I don't have experience with spontaneous labor. I was induced at 40+5 with my son. Up till that point I had very few of the labor signs they mention in the books. Just a few Braxton hicks and cramping and lost some plug after a check. This time at 39 weeks I'm having a lot more rumblings. I'm still not thinking ill labor before my due date or before my 41 week induction necessarily but I'm hoping I do because I would love the experience.
So tell me, what were the first signs for you?
105 votes
pomegranate / 3516 posts
I woke up at 6:45 the morning I went into labor to roll over. I felt a pop in my pelvic region and knew something was happening. It was my mucus plug coming out and then mild contractions started pretty much immediately!
pomelo / 5660 posts
I felt incredibly off. I woke up and threw up 3 times. so of that I had DH stay home. Throughout the day I felt her drop. By 8 pm my water broke.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
Bloody show on Monday, mild cramps Tuesday morning, BM, then active labor
pomegranate / 3921 posts
I had had a great day at home with my husband (New Year's Day), and then around 10PM I got reeeeeally grumpy all of a sudden. I mean, I hated ALL THE THINGS all of a sudden, after being in an awesome mood all day. My water broke at 11:45PM, and E was born 7 hours later.
clementine / 812 posts
I had been losing my mucous plug for a few days, went to cervical check in the AM, was uncomfortable for the rest of the workday. Couldn't put my finger on exactly why. Started having mild contractions that afternoon which escalated to intense back labor 3 hours later.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
Started with mild, but noticeable, contractions/ cramping, with a definite beginning and end. Then lost some of my mucous plug throughout the morning but not dramatic. Water didn't break until I was in the hospital and less than three hours before she was born.
pomegranate / 3438 posts
Mine is more of a 'hindsight is 20/20' deal. I was 37+5 and we had a really busy day- lunch with friends, shopping and then dinner with the in-laws. The entire day I felt off, my back hurt and I was having tons of what I thought were braxton hicks. I couldn't get comfortable sitting anywhere but I thought it was just because I had gained so much weight (I swelled up like a balloon towards the end and was being monitored for pre-e). I ended up sleeping on the couch that night and woke up when I felt a pop. Then the BM's started and I pretty much spent two hours in the bathroom.
When I didn't have anything left in me the real contractions started and we headed to the hospital.
cantaloupe / 6017 posts
Mild contractions on my drive home, bloody show and loose stools a few hours later. Went to bed, woke up around 4 or 5 with contractions I couldn't sleep through.
apricot / 342 posts
I lost my mucus plug at 37 weeks. There was mild cramping after that but nothing to really time or keep track of. At 39 + 4, I had a bloody show in the middle of the night when I got up to pee. Consistent contractions started pretty much 20 minutes after that.
hostess / papaya / 10219 posts
I was walking through the grocery store and I got hit with a contraction that had me holding onto the shelves. It was pretty quick but super painful and I thought I was going to pass out or puke. Then nothing for an hour. Then another similar. Then nothing for another 45 minutes or so. Etc. they gradually got closer until there was no denying it.
watermelon / 14467 posts
I had this intense desire to make sure I had plenty of clean underwear and then once that was done I had to take a nap. Once I woke up and started cooking, I started having period-like cramps that escalated into full-blown contractions. 15 hours later, I had my baby.
cantaloupe / 6610 posts
No advice but just wanted to say that I really hope this is it for you soon:) You always seem so patient about it (I'm the opposite, haha) but you deserve to meet her sooner rather than at 41weeks:)
pear / 1739 posts
I'd had lots of BH so when I started having regular contractions I thought nothing of it. I was even able to sleep through the contractions. What tipped me off about being in labor was my water breaking in my bed for both pregnancies.
grapefruit / 4712 posts
Awful back pain that was only better if I was walking. However walking just caused cramping. Good luck momma! 
honeydew / 7295 posts
@PrincessBaby: aw you are such a sweetheart! Thank you. I was a miserable overdue beast lay time so I'm trying this time to calm that. We will see how I do if I actually do go overdue again. Hope you are hanging in there. So close! And congrats on picking a name for baby girl!
pineapple / 12234 posts
labor started with intense contractions--like, omg-I-cannot-breathe type and lots of shaking!
nectarine / 2028 posts
Water leaked...I don't want to say it "broke" because it was ambiguous until I got to the hospital and they confirmed it. I wasn't in active labor, either-light contractions I couldn't feel but the leaking water meant we had to augment the process.
pineapple / 12566 posts
LO1: water broke.
LO2: bloody show first thing in the morning, then water broke about 4 hours later.
apricot / 477 posts
I was 39 weeks and had zero signs until my water broke in the middle of the night.
pomelo / 5720 posts
DS: water broke
DD: Consistent BH all day, turning into mild contractions (and quickly into intense ones) by 8:30pm that night. I didn't know at the time I was in labor until around 9pm.
eggplant / 11716 posts
I had zero signs until I noticed I was having some period-like cramping. Not braxton hicks tightening, just the general yucky feeling in my lower abdomen. My mom was there and was like, 'you're probably in early labor', and i was like....no, not possible. I'd had an appt earlier that day with a cervical check and they said to expect some cramping afterward so I thought it was that......but sure enough, after a few hours the cramps turned to contractions!
honeydew / 7295 posts
These stories are great. It's crazy to me how many of you had your water break since I keep reading that it only happens in about 10% of pregnancies.
