How was early labour for you?

Question

I'm a FTM, 37+4 and honestly terrified of childbirth, so hopefully you guys can help. 
1. What were early contractions like?
2. How frequent were your contractions? 
3. How long did it take for your contractions to go from bearable to not so?
4. What does it feel like between contractions? 
5. Just anything else that might calm me down please 😣 
I'm so afraid of giving birth and how much it's going to hurt, I've read 'its like period pain' so many times but I literally can't remember what my periods felt like (thanks baby brain 😟😅). 
Is there anything I should look out for to know if it's going to be soon?

Answer

1. I never felt any early contractions. My water broke and when I got to the hospital, I was already 5 cm dilated. 
2. Mine started off between 5-7 minutes apart, and only 20 minutes before my water broke. 
3. The majority of my contractions were less intense than period cramps (however, I have endometriosis, so I have hellish periods).
4. Totally bearable until I was ready to push-those last contractions had me screaming. As soon as the midwife came in and I started pushing, it didn't hurt nearly as much (all unmedicated, btw)
5. Don't be afraid to explore pain management if labor is too much for you. Ask your nurse questions about laboring in different positions for pain (ie I had back labor, so my nurse recommended being on all fours). Your delivery team is there to support you, USE them!

Answer

For me I didn’t experience those early labor crampy contractions. I went into early labor at work and they were immediately very strong and only a few minutes apart from each other. Strong enough to where I went from walking around at work to bending over the sink trying to breathe through them. I drove myself home as fast as I could and labored at home for 10 hours before going into the hospital. My contractions calmed down a bit and I was able to eat dinner and lay in bed for 2 hours but then they picked up again and I needed to walk through them. I had terrible back labor so I very quickly became immobile when a contraction would come. I’d have to squat through it, rock on the birthing ball on my hands and knees or get in the shower and let hot water run over my back while I bent over. 
But honestly everyone experiences labor differently. I’m a FTM and didn’t know what to expect but now I know that it’s possibly I have another long labor with very intense contractions. My active labor stage in the hospital was 15 hours

Answer

With my first, I was unsure what it would be like too but when I felt my first contraction, I was like oh yeah this feels like a period cramp 😂 they were light at first, probably 30 to an hour apart and I felt normal in between. It took about 9 hours for them to actually become consistent and I went into the hospital about 12 hours after my very first contraction. I know they don't feel like period cramps to everyone but mine were just that and further along, they really just grew in intensity. Pain at my lower pelvic area radiating to my hips. I already had my second but didn't end up ever having early labor with him, went straight to active labor 😂

Answer

I gave birth to my first at 37 weeks and 4 days ! Woke up at 9am to contractions called my ob , timed them and went for a walk until 12 . Headed to the hospital , got checked and was at 2 cm and water broke . Got admitted and in an hour or two I was already at an 4 then an hour later at 8 . Went all natural and was only in labor for 6 hours . She didn’t need to be in the nicu at all and was with me I’m the same room the full two days I was there .

Answer

Full on contractions are NOTHING like period pains. When I was first going into labor it was kinda like period cramps but more intense, enough to where it took my breath away. No one ever told me about timing my contractions with my first so I went in like 3-4 times before they kept me. When they sent me home the time before they kept me I bawled because they wouldn’t keep me. I went home took a bath then went to sleep and woke up with contractions, went back and I was at a 4. I made it to an 8 before I asked for the epidural. The pain was the worst I can’t even describe it. But giving birth wasn’t bad because of the epidural. I was numb. Four years later now and I don’t even remember what the pain felt like, I just know it hurt. When I was pregnant with my first I just kept telling myself that some people have 12 kids so labor really can’t be that bad. I mean obviously it hurts but once you see your child you forget about everything else. Your body knows what to do, just trust it and remember to breath!

How was early labour for you?

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