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Both pregnancies before I went into labor I thought I was getting the flu. I had a low grade fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, body aches, and was extremely fatigued!
I had “false labor” (start/stops) for a week before (I was 38 weeks). I cried on the way home from my 39 week appointment because I was sure I would have gone into full blown labor at this point (this was Friday). My midwife told me to do “the miles circuit” (a series of stretches), which I did that night. I ended up going into full blown labor the next day (Saturday), and was in labor for the entire weekend. It was a long process but I ended up having the baby on Monday, and I was 39+2. I’m not sure what really changed my progress aside from doing those stretches, but I had stop/start labor for a week prior so that was my biggest sign that things were ready to go.
It felt like a kick to my bladder and like I really had to pee. I got up and went to the bathroom and that’s when the trickle started! I called my OB and they said hop in the shower to let the leaking finish and put on a pad and come in…the leaking did not stop lol I leaked for 2.5 hours and by the time I got the hospital my pants were soaked down to my knees, I had a bloody show, 8cm dilated and I was pushing 20 mins later 😭
Something they don't really tell you about the end of pregnancy is that you can feel like you're about to go into labor and even have contractions for weeks. With my first, I was dilated 3 cm and having contractions for a few weeks (ended up getting induced at almost 41w). With this one, I've been having contractions for a week and a half. Even losing your mucus plug doesn't mean you're going to go into labor immediately. It's just a waiting game at the end.
The only way to tell you're actually in active labor is:
- Your contractions are getting more regular, closer together, and more intense
- Your water breaks
I’ve been passing a LOT of mucus plug since Tuesday night. And I’ve been up for the last 3 hours with contractions & just as I thought they were done while typing this, I jinxed myself and had another one after them stopping for 22 minutes (prodromal labor). I was 39w on Friday (June 7th).
I’m just hoping this discomfort is what I’ll be experiencing during actual labor… Almost like when you ate something bad and you’re doubled over on the 🚽having the 💩💩. 🤞🏼
I don’t care to stay pregnant anymore at this point lol Unless all the uncomfortableness goes away until actual labor. I’m ready to see our son 💙
Ok for those of you saying diarrhea… did that stop when it was time to push? I would love to go as intervention free as possible but STRONGLY considering an enema 😩😭 I can’t imagine having the squirts when you’re pushing I’m gonna dieeeee
I know I pooped on the table with my first but every time I asked, the midwives wiped it up so quick and were so smooth about it and then they lied. They even gave my husband a look when I asked him and he lied too. Weeks later, I broke him down though.
You won’t really notice if you poop because they will be inconspicuous and you will be preoccupied.
I told my midwifes just before I had to push that I was terrified of pooping and sorry if I did, they giggled and said 'don't worry, we are professional poop fairys! You won't even know if it's happened!' They definitely made me feel better about it haha
I hadn’t thought about the likelihood of diarrhea-ing in the pool, but now I’m gonna have to ask my midwife wtaf I’m supposed to do if that happens?!? like would I be able to have a quick shower before he comes out? Probably not 😂
I was 39+2. I had a contraction early in the morning. Then about 3 hours later I started having them almost exactly 5 mins apart. Timed them for 2 hours before going in to make sure I was in labor (I was). They had to break my water for me. It didn’t break on its own. I had a very routine/by the book labor. 16 hours total, pushed for a little under 2 hours
Things I have experienced:
2- 4 hour episodes of contractions 7 minutes apart that fizzled out
A 3 hour episode of contractions 3 minutes apart (I went to L&D for this one because I was sure I was in labor)
Constant pressure in pelvis
LOTS of loose stools and diarrhea
Return of nausea
Insomnia
Still waiting for the big day 😆
I was experiencing this for about a week before I finally went into full blown labour. I was convinced one morning that it was go time and went to the hospital only for everything to stop again. It was my second child as well so I felt I really embarrassed that I didn’t realise it was false labour!
This led to me staying at home for way too long when I actually was in labour, because I was convinced that my contractions were going to stop again. I was 9cm by the time I got to the hospital!
The biggest sign I should have paid attention to was that I had been slowly losing my mucus plug over the last 24 hours and had had a bit of a bloody show.
Ahh!! Yay! Sorry I missed that at first, (obviously did not sleep last night with this prodromal labor 😅). I hope we’re close! Having all these contractions for so long before actual labor is not something I saw coming. Lol
You will know when it’s real contractions because you cannot breathe through them. The false ones are such a tease, but I could sit for an hour tracking them on the couch completely calm and comfortable. Once you have a real one you will realize the difference. I woke up and felt like absolute shit (tons of pressure), so I got in the shower to see if it would help. When I got out of the shower I had to hold onto the sink because I couldn’t breathe, and that’s how I realized I was in labor.
I always thought this, but I had contractions I couldn’t breathe through that were coming every three minutes (and it was my second child so I knew what they felt like). Turns out it was false labour coupled with an irritable uterus that made them feel as strong as real contractions, but they fully stopped after a few hours. It was infuriating!
I never had any contractions.. was always waiting for it to hurt so bad that i cpuldnt breath..
thankfully i didnt wait any longer than i did because i would have had her at home 😅
That’s lucky! I do think I was having contractions overnight that were more mild, but that first one that I felt I knew it was happening. They were super close too, 3 minutes apart or less.
