What signs for labor did you experience and how long before you gave birth?

Question

This is more of wanting experiences rather than answers, I am 37 weeks, 2 days pregnant. I have been really crampy, back-ache and lots of pressure for about a week now. Just wanting to hear some of your experiences before given birth such as signs of labor and how long before you had your baby.

Answer 1

With my 1st daughter I was 7 days over when I began to have mild contractions. She wa born exactly 48 hours from the 1st contraction. I didn't have any signs that I was going to go into labor before it happened.

With my 2nd daughter I was 2 days over when I had a stretch and sweep donne. Worst thing EVER, was in labor, horrible contractions for 5 days before she was born. I wish I had never had one. Once again I had no indication of labor nearing. But that was due to having a stretch and sweep.

Good luck and I hope your baby arrives soon.

Answer 2

I had it all.  First you'd see spotting when you pee.  That's normal.  Just monitor it to see if it is any heavier then the time before.  Then contraction comes closer each time.  Watch it carefully when it become 5 min. or less to the previous one....when that is the case, get ready to go to the hospital....While in the hospital, you'll be check to see if you are dilated, monitoring for contraction....if your water broke and you're not ready....the labor pain could be intense (lower back ache that I cannot describe, no matter what position I was in, just cannot get comfortable) and it wears you out fast (that was the case with my first child.  I was in labor for 11 hours, then epidural did the magic)  With my 2nd and 3rd, it happened really fast.  Within 3-4 hours with less pain.  Congrat and good luck.

Answer 3

I did not have any signs of labor until I woke up in labor. Sure, I was uncomfortable and achy, but I never had Braxton-Hicks or anything. I was already 1 or 2 cm dialated and I lost my mucus plug, but I never had any actual signs of labor until I woke up at 1:00 in the morning in full-on labor. He was born at 12:36 pm.

Answer 4

My signs of labour didn't happen til I was in labour. I had this weird 'fuzzy' feeling in my lower back on and off about 20 mins apart, we didn't know what they were but just kept timing when it happened anyway. So I had that for about 3-5 hours, then when I was getting into bed my water broke and yeh you know you are in labour once that happens! I never lost a mucus plug or had any other signs... funnily enough, I wasn't expecting to go into labour at all, even though it was very close to my due date

Answer 5

With my first one I didn't have any signs other then moodiness, and a bad headache, and what I thought were braxton hicks. I tried to go to bed and real labor started. With my son I couldn't pee without it hurting and went the hospital thinking i had a bladder infection and here I was in labor. Stop and go which ment I would have contractions I would dilate but then just stop for an hour or 2 and then start up again. And now with this one I feel just how you do. I was in the hospital with false labor already too. But my gyno said that I probably wouldn't make it to next weeks appt and if I do he would be surprise.  So he told me to walk around and drink lots of fluid and maybe it'll help things along. Good luck.

Answer 6

For about two days before I went into labor at time I would get this pain in my lower back that lasted for about 20 minutes, not a constant pain, but it started and stopped on regular intervals for 20 minutes. I did that for two days and at 5:00 on Tuesday morning I went into labor.  

Answer 7

This is funny...when I was about a week away from my due date, my mom, mother in law and brother in law came to stay with me (I lived in NC and they lived in MD, my hubby was deployed) to wait for my son's birth. We decided to go to the movies to see, "Bringing Down The House). In the beginning of the movie, I started having contractions. I didn't want to alarm anyone so I just kept it to myself but timed them. Towards the middle of the movie, my contractions were about 5 minutes apart for about 40 minutes and were becoming more and more painful. So, I nudged my mom and said, "I think we need to leave, I have been having contractions and they really hurt". So My mom jumped up and told my mother in law who began screaming in the middle of the quiet crowded movie theater, "WE ARE HAVING A BABY!! WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!!". I was mortified but wanted to get out of there in a hurry. So as we are running to the car, my mother in law was screaming to everyone she could, "SHE'S HAVING CONTRACTIONS!! WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!". Lots of people just stopped and stared and others yelled, "CONGRATULATIONS!!". On the drive home my mom said, "Are you hungry? You need to eat something before we go to the hospital! You can't eat once we are there!". I gave her the look of death as I was heavily panting away in the back seat. We finally got home, my mom and in law ran into my house and immediately began primping....curling their hair, putting on makeup, as I sat on the couch and contemplated on how I should tell them that my contractions had stopped all together. While both of them were applying pounds of mascara and giggling about the cute doctors they were going to see (my family is just crazy!!), I told them, "You might as well wash all of that c**p off because there will be no baby tonight...my contractions are gone.". They just started laughing and tried to make me go outside to walk around the neighborhood to get them jump started again. I refused...waddling around my neighborhood for all to see was not in my plans that night. So, I just went to bed and listen to them tell their labor stories. Sorry so long, just a funny story to hopefully brighten your day!  

Answer 8

Baby 1:  2 weeks overdue.  No labor pains, my water broke!  I needed to be given pitocin to encourage contractions. 26 1/2 hours of labor later - beautiful baby girl.

Baby 2:  3 days early.  Again - my water broke.  However, I got to the hospital and the baby was in a breech position.  They began to attempt to turn the baby into place, but the baby went into distress.  Emergency C-section and soon I was holding a sweet baby boy.

Baby 3:  6 days early.  Late in the afternoon, about 4:30, I began to feel, a dull,heavy backache.  It would ebb and flow with intensity.  I knew it was labor.  I was unable to sleep all night, so I did laundry, leaning on the washing machine during hard contractions.  We went to the hospital about 5:30am, and he was born late that morning following encouragement again by pitocin.  18 hours of labor total and one loud son was the prize.  (He was cute too!)

Baby 4:  12 days overdue!  Much like baby #3, I went into labor one evening and was up all night doing laundry again as the contractions increased.  We were to the hospital by 6am.  This time I decided to try an epidural to see what that was like.  That was wonderful!  16 hours after the contractions began, an adorable baby girl blinked at the world for the first time.  

Hope I helped!  The one thing I learned was - you never know what can happen, but it is all wonderful in the end.  Good luck to you!

Answer 9

before having both my children just a day before giving birth I got hot and stressed unable to settle constantly cleaning i was unable to concentrate on any one thing i was completely fed up unable to walk without the waddle but before this i was tiered constantly and so laid back i was horizontal and couldn't be bothered to clean the house so i changed behaviour completely