Can labour start out of the blue?

[emyandpotato]

I'm going crazy here and need reassurance that there is hope I won't need an induction, so if anyone has had a labour, particularly a second, that started without warning I'd love to hear stories!

With my first I was in pre-labour for weeks, and then had regular mild(ish) contractions for four days before finally giving birth. This time I'm just waiting. I've had signs (mucus plug, BH but not at all regular, upset tummy, feeling crampy) for weeks, but still no regular build up of any type of contractions, not even mild ones, in the way I had with my first. I'm making myself really anxious that it is never going to happen and I'm going to need an induction. Does no build up mean that labour is definitely not imminent? Can they just start out of the blue? Please tell me they can!

 

[bathbabe]

Yup! Good luck xx

 

[Pink1981]

It definitely can. My dd was born the day before I was due to be induced. It was half 11 at night and I was watching tv with dh and I felt like a thud down below which must have been her engaging. Then my waters went a little and I started having contractions straight away. She was born exactly 2 and a half hours after the initial thud I felt. Looking back I went to bed during the day for a nap with a few stomach pains but I thought that was because of upset stomach xx

 

[Miracle1902]

I know how you feel. I started dilating at 33 weeks with very soft cervix and been losing mucous plug. In addition, I have Braxton hicks every 30 mins for for weeks now. All signs indicated an early labor, however I'm almost 39 weeks now and still pregnant.

 

[midwife1992]

With my first I went to bed as usual and slept like a log then a sharp pain in my tummy woke me up, less than 2 hours later I was in hospital and 8cm dilated! First half an hour was like a constant diahorrea cramps and then bam contracting 5 in 10 minutes laying a minute, was so intense and overwhelming especially as it was my first. All in all it was approximately 3 hours 40 minutes from first pain to baby being out. The only thing I noticed different was that my Braxton hicks were stronger the evening before I went into labour but I had been having strong ones for a long time.

 

[butterflywolf]

Yep. With my daughter the Monday before I went in (Thursday night) I was 4 cm and 80 effaced, had no signs that I felt of labor coming on. 9PM that night I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes. Daughter was born at 8AM Friday morning.

 

[NerdyMama]

With my first I had no warning symptoms at all, just water broke and off I went lol

 

[Mummy May]

Yes definitely! xx

 

[poppy]

Yes! With my first son, I was 6 days overdue - no BH, no mucus plug, cramps, anything. Then the night he was born, for a couple of hours, I had a bit of backache and felt 'odd.' At 9pm-ish I lost my mucus plug, contractions started about 20 mins later and he was born the next day.

 

[CormacksGirl]

With my first I had no warning symptoms at all, just water broke and off I went lol

^^^this exactly!

 

[Eleanor ace]

Yep definitely. With my 1st I was checked (I'd started induction via pessary but it hadn't got things going so I was waiting at hospital to go on the drip the next day) at about 11pm, cervix high, hard and closed, no signs of labour starting, told I was unfavourable for labour and to get my DH to bring extra clothe in for me the next day as induction would probably take a while. An hour later I was 3cm dilated and contracting thick and fast, 5 hours later I was holding my baby . I was my mums 3rd and she went from nothing (had gone in to be induced) to waters breaking and baby in arms within 90 minutes. Things can change so quickly, labour can definitely start out of nowhere.

 

[Inoue]

Definitely! My second randomly started at midnight when 41 weeks - just woke up to strong contractions and had him 2h later xxx

 

[AP]

both mine just started out with contractions that led me going to hospital within 2 hours or so

 

[tallybee]

Yeah xx both of mine were zero to full on just like that, no warning at all! We'll see how this one goes xx

 

[george83]

Both my first and second labours were quick but with my second it started from nowhere, I went to bed at 11pm with no signs, woke up at half past midnight with a contraction and then had him at 4 am that same morning.

Good luck!!

 

[babers]

With my last one I went to bed, woke up about 11:50 to pee and lost my plug. Went back to bed, had a large pop at 12:00. Got up to see if it was my water, it was but I actually had no amniotic fluid at all, not even when she came out. Co traction hit immediately. Had her at 12:50. Her head crowned in the car.

 

[DoubleTFun]

I was 36+6 when I started having contractions 10 minutes apart, which I called my midwife, and she told be to just take a bath since I was still early, even though at my appointment a week before I was already 2cm dilated. Well they went away after a few hours, but never got closer than 10 minutes. Well my husband and I had sex that night, and 4 hours later I woke up to contractions, and I went to pee and my water broke when I was peeing. That was when my plug came out too. Well I didn't realize that it was my water breaking and I hopped in the tub since I wanted to clean up and was trying to use my midwife's advice. Well 5 minutes later I was in immense pain, but still waited an hour with having contractions 4 minutes apart, before I called the Dr's office and they told me to get to the hospital. I then woke my husband and stepdaughter up and we headed to the hospital 15 minutes away and when I got there they took me right to the maternity ward and I was fully dilated when they checked me. I had my daughter within 15 minutes of arriving there.