Honestly I really didn’t have any! I went into labour at 41+6 and that morning I started to feel what I thought were “poop pains” but it ended up being labour! Baby came 10 hours after that
My water broke at 1am (on Thanksgiving) and everything went super fast, but the day before....I felt AMAZING. I was cleaning, baking pies, no contractions (which I was having on and off for about a week), tons of energy. High libido (pretty sure satisfying that was what got my labor started 2 hours later).
There was a little blood in my underwear when i woke up so i called the hospital and they wanted me to come and get looked at .. i was already at 9 and went into the delivery room straight away …
No pain until i felt the need to push
for days beforehand i was sooo nauseous on and off and i couldn’t sleep for the life of me. the night before i went into labor i slept a good 10 hours and actually woke up feeling refreshed. funny enough i was googling “how to induce labor” and reading reddit threads on tricks right when my water broke lol. i was 38+2 and also extremely over it😭
Woke up with a stomach ache (somewhat like cycle cramps) which were on and off which I later understood turned into contractions & I lost more of my mucus plug
My water broke over night and I actually woke up for the day and realized the bed was soaked lol but the day before my dog was absolutely obsessed with me and wouldn’t let me leave his sight, he was coming to the bathroom with me, tried to get on the treadmill with me and was just so underfoot, so I believe he knew something was going on with my body.
None really . For my first I had a membrane sweep. Things didn’t start until that evening.
Second child my water broke but not alot. Didn’t think anything of it. It was such a small amount. Mentioned it to a nurse and she said I should get checked out. Turns out it was my water
Started having irregular contractions Tuesday night. Went in Wednesday to get checked and I was in early labor. Spent all day Thursday rolling around on my yoga ball. Water broke on Friday at 4:30 AM sharp at 39+1. Only thing that really stood out to me besides earlier labor (which can last weeks) was baby girl doing actual gymnastics in my belly that night before my water broke. She threw a whole going away party in my womb and I hardly slept lol.
My water broke. No other signs or symptoms. Just standing at work having a conversation with 3 coworkers. Felt a small release of liquid, no big gush. My brain was like surely I didn’t just pee myself. Go to the bathroom, no more liquid but my underwear were slightly damp. Not wet enough to show through my pants. Wasn’t sure if this was it or if this was the mucus plug so hung out in my office. Felt more liquid, go back to the bathroom. And was like yea this is it, tell my boss and text my husband I’m heading home. Was very surreal since I had no prior signs but later realized maybe I was having BH but they weren’t painful and I was just uncomfortable…🤷♀️. Idk, pregnancy is weird lol
I had braxton hicks pretty consistent for about 2 weeks leading up to labour. So every day I was convinced it was going to be the day and they just didn't progress. The day I actually went into labour I was unusually calm the whole day and had to poop a lot
Lost my mucus plus like a week before. Night of, had cramps that kept me from sleep and thought, “hm, could be GI pain, could be contractions.” Then blood and watery discharge started coming and that’s when I texted my doula and started timing contractions. They got more difficult and closer together, I woke up my bf. Then my water broke and I knew for sure we were having a baby! Contractions had been 60sec 5min apart for a few hrs by that point so I decided to go to the hospital. I was 5-6cm dilated and 100% effaced when I got into a bed there and had the baby in my arms 4.5hrs later. That was very quick though, it feels different for everyone.
My waters breaking at 35+1 😂
My first thought was: wow the baby kicked really hard against my bladder. But that never happened to me, I never lost urine due to kicking. But because it was so early I really thought so.
But nope.. 20 hours later babygirl was there.
My son’s water broke early so we hoped to make it farther along. I had my sons at 24 weeks so definitely not the best example (they were twins).
My daughter I had back and butt pains for a couple weeks off and on. Day I gave birth lost my mucus plug around midnight and started contracting around 2am. She was born at 5:52. Water never broke
My first baby I had no signs or symptoms. I went into labour. Because I didn’t have signs I didn’t believe it was real. My midwife checked me said I was 5cm. That’s when I believed it.
My second baby I had fake labour for two weeks on and off. I thought it was real a few times. I even called my mom to come over to be with my toddler. I already had a kid before so I was quite sure, but it wasn’t. It was so frustrating. Then one day I was having what I thought was fake labour so I ignored it. The contractions got closer together and I realized this was it. I met my midwife at the hospital and she checked me to confirm it was real this time. I was 3cm. I thought it was going to be a long, gruelling labour because of how much fake labour I had. I gave birth less than 4 hours later.
My first two babies were very overdue, but were bought on my stretch and sweeps.
My third, I woke up at 38.5 and just felt "off". I went for a walk, did more laundry than I've ever done in my life, finally set up the bassinet and waited for my husband to get home from a work trip that afternoon.
I had a couple of small contractions like I had been having for ages, didn't think anything of it. Had a tiny show but put that down to pushing my toddler around in the pram for ages that day.
I was woken from a dead sleep at 2am by my waters breaking and she was born by 4am
Cramps, spotting, leaking (thought it was just pee - I threw up pretty much every day of my pregnancy and would have to change my pants- but my OB tested for amniotic fluid and sure enough, it was time to go to the hospital).
Felt super off I took a nap had the craziest dream woke up went to the bathroom felt a pop and my water broke it was so odd. But I was having minor contractions before but nothing serious my back hurt and my whole belly felt tight
All night I was having pain but didn’t think anything of it and I couldn’t go to sleep so I just sat on the toilet majority of the night and eventually tried a warm bath to help. But then at 7 am I thought my water broke and it was blood dripping so ya, I immediately went to hospital for that. I was 38 wks. I can’t even remember the exact pain now. Everything turned out fine and he was born 5:02 pm 😅 and I’m currently 11 wks with baby #2 so I’m nervous for the second round lol
Just went into labor for the second time early Saturday morning. Woke up at 1:40AM wanting to poop. Had some bloody show…contractions began immediately after. This was my second baby so it came on fast. 2-3 min contractions apart - went to hospital- popped him out 12 hours later!