In my case I'm having a lot of cramping and Braxton hicks, losing a lot of plug some with a bit of blood, very loose BMs, nausea here and there and pressure in my pelvis.
I would be shocked though if I don't go overdue again. Seems like spontaneous labor is so rare these days. Only two women on my March board have had spontaneous labors so far. The others have either had to be induced for medical reasons or post dates or c sections for twins and etc. my friend thinks it might have something to do with all the nutrients we get from our prenatals giving baby less incentive to come out and feed! Haha not sure about that but it's interesting. I also know older moms like me can sometimes have placentas that don't deliver that labor message to the uterus. You'd think with all our new ultrasound technology we could pinpoint it perfectly but the body is still such a mystery. I hope I get a chance to see what it's like to go into labor! love reading your experiences.
eggplant / 11287 posts
Same, I had no experience with spontaneous labor!
With #2, I had to go to the bathroom like 15 times the day before I went into labor. I also suddenly felt lots of pressure and couldn't even walk without waddling. Then at 3 am, I woke with a contraction that lasted at least a minute and it totally took my breath away. It was unlike any Braxton hicks or cramp I had ever experienced. in an instant, labor was in full swing!
My water never broke....my doctor broke it when I was pushing baby out!
pomegranate / 3375 posts
Fast laborer here ... I had 1 mild contraction, then went right into major contractions every 3 minutes. Loose stools followed for about an hour. Then mucous plug, then water breaking. This was all in bathroom and living room, in a matter of 3 hours. I imagine my poor husband being like, "What the HELL is happening?!?!?" - Ha!
honeydew / 7295 posts
@Rainbow Sprinkles: oh! That gives me hope!
@littlejoy: I would love a fast labor! My mom had them. My first was induction but lasted almost 18 hours. People keep saying this time it will be quicker and happen sooner but ill believe that when I see it! I don't want to be the one watching the pot.
I am dilated to a 3 this time which is nice but that's probably just second time baby action.
pomegranate / 3375 posts
@MrsMccarthy: Spontaneous labor is often a little faster than an induction. (not always, but pretty consistently). And, you're already to 3?!? That's awesome! From my experience at births, second labors are faster than the first. Your body just knows.
kiwi / 545 posts
I stood up from the couch and all of a sudden, this WHOOSH and I knew my water broke. And it.kept.gushing...walking to the car then to the hospital while you have no control over that sensation was so weird!
I had no to very tiny contractions prior. They put me on pitocin to help speed things up but I was not progressing at all - I was barely at 2cm when my water broke and was still at 2cm hours later. Had a C section after 17 hrs of labor.
pear / 1616 posts
lo#1 - water broke and had her 10 hrs later
lo#2 - mild contractions around dinner time and had him 9 hrs later!
cantaloupe / 6923 posts
Baby 1: water broke when I went to check for leaking.
Baby 2: hopefully something similar!
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
LO1: For about a week leading up to labor, I felt this strong pressure in the bowel region, like I had to go #2, but I never did. Then at 39 weeks, I started losing my mucous plug and then about an hour later I started feeling light contractions that progressed throughout the day until I had him.
LO2: I had loose bowel movements throughout the day and just felt kind of sick. Later that day, I felt that same pressure to go #2 that I had felt with LO1. I assumed that meant I would be going into labor a week later, but only hours later, I felt contractions that progressed very quickly!
grapefruit / 4213 posts
I didn't have any experience with spontaneous labor before either since I was induced with my first. This time I lost my mucus plug over a few days (this also happened with my first but nothing progressed). The day I went into labor I had a small amount of blood once when I wiped but nothing significant. Then that night my contractions randomly started and were 2 minutes apart right away and extremely intense, as in couldn't talk through them. My labor was 2.5 hours and I almost didn't make it to the hospital and my water broke in the car with immediate crowning. So apparently that little bit of blood was my warning sign.
coconut / 8861 posts
For LO #1 (LO #2 is still cooking), I had a lot of cramping, loose BMs, and then a ramp up of contractions for a few hours. I hopped in the tub on the doc's suggestion while they continued. By about 11pm or so, we got into the car and went to the hospital. I lost my mucus plug/bloody show during the cervical check at the hospital. I was 4cm at that point. I was admitted and had LO at 8:30am the next morning.
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
LO 1: water broke in a gush. No contractions beforehand
LO2: I thought I had #2 problems (crampy stomach, so I thought). Water broke an hour later but a little at a time - small gushes.
grapefruit / 4400 posts
I was induced with my daughter at 41+1 since I had low fluid levels, and was scheduled for an induction with my son at 41+1, too (at 8:00am). I started having strong contractions starting around 11:00pm the night before, and by 1:00am, I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to morning. Called the hospital and they told me to come on in since they already had my bed waiting!
kiwi / 742 posts
I didn't have any signs before I started having contractions I could clearly time at 39 weeks 5 days.
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