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View Full Version : How did you know you were in actual labor?



newg
07-24-2010, 11:13 AM
Besides the obvious ..... like your water breaking??
My water broke at 34 weeks with DD, so pretty obvious with her. This time I'm on bedrest and into my third week of procardia... so I'm already having pretty regular contractions on a pretty regular basis. My OB says I will know when it's time to come in.
Just wondering how others "knew" when the real thing had started...

SnuggleBuggles
07-24-2010, 11:22 AM
With ds1 I had regular braxton hicks every single night for the last 4 weeks of pg + some during the day. I finally stopped counting them. I decided to ignore things unless I noticed an obvious difference in strength, duration and/ or frequency. I also did the whole "drink a big glass of water and rest and relax and see what happens" method. My water broke with him so that doesn't help. ;)


Ds2, I had ignored bhs all along. The day I went into labor though They contx felt different so I started looking at the time. Like clockwork they were coming. I on and off kept track over the next 4 hours and then it was obvious. They were stronger, longer and closer together regardless of my activity.

Beth

luckytwenty
07-24-2010, 12:35 PM
My water broke the first time.

Second time, I was scheduled for a c-section on Dec. 5, and from Nov. 30-Dec. 1 I had a ton of contractions and they became more regular, and bothered me at night. I kept trying to ignore them because I wanted to enjoy my last weekend pre-baby! But on Dec. 2 they got more painful, and I was at a museum with DH and son, walking up the steps and huffing and puffing and moaning and my husband was like, "Look, let's just go to the hospital!" So lucky me, labor AND a c-section twice in a row!!

sariana
07-24-2010, 01:55 PM
I'm pretty sure I lost my mucous plug with both (bloody discharge).

With DS, I was at 29 1/2 weeks and saw streaks of blood on the toilet paper. I went to the hospital and was having contractions a few minutes apart (couldn't feel them). After meds and several days in the hospital, I was sent home to full bed rest. My water broke at 32 weeks, at ~ 10 p.m. DS was born the next morning.

With DD, I saw blood on the tp a few days shy of 36 weeks, at ~11 in the morning. I called L & D, and they said to go in. I was having contractions a few minutes apart, and again I couldn't feel them. Since DD was breech, they made room for a c-section that evening, and she was delivered just after 7.

So I would have to say in both cases it was the bloody discharge that clued me in.

Carrots
07-24-2010, 05:13 PM
Hi Newg,
I was just came to the boards looking to see how you were doing. I responded to your BB Mojo post a few weeks ago. I am glad to see that your DD is still baking away!!!

My water has never broken. With DD1 I woke up to strange cramping at about 2am. They became worse over a period of an hour, so I called OB and DH and I drove on in (I had been 2 cm dilated since 28 weeks, so OB said come in immediately if I feel cramping). By the time I got to the hospital, I was dilated to 6.

With DD2 (born at 31 weeks) I had been feeling a little "off", slightly uncomfortable and crampy for a few days. I went in for what I thought would be a quick check, thinking I would be sent home for bed rest, and delivered DD2 about 20 hours later.

Best of luck!
Kristen

newg
07-24-2010, 08:06 PM
Thanks everyone! I am hoping that I will get a nice "signal" that it's go time...like loosing my mucus plug or some obvious change in contractions.

alexmommy
07-24-2010, 08:49 PM
For me, I lost my mucus plug on Monday and DS didn't come until Sat. morning. Saturday, about 4AM, I woke up with what felt like mild cramps (contx) that wouldn't go away. When I used the bathroom I also noticed spotting--at first I attributed that to my ob/gyn visit the previous day, but it continued. The "cramps" continued and got more noticeable, so DH started timing them, called my dr, and she said to meet her @ the hospital. DS was born 6 hr later.

momtoonegirl
07-25-2010, 05:47 PM
With DD I was past my due date and scheduled for an induction. Before I went to the hospital, I thought I was having Braxton-Hicks contractions, and when I arrived, they said that they did not need to induce because my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. So I didn't really know ahead of time that I was in labor.

With DS, I woke up with a lot of vaginal pain, and after I ate breakfast, I wiped and saw bloody mucous. DH and I went to the hospital, and DS was born a few hours later. So this time the clue was the bloody mucous. No real strong contractions prior to arrival at the hospital.

brittone2
07-25-2010, 08:47 PM
DS1-contracted for a few weeks, no labor. The morning I went into labor I woke up at 8am to my water breaking (trickle). Stood up and had a good gush. Contractions were pretty much immediately 5 mins apart. Midwives had me come in ASAP as longish hospital drive and I was already 3 cm dilated. He was born about 6.5 hours after my water broke.

DD-was not sure I was even in labor for a good while. Wasn't feeling an urgent rush to head to the birth center. Called the midwife, and we decided on me coming in. Things were kinda intense on the drive there but by the time I got to the birth center my contractions just felt like mild cramping. Midwife checked me and I was 10 cm and complete. I had NO idea and thought she was kidding. Hung out for an hour or so waiting to feel pushy (water hadn't broken, no urge to push) so that's what I did. She was born after about 3 hours of labor, but I wasn't sure I was in active labor.