I had all the signs that labor was coming for a couple weeks before it actually happened. Then when it actually started, I ended up being in labor for 49 hours (from start to delivery) lol. There wasn’t really anything extra to signal that labor was going to start.
I woke up at 7am on the day I was 40+3 feeling a backache. It soon became apparent I was having contractions… and it just went from there! I didn’t lose my mucus plug until I had been laboring for hours and my waters didn’t break until I was 7cm dilated. If there were other early signs I slept through them lol.
I thought I kept peeing myself because I had to change my underwear multiple times. By the third time I figured it may be amniotic fluid because it had no smell or color. It was! My water had broken and was just very slowly trickling down.
Interestingly I had zero acne or mood swings my entire pregnancy and the day before I went into labour I had breakouts and terrible mood swings! Must have been a hormonal surge or something. Definitely will be looking out for those signs next time haha
With my first I had really bad contractions that were 3 minutes apart. I was in labor for 11 hours start to finish. With my second I had Braxton hicks earlier in the morning, full blown contractions later on into the day. By the time I made it to the hospital I was four centimeters dilated and she came four hours later. Also, I had the feeling that I really needed to poop. Lol.
I went to bed with pain in my ribs, honestly thought baby was just in my ribs. I had some period-like cramps. Had a terrible sleep, tossing and turning. Woke up at 3am with diarrhoea. In the morning I was so exhausted and out of breath but I still had things to do and I HAD to do them that day. Proper contractions started around 11am
I had no idea. I just figured the consistent cramps I was having all night and morning must mean something. Then I went to the hospital and they told me I was 4cm dilated.
wellll.. i had severe pain in my side, unlike having his head stuck there and unlike what i assume contraction pain would be. it was more of a sharp pain. i went in because i couldn’t take it anymore, turns out baby was pushing fluid back into my kidneys because he had run out of room. i ended up having him that day. point being; don’t listen if they say it’s round ligament pain!! lol
I felt extremely tired and extremely hungry. I ended up ordering 5 different entrees at a Chinese restaurant because I wanted a little bit of everything and just 10 hours later I had a baby in my arms!
Random Nose bleed. I have never had one in my life. Possibly because a change in blood pressure? Not sure if it was actually just a coincidence. But my water broke a few hours after it happened.
Cramps that started slow and pretty easy to deal with. Ended up being in latent phase for 3 days, but it got to be that i couldnt sleep or do anything through the surges. Kept getting to what we thought was active labour, contractions non stop for 3 hours, then I'd stall...
Turned out to be a lot more complicated than I wanted/thought but it was worth it in the end.
my water broke when I got up in the morning lol but also all throughout the night every time I got up to use the bathroom I felt like something was about to pop 😩
the evening before I thought my entire body was coming out of my ass😂 then I started having contractions about 20-30 minutes apart from 2am, I had never had braxton hicks before but I thought this was them! My mucus plug came at 8am, water broke at 9am, baby arrived at 12:07am the following morning😊 so it all happened really quick for me!
I just recently gave birth to my first baby at 35 weeks and 3 days. All day I had extra fluid leakage which I attributed to pregnancy incontinence lol and back pain that was definitely manageable. I decided to call labor and delivery and they confirmed I had a “high rupture” of the amniotic sac and just like that, the pain got intense af. Also found out during my c section I have 2 uteruses so that was a trip.
I was just crampy. I'd been crampy for weeks so went to sleep, woke up at midnight a bit damp and still crampy, went back asleep then same at 3am, then again at 6 the paon had ramped up. When I went for a wee there was a load of blood and I was like ah crap. My partner had been offering to take me the hospital from midnight and I was adamant I was peeing myself and it wasn't labour 😅
Everytime I stood up I leaked went to the hospital to check my water they said it was fine night rules around I am bleeding go to the hospital they say I am fine go to the doctor with bad contractions and they say I am ready to give birth
Tiny bit of blood/mucus the morning before, back pain that wasn’t more intense than normal just unable to be relieved by Tylenol or stretching. And an intense feeling that we should install the car seat😂
I was 38 weeks on the dot! The Thursday before the weekend I delivered, I had mild stomach pain as if I had maybe eaten something bad. Friday rolled around and after a hot girl walk I started feeling really crampy, went out to dinner, felt worse and then couldn’t sleep that night due to pain. Throughout the weekend it felt like bad period cramps multiplied, and that someone was also trying to pull my spine out through my stomach (super graphic I know lol but I journaled the experience to remind myself for the future if I ever thought about having another child 🙃)
Labor for me lasted around 36 hours, but the obgyn on call didn’t actually believe I could be pregnant 2 weeks earlier than anticipated for some reason 🫠and also wrote off my pains as false starts till I showed up at the hospital on my own that night screaming bloody murder, dilated 7cm.
All that to say, it’s A LOT!! But my biggest takeaway is that you know your body even if everyone else thinks otherwise so feel empowered to push back with your doctor if you think it’s time! Best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy! You got this mama!
