early labour

[Helzy]

How long did it last for you before you went into active labour?

 

[Noodlebear]

I started having contractions on the Tuesday evening, was told that I was in early labour blah blah. I went to hospital on Thursday evening after no sleep for 2 nights and found that I was actually in active labour. He was born at 8.26 on Friday morning. Make sure you trust yourself, it's your body and they can't always tell what's going on. Early labour or not - there's only so much we can take x

 

[RainbowBaby13]

My cousin was in early labor for about 3 days xx

 

[MummyToAmberx]

2 weeks with the first and about 1 week with second.

 

[dairymomma]

My very first 'ouchy' contraction with DS was at 6am the day before I delivered him. Up to that point, I had only had BH contractions and they didn't hurt. My belly would be hard and tight but no pain whatsoever. 19 hours after my first contraction, DS was born.

Almost the exact same thing happened with DD. BH, belly tighening, but not painful contractions for months before. Then 6:30am day before delivery, first 'ouch' contraction. 19 hours later, DD was born. So early labor for me is just BH. For my sister though, she labors for up to 3 weeks before active labor actually starts.

 

[BunnyN]

Usually early labour lasts about 6 to 10 hrs I think but everyone is different. The books and doctors talk about BH contractions, early labour and active labour as being very seperate things but for me it was more like one thing turned into another in stages. If I had to say I would say I was in early labour for about 8hrs and in active labour for about 30 but it's hard to say when active labour officially started because my contractions never were regular enough to be counted as active labour by a doctors definition, even when I was pushing , lol.

 

[phoenix333]

4 days, I started having contractions on the Monday, had a sweep on the Wednesday, induced on the Thurs and finally gave birth on the Friday.

 

[Shandelion]

Took me twenty one hours from first contractions to hospital admittance.

 

[Bambino123]

At 1 am on a Monday I started getting regular, painful but not agony contractions. They would keep me awake and stop me from doing whatever but I could talk through them. By 3 am on the Tuesday I went to hospital (after calling them like a gazillion times) about an hour later my contractions became much worse, I was only about 4 cms (27 hrs from start) Definitely couldn't talk or walk or do anything through them. Had baby at 12pm on the Tuesday (35 hrs from start)
Baby was posterior hence the long time to get going properly

 

[Leliana]

First contraction at 3.30am on a Monday morning, started early labour at home and went to hospital at 3pm to be told I was 4/5cm dilated and in active labour. I delivered the baby just under 5 hours later

So early labour was roughly 12 hours and very bearable, honestly it was the best part of my labour experience, very relaxed.

 

[Snufflepop]

I started getting regular contractions on Monday morning. After 5 days of contractions, no sleep and 2 hospital visits where I was told to go home and sleep (fat chance!) and take paracetamol I was admitted on Friday evening at 4pm and DD was born 1am Saturday morning. She was back to back though which is why I had such a long early labour according to my midwife.

 

[Seity]

10 hours of non painful BH's like contractions, but I don't get BH's and they were regular, so I knew it was labor. Followed both times followed by insanely fast, insanely painful active labors. I was 3 cm when I went to the hospital with #1 and he was born 3 hours later. I was 4 cm with #2 and he was born 30 min later.