When I was pg with DS2 I was kinda worried about when to call the midwife (homebirth for ds2). Thankfully it was very obvious. I contracted a good bit in the days leading up to labor, but no real lasting pattern. Woke up at 3 am to one HUGE contraction. They were immediately 2-3 mins apart. Called the midwife. DS2 was born about 5 hours after that first big contraction.

newg
07-25-2010, 08:55 PM
Luckily, I've been told, that with my history with DD getting stuck....this one won't be falling out, so I should have a little time.
I'm having a c-section regardless of when, or how, labor starts.......so that's a small comfort for me.
And I'm already have pretty regular contractions, but they haven't increased in intensity or time....so I'm keeping my fingers crossed things will change and that will be a big red flag for me.

bubbaray
07-25-2010, 09:00 PM
You might want to discuss with your OB -- with DD#2, my OB and Peri wanted to me to call if I went into early labor. For medical reasons, they preferred that my scheduled c/s be performed *before* I went into labor or as early as possible after it started.

GL!

newg
07-25-2010, 09:08 PM
You might want to discuss with your OB -- with DD#2, my OB and Peri wanted to me to call if I went into early labor. For medical reasons, they preferred that my scheduled c/s be performed *before* I went into labor or as early as possible after it started.

GL!

Yeah.......problem is I'm kinda already in labor, which is why they put me on bedrest. My scheduled c-section is Aug. 21st....which is only four weeks away, but I think new rules state they can't schedule a c-section before that. So my OB's office said unless they catch heavy contractions or dialation at one of my tri-weekly visits, I will probably go into heavy labor before I come in. :(
I should talk to her more about possibly moving up my c-section date and see what she says.

WolfpackMom
07-25-2010, 09:44 PM
I had BH from 22 weeks-on. I went into labor at 2am on my due date, these stayed consistent for more than 4 hours where as the contractions I had been having never went longer than 3. They also strengethened etc. Went to the hospital and was sent home after 2 hours with the dr saying I wasnt in labor because I didnt progress at all with walking etc. Ended up back in the hospital 8 hours later at about 4-5cm. I was refusing to go to the hospital because I didnt want to be sent home again. The constant peeing and wall bracing, stop me in my tracks contractions are what made it evident I was truely in labor.

WatchingThemGrow
07-25-2010, 10:03 PM
The constant peeing and wall bracing, stop me in my tracks contractions are what made it evident I was truely in labor.
Yes, it was those that sent me the first two times. Like, "Whoa, I can't do or think anything right now!" moments that made me know. With #3, I couldn't hear or get tuned in to my body b/c of all the commotion at our house with my mom and our two little ones (18 and 36m at the time). I just went to the hospital the day before my due date to enjoy some peace and have them check me out. 4ish hours later, water broke and the 9lb 2 oz dude arrived.

creativelightbulb
07-26-2010, 06:32 PM
I'm sitting at my desk right NOW wondering the same thing...

I'm having what I think are BH's...

my back is aching like it does during my regular menstrual cycle...and my belly gets EXTRA round like a professional b'ball and it is HARD...

so much so I don't wanna get up from here to drive home...maybe I'll walk around the building a bit before I try to commute home...

it has been happening off and on all day but it got worse in the last hour or so...

Now I'm wondering how in the world am I gonna know the differene between this and real labor....

thanks for sharing in this thread...I've made note:grouphug:

newg
07-26-2010, 07:02 PM
I'm sitting at my desk right NOW wondering the same thing...

I'm having what I think are BH's...

my back is aching like it does during my regular menstrual cycle...and my belly gets EXTRA round like a professional b'ball and it is HARD...

so much so I don't wanna get up from here to drive home...maybe I'll walk around the building a bit before I try to commute home...

it has been happening off and on all day but it got worse in the last hour or so...

Now I'm wondering how in the world am I gonna know the differene between this and real labor....

thanks for sharing in this thread...I've made note:grouphug:

Okay, that to me sounds more like real labor than BH. It is my understanding that BH don't get worse and go away if you change your movement/position. How far along are you?? I think you might want to call your OB just to double check!
Hope you're ok!!

ThreeofUs
07-26-2010, 09:11 PM
my back is aching like it does during my regular menstrual cycle...and my belly gets EXTRA round like a professional b'ball and it is HARD...


I really hope you've called your OB. This sounds like labor to me.

AnnieW625
07-26-2010, 09:55 PM
With DD1 I confused my GHs with real contractions because four days prior to having her my OB had measured me at 4/1/2 cm. and told me I could go into labor any day. The entire day leading up to going to the hospital I felt like I had to pee and felt out of sorts. In the end I should've been sent home because my labor had stalled but my water was broken instead. Was at the hospital for 13 hrs. before DD1 was born.

With DD2 my water broke. I first jumped out of bed at the first feeling of a trickle and then a minute or two later I felt the gush. DD2 was born 9 hours later.