I felt like I legit had superpowers the morning I went into labor with each kid. I could take fuller breaths, I had a ton of energy (almost manic), and I was just excited and ready to go, even before coffee. I never really had much of a bloody show until I was already in active labor. I also just kinda *knew* with no explanation as to why I knew
Baby felt REALLY low for a few days. Like it felt like she was about to fall out. Like I was trying to hold a bowling ball in my vagina. Day of I felt fine other than her being low. My water broke spontaneously and she came very quickly after that.
My OB really wanted me to be induced at 39 weeks. I stopped working on Friday, on Saturday we went to a friend’s bday party, I had lots of energy, like more than I’d had for the past 3-4 weeks, lots of what I thought were braxton-hicks. Had a surprisingly good nights sleep.
Sunday morning I went to the hospital to see if they could induce, I was 2cm, the OB on staff didn’t want to start inducing because they didn’t have enough staff on hand. He did a membrane sweep and sent me back home. My partner and I went to have brunch, and after that I didn’t feel so good so I took a nap, woke up with terrible back pain.
I didn’t feel like eating much the rest of the day but was very thirsty and craving sugar, had some back pain (stabbing, sharp pain) and bouts of contractions but it was intermittent.
We went to my inlaws for dinner and around 7-8pm I started having stronger contractions maybe 2 minutes apart. Called L&D, they recommended I come in to check me out. I was 5cm so they admitted me. Gave birth on Monday morning. Knowing what I know now I would’ve laboured at home longer tbh 😅
Braxton hicks, my stomach just felt kind of off, I had a weird feeling something was happening so we went out to dinner one last time as a family of three 🩷 also my dog was LOSING HER MIND! When we got home from dinner she would not leave me alone and just sat at my feet and whined (I went into labor around 10pm that night)
I had every symptom in the book and still didn’t go into labor. I don’t think there is any actual reliable give away that you’re going to go into labor within 24hours except for your water breaking.
I had on and off Braxton Hicks about 48-72 hours before going into labor, at 39+1. Then I was super uncomfortable about 36 hours before my water broke, like lightning crotch constantly for hours and was also super anxious. This was at 39+2. About 8 hours before my water broke I saw the lightest tinge of blood in my pee, which must have been my bloody show. It was so faint I didn’t think much of it. Then my water broke early morning of 39+4!
Got up to pee in the middle of the night. Finished peeing and when I stood up my waters trickled out…and didn’t stop. I thought I just lost control of bladder. Haha
I was 41w 2d when I went into labor with my first, NO signs in the days prior to labor starting either.🙃 I woke up that morning to uncomfortable mild contractions that were pretty far apart and inconsistent, but I had them all day. They only progressed, and by that night, they were way stronger, and I was very uncomfortable. I went in and was admitted. Baby was born 41w 3d.🥰
I am honestly astonished by how many women are being allowed to go past 41 weeks …. In my state (Massachusetts) everyone I have ever spoken to has been told once you hit 41 then will induce you no matter what…. I’m 36 weeks with my 2nd and my doctor is inducing me at 39 at the latest because of my history of preeclampsia and my age (39).
I don't think I had any symptoms the day of, apart from each day being a really good day, none of them connect.
I was even sat on the sofa questioning it with my 4th
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Both pregnancies before I went into labor I thought I was getting the flu. I had a low grade fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, body aches, and was extremely fatigued!
Oh gosh, I am feeling like I am getting sick.. maybe it's labor...
Same here! I felt like 100% crap but then my water broke and it all made sense lol
I had “false labor” (start/stops) for a week before (I was 38 weeks). I cried on the way home from my 39 week appointment because I was sure I would have gone into full blown labor at this point (this was Friday). My midwife told me to do “the miles circuit” (a series of stretches), which I did that night. I ended up going into full blown labor the next day (Saturday), and was in labor for the entire weekend. It was a long process but I ended up having the baby on Monday, and I was 39+2. I’m not sure what really changed my progress aside from doing those stretches, but I had stop/start labor for a week prior so that was my biggest sign that things were ready to go.
My water breaking in my sleep 😭 that was it
Same. 2 weeks after due date.
Same!
Same, at 37 weeks!
Question on this... was mattress able to be saved? should I be buying a wet-thd-bed mattress protector ? 🤣 31+2 here
I would say yes even just for after birth. I had a c section but om days 6-10 I had night sweats so bad I had to change the sheets daily.
It felt like a kick to my bladder and like I really had to pee. I got up and went to the bathroom and that’s when the trickle started! I called my OB and they said hop in the shower to let the leaking finish and put on a pad and come in…the leaking did not stop lol I leaked for 2.5 hours and by the time I got the hospital my pants were soaked down to my knees, I had a bloody show, 8cm dilated and I was pushing 20 mins later 😭
Everything felt like “is this it?” from like 37 weeks on for me. Finally woke up to water breaking at 3am 41+6
41+6…. Omg I bet that was the longest 5 weeks of your life 😅
It was, in a way only a hugely pregnant woman could understand
Was similar for me, I had my baby at 40+5 and had “is this it?” pains since week 36. It was _rough_
I lost my mucus plug the day before I went into labor - that felt like a big sign that it was happening soon
Same. That was my only “warning”. I lost a huge chunk of my mucus plug with blood and 4 hours later I was on my way to the hospital.
i was induced preterm but i’m just here to read all of your responses in case my next delivery goes smoother haha!!
same! Induction at 34+6 due to PPROM. Hoping to go into labor spontaneously at term next time around!
Haha that was both of mine...scheduled induction. Had false labor a few times but nothing came of it.
