I'm 39 weeks today, and am curious about how labor started for other mamas. I've had no signs or symptoms of anything about to happen--not feeling any contractions, losing any bits of my mucous plug, etc. My mom never dilated or felt anything labor-y until she was definitely, 100% in labor, so maybe I'll be like that. Or maybe I'll be pregnant forever! 
What was your experience like? Multiple votes enabled for multiple births. 
43 votes
cantaloupe / 6059 posts
Good luck with your upcoming labor! 
I was induced with my second but went into labor naturally with my first and had absolutely no signs of impending labor until I woke up having contractions every 5 minutes.
pomegranate / 3921 posts
@coopsmama: Thanks, lady! Now THAT'S what I like to hear. Haha! I keep thinking I'm going to be pregnant for ages because nothing is happening yet--good to know it really can just come out of nowhere.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
I lost my mucous plug and bloody show the day before. My water also broke two hours before my contractions started... so I definitely knew I was going into labor.
I had the same experience both times.
persimmon / 1096 posts
I only voted for LO#1... And I had no signs of impending labor with him. I worked that Friday, woke up and had a normal Saturday morning, and realized when I was folding laundry around noon that I was having mild but regular contractions. It was a very low key start to labor! This time around - I'm almost 38 weeks with #2 - baby has dropped so low I feel like he/she is going to fall out and I'm having a lot of cervical pains, but no BH contractions, mucous plug, or anything. You're almost there!!
pomegranate / 3921 posts
@Mrs. High Heels: Thanks for sharing! The day before seems pretty reasonable. So interesting that you had the same experience both times!
@keepcalmcarrie: And on a Saturday, too! I could definitely deal with a weekend day. 
cantaloupe / 6059 posts
@mfa_lady: Oh yes, I hadn't really had any contractions at all and hadn't lost my mucous plug or had a bloody show or anything. I just woke up at 6:30 on a Saturday and knew it was baby day! (As it turned out I had a 36 hour labor from that point so baby day wasn't officially until Sunday night. :)) I had him 5 days late.
Hilariously enough I had LOTS of contractions with my 2nd, lost my full plug, had bloody show, etc. and NEVER went into labor. I was induced at 42 weeks!
pomegranate / 3921 posts
@coopsmama: My practice will let me go to 42 weeks, too! I kept telling my husband today that at the latest I'd be in labor 3 weeks from now.
watermelon / 14467 posts
It's weird, but the day I went into labor, my nose was swollen and spread out, like my chiropractor said could happen. Then I had this urge to do laundry and take a nap. I went I to labor that night.
pomegranate / 3192 posts
I had some bloody show a few days earlier then my water broke at 38+6 so I knew baby would be here soon! I ended up being induced the next day because contractions hadn't started on their own.
pomegranate / 3921 posts
@avivoca: Whoa, I've never heard that before! So crazy the things that these babies do to us.
@QBbride: Thanks for sharing!!
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
@mfa_lady: yea I was so surprised that my experiences were so similar! My water even broke around the same time both times (around 4:30 pm!).
nectarine / 2466 posts
Aside from a splitting headache ( which is abnormal for me) my first sign was my water breaking/leaking. It started leaking around 8am and contractions started an hour/hour and a half later. Nothing before that, no bloody show, no cramps, no nesting or being uncomfortable. This was just over 37 weeks with #1 so pretty shocking at the time!
bananas / 9118 posts
I had no idea it would happen THAT DAY either time, but I had lots of little signs leading up to both- for weeks my second time around. Things got rolling and just kept on going.
nectarine / 2210 posts
I lost my mucus plug then about 10 mins later had my blood show. About an hour after that started contractions and four hours later my water broke. So yes there were signs but everything happened quickly !
coconut / 8079 posts
I was tired (not unusual while pregnant! Lol) and took a nap. I woke up around 5pm and my water broke as I was getting out of bed. When I got to L&D they said I was having contractions but I couldn't really feel much. I had anterior placenta so had more back labor than anything. I was 40+6 and he arrived at exactly 41 weeks, the day before my scheduled induction.
Eta no signs for me!
papaya / 10560 posts
Water broke with my first child, contractions started almost immediately thereafter. I started feeling sick with my second, then contractions and I delivered very quickly thereafter.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
both times contractions just started out of the blue and were pretty regular right away. no warning signs!
pineapple / 12053 posts
My water broke and then contractions started an hour later and were 5 minutes apart within another hour.
