I know I’m in labor?” “What does a contraction really feel like?” “What if I don’t know I’m in labor?” I asked my doctor this last question after reading an article about “silent labor”. She smiled and said “Was there a disclaimer that said ‘this never happens to anyone, ever?’” I got a lot of “Trust me, you’ll know when you’re in labor” advice from family and friends.

My last month pregnant, my belly was constantly hard. It never felt soft anymore, just a solid rock 24/7. It was very uncomfortable. It did not come in waves, it was just permanently hard.

A little over two weeks before my due date, I woke up on a Thursday morning and when I went to the bathroom, discovered what I thought was my mucus plug/bloody show. It wasn’t that impressive. Dr. Google and Heidi Murkoff informed me it could still be several days or even weeks before labor starts, and it really wasn’t that much mucus or blood. However, later that day I started developing this severe right sided rib pain. It radiated from my sternum and wrapped around the right side only to my back, just below my breast. Of course, I consulted Dr. Google again who diagnosed me with HELLP syndrome. Despite no preeclampsia, I was convinced my liver was swelling and causing rib pain (as that is a symptom of HELLP). On Friday I called my husband at work and told him I think my liver is swelling and I need to go labor and delivery. He asked if I could wait until he got home from work. I figured why not. I knew deep down it was just my anxiety and that I didn’t actually have HELLP, but I wouldn’t feel better until the doctor actually told me that.

I vacuumed my house while I waited for him to get home. I couldn’t eat anything because of the pain in my ribs though.

When I got to labor and delivery, there were several very pregnant women in the lobby, all in very Stage’s of grabbing their bellies, moaning, and trying to breathe. I told my husband “I feel bad all of these women are here because they’re in actual labor, and I’m just here because I have anxiety and convinced myself I have HELLP syndrome, which I know I don’t!”

Obviously all those women in labor were taken back before me, so we waited in the lobby for three hours. I was starving. I got so frustrated we decided to leave, but as we were getting up they called my name.

They took me back to an exam room and hooked me up to the contraction monitors. After 30 minutes, the nurse practitioner came in and checked me.

“Did you know your water broke?” She asked. My jaw fell open. I told her I had no idea. “Have you been leaking any fluid?” She asked. I laughed and said I’ve been peeing myself for the last month or so.

“You’re having contractions two minute apart. Don’t you feel them?”

My head started spinning. “What? No,” I said. “Is my liver swelling?” I asked.

“Honey, you’re in labor. This baby is coming tonight.”

I immediately started crying. After that last month of just wanting the baby to come, it still comes as a shock when you find out the baby IS coming.

So, I had no idea I was in labor. And it actually DOES happen to some people.

I’ll try to make the rest of my labor story quick. It was incredibly easy, although I did almost die twice.

I got wheeled to a delivery room. Because I couldn’t feel my contractions and my belly was so constantly hard, the contraction monitor wasn’t able to detect how intense the contractions were. They decided to put in an internal contraction monitor and keep an eye on the baby. When they did that, I spontaneously started hemorrhaging. They decided to do an emergency c section. While waiting for an OR room to be prepped and for anesthesia to arrive, the bleeding spontaneously stopped. The doctor checked me and said I may be able to go on to deliver vaginally. Despite having no pain, they gave me an epidural anyway as there was a possibility I would still need a c section.

I ended up delivering vaginally. Never really felt a contraction. Just maybe some mild period cramps. When I was pushing, they would have to tell me when to push because I couldn’t feel the contractions. I never screamed or cried. I made jokes in between pushing. The only thing I complained about was the god awful acid reflux. Every time I pushed, I would throw up in my mouth from the reflux. I pushed for three hours and my baby girl was born two weeks early, perfectly healthy.

And then I started hemorrhaging again. The doctor frantically tried to find where it was coming from. There was a lot of shouting about prepping an OR again. They had to use wall suction because there was So. Much. Blood. My husband said the room was covered in bloody foot prints.

While waiting for the OR, I figured I was going to have a hysterectomy. But then my doctor said she found it. My cervix ripped away from uterus on one side. She was able to miraculously sew it back together, from the outside! Absolutely amazing.

So that’s my labor and delivery story. I want to share because I feel the concern about not knowing you’re in labor is common, especially among first time moms, and I think it is too easily dismissed. Sure it’s rare, but clearly it does happen!