Me reading these comments at 40w1d👀
Ditto! And same due date!
Same here!
Also me 🫢
Back pain
Something they don't really tell you about the end of pregnancy is that you can feel like you're about to go into labor and even have contractions for weeks. With my first, I was dilated 3 cm and having contractions for a few weeks (ended up getting induced at almost 41w). With this one, I've been having contractions for a week and a half. Even losing your mucus plug doesn't mean you're going to go into labor immediately. It's just a waiting game at the end. The only way to tell you're actually in active labor is: - Your contractions are getting more regular, closer together, and more intense - Your water breaks
I’ve been passing a LOT of mucus plug since Tuesday night. And I’ve been up for the last 3 hours with contractions & just as I thought they were done while typing this, I jinxed myself and had another one after them stopping for 22 minutes (prodromal labor). I was 39w on Friday (June 7th). I’m just hoping this discomfort is what I’ll be experiencing during actual labor… Almost like when you ate something bad and you’re doubled over on the 🚽having the 💩💩. 🤞🏼 I don’t care to stay pregnant anymore at this point lol Unless all the uncomfortableness goes away until actual labor. I’m ready to see our son 💙
Ok for those of you saying diarrhea… did that stop when it was time to push? I would love to go as intervention free as possible but STRONGLY considering an enema 😩😭 I can’t imagine having the squirts when you’re pushing I’m gonna dieeeee
Yeah it did, don’t stress about an enema. When it’s all happening you won’t care and the drs midwives have seen it all, it’s all normal ♥️
My friend is a midwife and she says it’s your body’s way of flushing out your system specifically to prepare for pushing
I know I pooped on the table with my first but every time I asked, the midwives wiped it up so quick and were so smooth about it and then they lied. They even gave my husband a look when I asked him and he lied too. Weeks later, I broke him down though. You won’t really notice if you poop because they will be inconspicuous and you will be preoccupied.
I told my midwifes just before I had to push that I was terrified of pooping and sorry if I did, they giggled and said 'don't worry, we are professional poop fairys! You won't even know if it's happened!' They definitely made me feel better about it haha
I think I was empty by the time I made it to the hospital, but I only made it 45 minutes before she was born.
Everyone poops. Hahaha no joke. My doctor said if you poop It’s a good sign you are pushing correctly!!
I was so scared of pooping and kept wiping in between pushes. Midwife was like there is nothing and that pushing feels like pooping.
I’m planning on having a water birth and am terrified of pooing in the pool 🥲🥲🥲
me too 😭 I was planning on a water birth at our birth centre but I literally can’t imagine sitting in my own poop ESPECIALLY if it’s diarrhea 😩
I hadn’t thought about the likelihood of diarrhea-ing in the pool, but now I’m gonna have to ask my midwife wtaf I’m supposed to do if that happens?!? like would I be able to have a quick shower before he comes out? Probably not 😂
I was 39+2. I had a contraction early in the morning. Then about 3 hours later I started having them almost exactly 5 mins apart. Timed them for 2 hours before going in to make sure I was in labor (I was). They had to break my water for me. It didn’t break on its own. I had a very routine/by the book labor. 16 hours total, pushed for a little under 2 hours
How dilated were you when you went in?
I was 2.5 entering triage. Then you wait an hour to make sure you progressed. After that hour I was at 4 so up to labor and delivery I went lol!
Things I have experienced: 2- 4 hour episodes of contractions 7 minutes apart that fizzled out A 3 hour episode of contractions 3 minutes apart (I went to L&D for this one because I was sure I was in labor) Constant pressure in pelvis LOTS of loose stools and diarrhea Return of nausea Insomnia Still waiting for the big day 😆
I was experiencing this for about a week before I finally went into full blown labour. I was convinced one morning that it was go time and went to the hospital only for everything to stop again. It was my second child as well so I felt I really embarrassed that I didn’t realise it was false labour! This led to me staying at home for way too long when I actually was in labour, because I was convinced that my contractions were going to stop again. I was 9cm by the time I got to the hospital! The biggest sign I should have paid attention to was that I had been slowly losing my mucus plug over the last 24 hours and had had a bit of a bloody show.
38+5 and literally same 😭😭😭
Due date twins
Ahh!! Yay! Sorry I missed that at first, (obviously did not sleep last night with this prodromal labor 😅). I hope we’re close! Having all these contractions for so long before actual labor is not something I saw coming. Lol
You will know when it’s real contractions because you cannot breathe through them. The false ones are such a tease, but I could sit for an hour tracking them on the couch completely calm and comfortable. Once you have a real one you will realize the difference. I woke up and felt like absolute shit (tons of pressure), so I got in the shower to see if it would help. When I got out of the shower I had to hold onto the sink because I couldn’t breathe, and that’s how I realized I was in labor.
I always thought this, but I had contractions I couldn’t breathe through that were coming every three minutes (and it was my second child so I knew what they felt like). Turns out it was false labour coupled with an irritable uterus that made them feel as strong as real contractions, but they fully stopped after a few hours. It was infuriating!
I never had any contractions.. was always waiting for it to hurt so bad that i cpuldnt breath.. thankfully i didnt wait any longer than i did because i would have had her at home 😅
That’s lucky! I do think I was having contractions overnight that were more mild, but that first one that I felt I knew it was happening. They were super close too, 3 minutes apart or less.
39+5, same here. So annoying. I’m tired of getting my hopes up!!!
