Just curious! How far along were you, and about how long was it from your first hunch until you were actually in full-blown labor?
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DS my water broke. Dd no real sign of impending birth until I had serious contractions.
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Water broke. In fact I had just texted my Mom 15 mins before, saying sorry they missed going away for the weekend for no reason, cause nothing was happening on the baby front. What did I know!?!
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I vote period like cramps because that's how it started. Then that night my contractions were time-able (ie systematic) and started getting closer together. And when I got to the point where "I had to stop walking and breathe" that's when I knew it was time to go!
I was 2 days shy of 40 weeks!
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I just felt off, almost flu-like... Texted dh to ask when he would be home and an hour later I was having contractions.
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I was 40 weeks and 4 days when I woke up in the morning to a strong contraction. DH and I started timing them in bed and they were coming every 8-10 minutes for an hour so we knew it was likely the real deal. It also just "felt" like early labor if that makes sense -- we just kinda both knew that was it!
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@char54: good call-just added that as an option!
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I was 40+1 and I hadn't had any signs of labor yet other than a couple random contractions. I went into work that morning and immediately felt like I had to go to the bathroom (and that I may have wet myself). It wasn't my water breaking but I was starting to lose my mucus plug along with bloody show. Contractions started 30 minutes later.
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Timeable contractions each time. For all 3, I had 20ish hours of regular contractions of varying intensity before active labor kicked in. Then it was another 6-7 hours to birth. Yep, for all 3 births. I think I kinda have a pattern set.
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Water broke was my first clue!
I was sure I still had another week or two, then POP
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First time I started having very mild contractions but at first I didn't know what it was, it was different than cramps, really just a tightening that washed over my belly. The second time my water broke in a huge gush that woke me up.
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My water broke.
With my second, I was induced but when I checked in, they said I was having contractions every 8 minutes that were 40-55 seconds long for an hour. I didn't feel them though.
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I was having mild contractions and then I had bloody show. Labor started about 8 hours after that. But it continued for a very, very long time because she was posterior.
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Period like cramps and diarrhea, per your options.
I think you should add losing mucus plug though. That was my main sign. Started within I think 48 hours of labor.
ETA- my due date was Monday, it started Saturday with mucus plug/pooping, Sunday cramps, Monday contractions, and I had her early Tuesday AM (ALMOST a due date baby!)
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@kjpugs: I added it!
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@LovelyPlum: yay! Some people say it happens early and doesn't mean anything, but it did for me
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Woke up with timeable contractions straight away.
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I woke up at 1am thinking I felt a pop and when I stood up I felt like I wet myself. Then I spent the next 2 hours in the bathroom clearing everything out... It also felt like period cramps. I didn't think I was in labor but after all the time I spent in the bathroom we ended up going to labor and delivery anyway cause I thought something was wrong. By the time I got there I was having timeable contractions and having to stop and sway through them.
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I voted period cramps, back pain and timeable contractions, everything except the back pain was my norm for a very long time. After I was checked at the hospital (5!) I lost my mucus plug, same thing happened with my induction.
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For me, it was diarrhea, cramps, then contractions. All of this happened within the course of a few hours. I thought that I was going to be on the toilet for most of the night. When the contractions came on, we knew it was time.
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not sure how to vote!
I had my bloody show in the morning, water broke randomly around 5 pm. no contractions (to my knowledge) until about 20-30 minutes after my water broke.
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I voted for mucus plug, back pain and time-able contractions. The first happened two nights before I woke up with regular waves of back pain, but it took me a few hours to realize that I was feeling contractions (was NOT expecting back pain--I never felt a single contraction around front!)
Also, my mom knew I was about to go into labor when I was trying to obsessively open and clean the inside of our water filter jug thing...for well over an hour. That was the night before I went into labor.
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With DS my water broke.
With S, I first lost my mucous plug, then had a bout of diarrhea, and then contractions started coming regularly.
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Thanks all!
I'm beginning to think I'm going to still be pregnant for a while. I've been having on and off time-able contractions every 8-15 minutes all week, especially at night and first thing in the morning. I lost my mucous plug on Tuesday or so, and I've had to go a LOT in the last two days. This morning, I woke up with a headache and felt like someone had smashed my back with a baseball bat-it hurt so badly that I could hardly walk. I also felt a bunch of pressure on my cervix and some period cramps that were making me nauseous. I told DH that I wasn't sure if something was happening or not, but I at least was somewhat suspicious.
One Tylenol later, though, and it's all subsided a bit. So it looks like a false alarm on all fronts. Guess we'll just wait it out a bit longer
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@LovelyPlum: Oh wow, it sounds like something is happening or isn't too far off!! When is your due date? I think early April-ish, right?
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@fussygal: not until April 9! I'm 37+2 today. I was checked at my last appointment on Monday and was 1 cm, -2, and over 60% effaced. I know that it all doesn't mean much, though. I'm just trying to figure out what is the new normal, and what I need to pay attention to!
When are you due-this week?
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@LovelyPlum: Yep, Thursday! I'm 1cm dilated and -2 also, but I'm only 50% effaced though so you're ahead of me!
This thread is super helpful though since I haven't had any signs or labor or BH the entire pregnancy, just some mild cramping that doesn't lead to anything exciting. Can't wait to hear if everything ramps up for you!
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I woke up with a splitting headache/didn't feel well. I didn't really think it was labour though. My water broke and I was still in denial as it was just leaking and not a gush. I didn't believe I was in 'real' labour ( despite very painful regular contractions ) until we got to the hospital and A) My water went from leaking, to gushed all over the floor B) they told me I was 5cm and the head was right there.
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@fussygal: eek, good luck! I agree, hearing from everyone is super helpful, because I no longer have any idea what means something and what doesn't. Hoping that you have news soon, too
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I woke up at 6:30 in the morning with period like cramps, but they kind of came and went, and I got the feeling this could be it (2 days before my due date, but I was *convinced* I would go past my due date). At some point early that morning I started losing my mucus plug and I really started thinking this was it. Eventually I gave up on trying to sleep and went to the living room to read so DH could sleep. Continued like that for hours, very gradually getting more pronounced, but it wasn't for about 12 hours that they were really painful.
Had C at 7:16 the next morning. It sounds pretty long, but I just had a long early labor, active labor wasn't as long as I expected. Water didn't break until we were in the hospital, less than 3 hours before she was born.
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The pitocin dripping. Lolol
Just wanted to be included
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@Danizaur: LOL, I was wondering when someone would say that! And I have so much respect for what you went through the last few weeks of your pregnancy-this is hard stuff!
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@LovelyPlum: When it's over, you forget all about it!! It sucks but when I think about it now I'm just like "Whatever. I don't care." Lol
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@Danizaur: thanks. I'm looking forward to that
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Both times it was the bloody show - very small, to the point where I wasn't even sure if it was it! Super mild period pains started a few hours later, eventually turning into proper contractions. DD1 was born within 36 hours of the show, DD2 within 24 hours of it.
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My water broke
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Water broke while I was sleeping!
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One really painful contraction that got me out of bed right as I was getting in it. They came pretty steadily after that!
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consistent close contractions for me. different rhythm than BH which I had plenty of. and taking a warm bath didn't slow them down at all.
looking back I could also say intense discomfort and pressure the night before (continuing on) but at the time I wasn't sure at all.
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I was induced
This thread is super helpful though since I haven't had any signs or labor or BH the entire pregnancy, just some mild cramping that doesn't lead to anything exciting. Can't wait to hear if everything ramps up for you!
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