How did you know you were in labour?

Question

FTM here at 35 weeks pregnant, and just curious to hear some of your stories of how labour started. I know everyone is different, but I just wanted to know some of you momma's experiences so Id know what sorts of things to look out for. :)

Answer

i started having contractions 25-30 minutes apart wednesday night, thursday night they were 7-10 minutes apart, friday morning i had my bloody show and they were 2-3 minutes apart friday night i arrived at the birthing center at 9pm and i was 6cm dilated he was born at 11:20pm. it was my first child so i don’t know if that’s normal.

Answer

I woke up at 2am on a Tuesday with period like cramps. They were pretty consistent 10 minutes apart for 4 hours and then they stopped around 6am. I went back to sleep for a few more hours and by 10am they were back again every 7 to 10 minutes. I went into L&D Tuesday night and they sent me back home, I was only dilated to a 1. I labored at home Tuesday night and all day Wednesday. I spent most of Wednesday in a warm bath to help try and relieve the pain. By 9pm Wednesday night the contractions, which still felt like period cramps but on steroids, were 5 minutes apart. I couldn't talk during them, I was in tears and making some animal noises I didn't know I was capable of 🤭. I had my hubby call L&D because they told me not to come back until they were 3 minutes apart and they were still 5 minutes apart. They told us to come in. I was only dilated to a 3 at 10:30pm 😫 but got an epidural and after that things sped up a bit. I didn't loose my mucous plug and my water didnt break until I was in the hospital. Mine was a full on gush, I felt a little pop and then it felt more like jelly than water. I  did not get the feeling of "I peed myself" it straight up felt like jelly haha. I was fully dilated by 4am but baby was still higher up in the birth canal so they started me on some pitocin. At 12:15pm Thursday they had me start pushing, she was born at 2:30pm. 
I never had back labor, it was all up front and felt exactly like period cramps but more intense. I went in for my 38 week check up Monday and my OB was out of town, I asked his NPA if she was going to do a pelvic exam because I just felt differently. I felt more pressure down there. She said she was not going to check me and that since it was my 1st baby I most likely would go past my due date. 12 hours later my contractions started 😂 she was born exactly at 39 weeks, and of course my OB was still out of town 🙈

Answer

I woke up in the middle of the night to pee and noticed i was having contractions every two minutes. They weren’t painful I mean I was sleeping through them lol. Cleaned the house while timing them on my app and once it said to go to the hospital I woke up my husband, took a shower, did my hair, and went to the hospital! Lol

Answer

1. Induction
2. Back pain, mild regular contractions, leaking amniotic fluid
3. Regular contractions that were painful enough that I couldn’t concentrate on work through them

Answer

I went to my 40 week appointment after working my two jobs (I was 39+5), exhausting as I was insomnia that last two weeks. My doctor checked me, hadn't made any progress is 3 weeks, so she did a sweep, which caused some contractions which was nothing new I had been in prodromal labor for 3 weeks already. After my appointment I stopped at my brother's to grab something and ran around with my nieces for a while, stopped at the grocery store, then went home still having some contractions. Made supper and watched a movie.
While sitting on the couch I felt this small gush feeling, it was my mucus plug/bloody show but didn't get excited, was still contracting but they weren't getting closer together or painful. Tried to go to bed but couldn't sleep.. Contractions were a little too painful. When I went in to the doctor before they gave me a medicine to sleep through contractions so I took one and slept for 15 minutes before they woke me up again. 
This time it was midnight, started to think this was the real thing so took a shower, getting out of the shower had a really strong contraction and my water broke, it was a high break so a small gush then stopped leaking. Tried to sleep again but contractions got worse so called l &D and they said I should use my judgement. Hung out for another two hours and things got worse so woke up hubby and told him to shower. While he showered things got much more painful so I packed the bag so we were ready and we headed to the hospital at 4 AM. By the time we got to the hospital I was in so much pain was only 2.5 cm dialted. I dialted to 3.5 while there so they were going to send me home but thankfully I had another small gush so I mentioned it and it was my water!

Answer

For me it was lower back pain just thought it was baby moving down more at first but it didn’t stop so I figured I would get into the bath to relieve the pain it didn’t work as soon as I got out I started bleeding so I had her at home the paramedics were late that was in 2016 now I’m pregnant again due in sept

Answer

I was 40 weeks when I had her by the way

Answer

I read that you’ll know if they are real contractions if you eat something and they don’t go away. If they do then they are Braxton Hicks.

Answer

My first 2 I didn’t get to experience it other than being dialated (1st child ) 3CM had Preeclampsia so had to be induced , my Second child I was 6cm and doctor decided to break water and induce me .
My 3rd ( has a different OBGYN ) so thankfully no inducing. 
I was 37 weeks 4 days 
Honestly I didn’t have no symptoms It was Like 630am My SO was On his way back to Las Vegas to be with us so he can be here for the baby’s birth since he had been working well....I hang up with him cause I had a bad dream and he’s like get some rest. ( he was half way getting to Houston ) so than I turn over I kid you not...I felt a pop it felt like a balloon sorta lol...I was telling my self oh nooo no nooo sure enough I stand up and my water breaks ! 
Ended up at the hospital at 6cm and honestly I didn’t know at all ! I was walking and all just felt pressure , well it didn’t hit till they broke more of my water cause there was still some than I started feeling back pain and the contractions were a bit painful . they were surprised how calm I was and trying to be but wheeeeww once I hit about 8cm that’s when I could feel the wave of it and FINALLY ! Epidural cause I couldn’t take it well it took about 4 hours and I had him ! 
Before hand I did have preterm with him at 29 weeks what made me go to the hospital was I kept feeling my stomach get rock hard and it would continue and it just felt different , and well I was about 2cm and in preterm so I had to get some IV meds to stop it .

Answer

Tbh I didn't know. Lol I was going to get induced at 1pm but 30 mins before that I had some pain in my lower abdomen, didn't think anything of it. Drove to the hospital for my induction and they seen on the monitor I was having contractions, they checked me I was 3cm dilated, they sent me home. And my contractions got worse at 4am but was only 4cm so called my midwife, got admitted to the hospital and 8pm had my little girl.

How did you know you were in labour?

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