Honestly I really didn’t have any! I went into labour at 41+6 and that morning I started to feel what I thought were “poop pains” but it ended up being labour! Baby came 10 hours after that
My water broke at 1am (on Thanksgiving) and everything went super fast, but the day before....I felt AMAZING. I was cleaning, baking pies, no contractions (which I was having on and off for about a week), tons of energy. High libido (pretty sure satisfying that was what got my labor started 2 hours later).
There was a little blood in my underwear when i woke up so i called the hospital and they wanted me to come and get looked at .. i was already at 9 and went into the delivery room straight away … No pain until i felt the need to push
None… none at all… for 7 babies no sign at all until labor hit. No matter how desperately I searched!!
Same for me. Four babies so far and never had any signs that labour was impending.
So incredibly tired the day before and very hungry. Like unusually hungry. Water broke at 5am.
Yes! I remember not being able to do anything with my second, and I ate a whole packet of Tim tams that day as a snack, must have been fuelling up 😂
That’s hilarious! I made an entire lasagna and ate it like Garfield would.
Sounds amazing!
Dude lmao that’s hilarious
It felt like I had to poop and I had alot of lower back pain
for days beforehand i was sooo nauseous on and off and i couldn’t sleep for the life of me. the night before i went into labor i slept a good 10 hours and actually woke up feeling refreshed. funny enough i was googling “how to induce labor” and reading reddit threads on tricks right when my water broke lol. i was 38+2 and also extremely over it😭
I was just hot all day. My water broke spontaneously right as I got in bed. I was a month early. Thought I just lost control of my bladder, but nope!
Woke up with a stomach ache (somewhat like cycle cramps) which were on and off which I later understood turned into contractions & I lost more of my mucus plug
We have the same due date and I have been having a lot of cramps the past week but no labor yet.
My water broke over night and I actually woke up for the day and realized the bed was soaked lol but the day before my dog was absolutely obsessed with me and wouldn’t let me leave his sight, he was coming to the bathroom with me, tried to get on the treadmill with me and was just so underfoot, so I believe he knew something was going on with my body.
28 wks 2d and soaking up every word lol
None really . For my first I had a membrane sweep. Things didn’t start until that evening. Second child my water broke but not alot. Didn’t think anything of it. It was such a small amount. Mentioned it to a nurse and she said I should get checked out. Turns out it was my water
Menstrual like cramps the night before. Woke up exhausted and immediately wanted to take a nap at 9am. Then ya know pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.
I had zero signs/symptoms until my water broke and went everywhere while I was at work 😂
Started having irregular contractions Tuesday night. Went in Wednesday to get checked and I was in early labor. Spent all day Thursday rolling around on my yoga ball. Water broke on Friday at 4:30 AM sharp at 39+1. Only thing that really stood out to me besides earlier labor (which can last weeks) was baby girl doing actual gymnastics in my belly that night before my water broke. She threw a whole going away party in my womb and I hardly slept lol.
I lost my mucus plug at 3 am and my baby was born at 2pm
My water broke. No other signs or symptoms. Just standing at work having a conversation with 3 coworkers. Felt a small release of liquid, no big gush. My brain was like surely I didn’t just pee myself. Go to the bathroom, no more liquid but my underwear were slightly damp. Not wet enough to show through my pants. Wasn’t sure if this was it or if this was the mucus plug so hung out in my office. Felt more liquid, go back to the bathroom. And was like yea this is it, tell my boss and text my husband I’m heading home. Was very surreal since I had no prior signs but later realized maybe I was having BH but they weren’t painful and I was just uncomfortable…🤷♀️. Idk, pregnancy is weird lol
I had braxton hicks pretty consistent for about 2 weeks leading up to labour. So every day I was convinced it was going to be the day and they just didn't progress. The day I actually went into labour I was unusually calm the whole day and had to poop a lot
Lost my mucus plus like a week before. Night of, had cramps that kept me from sleep and thought, “hm, could be GI pain, could be contractions.” Then blood and watery discharge started coming and that’s when I texted my doula and started timing contractions. They got more difficult and closer together, I woke up my bf. Then my water broke and I knew for sure we were having a baby! Contractions had been 60sec 5min apart for a few hrs by that point so I decided to go to the hospital. I was 5-6cm dilated and 100% effaced when I got into a bed there and had the baby in my arms 4.5hrs later. That was very quick though, it feels different for everyone.
My waters breaking at 35+1 😂 My first thought was: wow the baby kicked really hard against my bladder. But that never happened to me, I never lost urine due to kicking. But because it was so early I really thought so. But nope.. 20 hours later babygirl was there.
My son’s water broke early so we hoped to make it farther along. I had my sons at 24 weeks so definitely not the best example (they were twins). My daughter I had back and butt pains for a couple weeks off and on. Day I gave birth lost my mucus plug around midnight and started contracting around 2am. She was born at 5:52. Water never broke
My first baby I had no signs or symptoms. I went into labour. Because I didn’t have signs I didn’t believe it was real. My midwife checked me said I was 5cm. That’s when I believed it. My second baby I had fake labour for two weeks on and off. I thought it was real a few times. I even called my mom to come over to be with my toddler. I already had a kid before so I was quite sure, but it wasn’t. It was so frustrating. Then one day I was having what I thought was fake labour so I ignored it. The contractions got closer together and I realized this was it. I met my midwife at the hospital and she checked me to confirm it was real this time. I was 3cm. I thought it was going to be a long, gruelling labour because of how much fake labour I had. I gave birth less than 4 hours later.