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
The first time my water broke out of nowhere.
The second time I was on and off crampy. Then I appeared to start losing my mucous plug. Then early one morning contractions started, far apart, but consistent. They obviously got my consistent because I had a baby in my arms before 24 hours had passed.
pineapple / 12526 posts
Mucus plug fell out and my water broke like 12 hours later. No other real signs.
grapefruit / 4006 posts
Bloody show in the morning, then a dull aching lower back pain all day, then labor at 2am.
grapefruit / 4819 posts
With both DDs, I had a tiny, tiny bit of bloody show in the morning that continued throughout the day, with super mild contractions widely spaced about (like 2-3 per hour and so mild I only noticed them if I was really paying attention). With DD1, they gradually built up in intensity until it got to the point where I was struggling to get through them and they were 4 minutes apart, at which point we headed to the hospital. DD1 was born 11 hours later. With DD2, they stayed super mild for quite a while and then a monster contraction hit out of nowhere and my water broke at the same time. Now I didn't know it was my water as it was just a constant trickle, but after consulting HB, I realised that was likely it and we got ready to head to the hospital as the contractions were fast and furious at that point. DD2 was born less than 6 hours after my water broke.
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
I lost my mucus plug the night before, and also was manic about cleaning out our Brita filter. I woke up the next morning with back pains, but my labor had a really slow start, and I was even sent home from the hospital (only up return 2 hrs later, but that was almost 2 full days after I lost the plug).
grapefruit / 4649 posts
I had signs but they all happened way before I actually went into labor. I lost my mucus plug several days earlier, I had crazy nesting urges and bloody show. Then for a couple of days nothing. The day I went into labor I had two uncomfortable contractions like thirty minutes apart, went to bed and woke up an hour later in full blown labor. That day there really weren't any signs other than I couldn't fall asleep at my normal time.
kiwi / 567 posts
No signs at all. Didn't lose my plug, no show, and I was completely closed and not effaced at 39+4. Then at 1 am on 39+6 I woke up and thought "ow, that was a strong cramp." I wasn't positive but over the next hour or so they got "longer, stronger, and closer together" and by maybe 4 am it was just unmistakeable.
coconut / 8279 posts
I was already in the hospital getting ready for an induction. I rolled over in bed and my water broke. I stood up and felt baby drop and immediately went into labor. No gradual build up at all.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
My water just broke. No contractions till two hours later.
apricot / 347 posts
I was so over being pregnant on my due date. I figured since I didn't have any prelabour it was going to be a while. My water just broke on its own and I ended up having to be induced the following night. Delivered about 40hrs after my water broke, 6hrs of active labour & 20 minutes of pushing.
pomelo / 5678 posts
I had Braxton Hs for a week before her due date, but that wasit! My water never broke. I was sore and crabby, does that count?
coconut / 8861 posts
No real signs. I went to work, did a full day of work, got McD's before leaving. I came home, packed yarn in space bags, and then got uncomfortable. I remember I couldn't sit still and had to go to the bathroom quite a bit. I warned DH that it might be an on the toilet night for me. Then, contractions started from 8-10pm. We left for the hospital around 10:30-11pm. When they checked me out, I had my bloody show and was 4cm by midnight. I got admitted and had LO around 8am the next morning.
I'm glad that I wasn't totally tuned into my body until contractions really started. I think it made my labor and delivery a better experience.
My best advice is to have no expectations for labor and delivery. It was the same advice that someone gave me after she overplanned her labor and delivery to have it go the opposite direction.
kiwi / 742 posts
2 weeks before I went into labor I lost my mucus plug and started having dull cramps and backaches everyday. The night I went into labor, my contractions were 5 minutes apart. I had also just had a doctors appointment and I was just 1.5 cm dilated.
pomegranate / 3921 posts
Thought I'd update this in case anyone reads it later...at 39+6, I had a totally normal day at home (New Year's Day) minus the fact that I had a cough and a bad cold...and after not having any signs of labor until that point, my water broke after a bad coughing fit right before midnight and my daughter was born just over 6 hours later! So, to answer my own question...labor just started! I didn't even bleed or have any signs of a mucous plus until after my water broke.
Also, I had terrible back labor (didn't even really feel contractions in my belly until pushing--they were all in my back) so that could contribute to why I didn't feel contractions before active labor started.
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