What was your first sign of labor?

[cruise]

In retrospect I had a lot of warning signs long before the actual thing.

First was BH increasing in frequency and pain about two weeks before.
Also about two weeks before lost lots of bits of mucus plug, no blood.

Then about 4 days before was blood tinged discharge, not the bloody show. I sure thought it was though! The discharge was off and on.

Then 2 days before I had a sweep as I was overdue. But it didn't do anything I think, no increase in BH or anything.

Then 1 day before I had the real bloody show. LOTS and lots of blood in giant clumps.

Actual labor started as underwhelming. Thought it was BH for the longest time... then I started thinking, mmm, a giant needle stuck in my spine to relieve pain sounds like a great idea.

I'll note I had no increase in dilation, effacement, etc thru all this. I was 1 cm dilated at 40+1, was at hospital at 3cm dilated 6 hours into early labor. My active labor lasted less than 2 hours, didn't even get an epi

 

[Mrs HM]

I had period like cramps as I got into bed and told my DH that I didn't think I'd be able to sleep through them as they were quite painful. Well, I woke up a full 8 hours later lol to my waters breaking and painful, regular contractions began about 3-4 hours later. I was 36weeks so wasn't expecting anything to happen just yet.

 

[ashlee2916]

a couple of days before i went into labour i remember my tummy making the wierdest loudest sounds ever, and it started of with a couple shooting pains down my back!
i woke up the following morning to have pains in my tummy

 

[Attalu]

I woke up at 2am having contractions, I had no signs before that.
I was 10 days overdue and completely convinced I was going to be induced up until that point.

 

[BigLegEmma]

In retrospect I had a lot of warning signs long before the actual thing.

First was BH increasing in frequency and pain about two weeks before.
Also about two weeks before lost lots of bits of mucus plug, no blood.

Then about 4 days before was blood tinged discharge, not the bloody show. I sure thought it was though! The discharge was off and on.

Then 2 days before I had a sweep as I was overdue. But it didn't do anything I think, no increase in BH or anything.

Then 1 day before I had the real bloody show. LOTS and lots of blood in giant clumps.

Actual labor started as underwhelming. Thought it was BH for the longest time... then I started thinking, mmm, a giant needle stuck in my spine to relieve pain sounds like a great idea.

I'll note I had no increase in dilation, effacement, etc thru all this. I was 1 cm dilated at 40+1, was at hospital at 3cm dilated 6 hours into early labor. My active labor lasted less than 2 hours, didn't even get an epi

Thanks, this gives me hope!

 

[cruise]

You poor thing, 42 weeks! Hope today is the day.

 

[BigLegEmma]

You poor thing, 42 weeks! Hope today is the day.

Thanks, cruise Cervix still closed.

Tried everything, really don't want to be induced - would be more open to the idea if my cervix were open...maybe - but I think we'll have to reassess midweek if there's no change. I was 3wks over, but I was also 10lbs1/4.5kg lol

 

[cruise]

That sucks Hope it can open soon for induction. Are you having any of the symptoms I described above? Forgot to also mention -- increased discharge about 6 days before the real thing, to the point where it'd make small wet spots on pantyliner.

I was 1 cm dilated for what seemed like forever. A month for sure.

It seems like reading all those posts from other ladies who are walking around 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm dilated that labor is a gradual thing, but it isn't according to OB. Labor is what brings on dilation.

Fingers crossed for you and your LO to come out NOW.

 

[BigLegEmma]

Crossing mine too, and my toes!

I've had all the symptoms apart from a heavy bloody show, but spaced apart over the past two weeks. Annoying thing is, I know I've been having contractions last night and today and the doctor's like, "You're not having contractions," while looking at the printout, and I'm thinking, the only reason anything showed up on that is 'cause we repositioned it; for the first 5mins it wasn't picking anything up 'cause the sensor thingie had slipped down. So silly; it's hardly accurate.

OH can feel my muscles relax after a contraction if he puts his hand on my belly so I know I'm not imagining them, contrary to what the hospital were saying. I could barely sleep last night for them! Also, OH said during my non-stress test that every time I felt a contraction, just afterwards, the baby moved so she can feel them too.

If I have the pessary inserted, I have to stay in hospital, and I really want to labour at home until as late as possible, but if nothing happens, I don't really have a choice.

 

[cruise]

Wow, sounds like you are having tons of false labor like I did... so annoying, isn't it.

Be careful about staying home -- I don't know if it had anything to do with the false labor, but comparing experiences with my friends, they didn't nearly have as much or painful false labor, but their real labor was much longer and mine was so quick.

If I'd stayed home for 2 hours when the ctx began getting 3 minutes apart like the midwife told me to repeatedly, I'd be pushing before we even left home. lol. And even then it was still irregular. It didn't get regular until active labor.

The only "definite" sign was pain level and even that that was only towards the end of the early labor stage which is when we left for hospital. Otherwise it was indistinguishable from false labor.

You are not crazy!! Fingers crossed for your bloody show soon or something definite. And hopefully all this suffering does add up to a quick active labor!

 

[zanDark]

Lots of mucousy discharge with blood in it. Yuck lol

 

[xx Emily xx]

My first sign was a massive contraction!! 4 contractions later waters went then 3 n half hours later she was here!!

Em xxx

 

[wishuwerehere]

With both i started having crampy contractions, went to the loo and had some blood.

 

[Dragonfly]

Mucas plug was before that and tiny . A pain in my ass. true story. A sharp pain in my anus. That got worse. I was told I was suppose to get sore bump, tightening but all my labors where in my ass and then hips. Water broke.

 

[Bevziibubble]

I just woke up at 6am one morning with the most painful cramps. They just came out of nowhere. They stopped after a bit and restarted at midnight, then I gave birth the next day.

 

[Hunbun]

With my first I had a little show but the I didn't really know until the contractions started. With my second I had no show and didn't have any signs until the contractions started.

My water didn't break until really late with both of them.

 

[Girly922]

I woke up to my waters breaking. I had had my bloody show the day before, not that I was convinced it was my bloody show until I went into labour.

 

[Tillys_Mum]

Losing my mucus plug in the two days before (bloody snot - nice!) and then labour started as dull cramps gradually building through the day