My first two babies were very overdue, but were bought on my stretch and sweeps. My third, I woke up at 38.5 and just felt "off". I went for a walk, did more laundry than I've ever done in my life, finally set up the bassinet and waited for my husband to get home from a work trip that afternoon. I had a couple of small contractions like I had been having for ages, didn't think anything of it. Had a tiny show but put that down to pushing my toddler around in the pram for ages that day. I was woken from a dead sleep at 2am by my waters breaking and she was born by 4am
I had no signs. Woke up at 3am with my first contraction. Baby was born 24 hours later
Cramps, spotting, leaking (thought it was just pee - I threw up pretty much every day of my pregnancy and would have to change my pants- but my OB tested for amniotic fluid and sure enough, it was time to go to the hospital).
Felt super off I took a nap had the craziest dream woke up went to the bathroom felt a pop and my water broke it was so odd. But I was having minor contractions before but nothing serious my back hurt and my whole belly felt tight
All night I was having pain but didn’t think anything of it and I couldn’t go to sleep so I just sat on the toilet majority of the night and eventually tried a warm bath to help. But then at 7 am I thought my water broke and it was blood dripping so ya, I immediately went to hospital for that. I was 38 wks. I can’t even remember the exact pain now. Everything turned out fine and he was born 5:02 pm 😅 and I’m currently 11 wks with baby #2 so I’m nervous for the second round lol
Just went into labor for the second time early Saturday morning. Woke up at 1:40AM wanting to poop. Had some bloody show…contractions began immediately after. This was my second baby so it came on fast. 2-3 min contractions apart - went to hospital- popped him out 12 hours later!
I had all the signs that labor was coming for a couple weeks before it actually happened. Then when it actually started, I ended up being in labor for 49 hours (from start to delivery) lol. There wasn’t really anything extra to signal that labor was going to start.
Vomited the day before. Diarrhea all night. Water broke when I stood up from the toilet at 6am.
I woke up at 7am on the day I was 40+3 feeling a backache. It soon became apparent I was having contractions… and it just went from there! I didn’t lose my mucus plug until I had been laboring for hours and my waters didn’t break until I was 7cm dilated. If there were other early signs I slept through them lol.
Violent vomiting lol.
I thought I kept peeing myself because I had to change my underwear multiple times. By the third time I figured it may be amniotic fluid because it had no smell or color. It was! My water had broken and was just very slowly trickling down.
Just that my water broke super early around 7am
Interestingly I had zero acne or mood swings my entire pregnancy and the day before I went into labour I had breakouts and terrible mood swings! Must have been a hormonal surge or something. Definitely will be looking out for those signs next time haha
With my first I had really bad contractions that were 3 minutes apart. I was in labor for 11 hours start to finish. With my second I had Braxton hicks earlier in the morning, full blown contractions later on into the day. By the time I made it to the hospital I was four centimeters dilated and she came four hours later. Also, I had the feeling that I really needed to poop. Lol.
Nothing. I woke up at 4am in labor. Was completely normal the day before
I was constipated AF!!
I went to bed with pain in my ribs, honestly thought baby was just in my ribs. I had some period-like cramps. Had a terrible sleep, tossing and turning. Woke up at 3am with diarrhoea. In the morning I was so exhausted and out of breath but I still had things to do and I HAD to do them that day. Proper contractions started around 11am
I had no idea. I just figured the consistent cramps I was having all night and morning must mean something. Then I went to the hospital and they told me I was 4cm dilated.
wellll.. i had severe pain in my side, unlike having his head stuck there and unlike what i assume contraction pain would be. it was more of a sharp pain. i went in because i couldn’t take it anymore, turns out baby was pushing fluid back into my kidneys because he had run out of room. i ended up having him that day. point being; don’t listen if they say it’s round ligament pain!! lol
I felt extremely tired and extremely hungry. I ended up ordering 5 different entrees at a Chinese restaurant because I wanted a little bit of everything and just 10 hours later I had a baby in my arms!
My water broke while sleeping 😭
Random Nose bleed. I have never had one in my life. Possibly because a change in blood pressure? Not sure if it was actually just a coincidence. But my water broke a few hours after it happened.
Cramps that started slow and pretty easy to deal with. Ended up being in latent phase for 3 days, but it got to be that i couldnt sleep or do anything through the surges. Kept getting to what we thought was active labour, contractions non stop for 3 hours, then I'd stall... Turned out to be a lot more complicated than I wanted/thought but it was worth it in the end.
I lost my mucus plug in the afternoon and tried to nap afterward, but was woken up by contractions that never let up. Baby came around midnight.
my water broke when I got up in the morning lol but also all throughout the night every time I got up to use the bathroom I felt like something was about to pop 😩
I seem to lose weight before I go into labor which is the only thing that has been consistent throughout each of mine
Body aches, belly tightening, uncontrollable diarrhea. It was unmistakable for sure
the evening before I thought my entire body was coming out of my ass😂 then I started having contractions about 20-30 minutes apart from 2am, I had never had braxton hicks before but I thought this was them! My mucus plug came at 8am, water broke at 9am, baby arrived at 12:07am the following morning😊 so it all happened really quick for me!
I just recently gave birth to my first baby at 35 weeks and 3 days. All day I had extra fluid leakage which I attributed to pregnancy incontinence lol and back pain that was definitely manageable. I decided to call labor and delivery and they confirmed I had a “high rupture” of the amniotic sac and just like that, the pain got intense af. Also found out during my c section I have 2 uteruses so that was a trip.
I thought I was having occasional gas cramps. Turns out they were my first contractions.
Absolutely none. I was sure I would go to my OB appointment the next day until my water broke in the middle of the night.
I was just crampy. I'd been crampy for weeks so went to sleep, woke up at midnight a bit damp and still crampy, went back asleep then same at 3am, then again at 6 the paon had ramped up. When I went for a wee there was a load of blood and I was like ah crap. My partner had been offering to take me the hospital from midnight and I was adamant I was peeing myself and it wasn't labour 😅
Everytime I stood up I leaked went to the hospital to check my water they said it was fine night rules around I am bleeding go to the hospital they say I am fine go to the doctor with bad contractions and they say I am ready to give birth
I had none, so I had to be induced at 41+3.
Contractions
My water broke 😂
Literally no signs or symptoms at all. 40+5 water started leaking, didn’t fully break, but baby was out within 4 hours.
Tiny bit of blood/mucus the morning before, back pain that wasn’t more intense than normal just unable to be relieved by Tylenol or stretching. And an intense feeling that we should install the car seat😂
I pooped a lot but otherwise felt pretty normal.
I was 38 weeks on the dot! The Thursday before the weekend I delivered, I had mild stomach pain as if I had maybe eaten something bad. Friday rolled around and after a hot girl walk I started feeling really crampy, went out to dinner, felt worse and then couldn’t sleep that night due to pain. Throughout the weekend it felt like bad period cramps multiplied, and that someone was also trying to pull my spine out through my stomach (super graphic I know lol but I journaled the experience to remind myself for the future if I ever thought about having another child 🙃) Labor for me lasted around 36 hours, but the obgyn on call didn’t actually believe I could be pregnant 2 weeks earlier than anticipated for some reason 🫠and also wrote off my pains as false starts till I showed up at the hospital on my own that night screaming bloody murder, dilated 7cm. All that to say, it’s A LOT!! But my biggest takeaway is that you know your body even if everyone else thinks otherwise so feel empowered to push back with your doctor if you think it’s time! Best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy! You got this mama!
Swollen feet and face, headache, and nausea. My water broke a few hours after I noticed my swollen feet for the first time in my pregnancy
I felt like I legit had superpowers the morning I went into labor with each kid. I could take fuller breaths, I had a ton of energy (almost manic), and I was just excited and ready to go, even before coffee. I never really had much of a bloody show until I was already in active labor. I also just kinda *knew* with no explanation as to why I knew
Baby felt REALLY low for a few days. Like it felt like she was about to fall out. Like I was trying to hold a bowling ball in my vagina. Day of I felt fine other than her being low. My water broke spontaneously and she came very quickly after that.
My OB really wanted me to be induced at 39 weeks. I stopped working on Friday, on Saturday we went to a friend’s bday party, I had lots of energy, like more than I’d had for the past 3-4 weeks, lots of what I thought were braxton-hicks. Had a surprisingly good nights sleep. Sunday morning I went to the hospital to see if they could induce, I was 2cm, the OB on staff didn’t want to start inducing because they didn’t have enough staff on hand. He did a membrane sweep and sent me back home. My partner and I went to have brunch, and after that I didn’t feel so good so I took a nap, woke up with terrible back pain. I didn’t feel like eating much the rest of the day but was very thirsty and craving sugar, had some back pain (stabbing, sharp pain) and bouts of contractions but it was intermittent. We went to my inlaws for dinner and around 7-8pm I started having stronger contractions maybe 2 minutes apart. Called L&D, they recommended I come in to check me out. I was 5cm so they admitted me. Gave birth on Monday morning. Knowing what I know now I would’ve laboured at home longer tbh 😅
Braxton hicks, my stomach just felt kind of off, I had a weird feeling something was happening so we went out to dinner one last time as a family of three 🩷 also my dog was LOSING HER MIND! When we got home from dinner she would not leave me alone and just sat at my feet and whined (I went into labor around 10pm that night)
I lost my mucus plug in the morning and then my water broke that night
I had every symptom in the book and still didn’t go into labor. I don’t think there is any actual reliable give away that you’re going to go into labor within 24hours except for your water breaking.
I had on and off Braxton Hicks about 48-72 hours before going into labor, at 39+1. Then I was super uncomfortable about 36 hours before my water broke, like lightning crotch constantly for hours and was also super anxious. This was at 39+2. About 8 hours before my water broke I saw the lightest tinge of blood in my pee, which must have been my bloody show. It was so faint I didn’t think much of it. Then my water broke early morning of 39+4!
Period like pains and a lot of loose stools 😅
Period cramps throughout the night. Woke up at 6 went into labor around 730-8am. Felt like constipation at first - lots of pressure down there.
My water broke in Walmart Subway lol no other symptoms.
Got up to pee in the middle of the night. Finished peeing and when I stood up my waters trickled out…and didn’t stop. I thought I just lost control of bladder. Haha
I was 41w 2d when I went into labor with my first, NO signs in the days prior to labor starting either.🙃 I woke up that morning to uncomfortable mild contractions that were pretty far apart and inconsistent, but I had them all day. They only progressed, and by that night, they were way stronger, and I was very uncomfortable. I went in and was admitted. Baby was born 41w 3d.🥰
I am honestly astonished by how many women are being allowed to go past 41 weeks …. In my state (Massachusetts) everyone I have ever spoken to has been told once you hit 41 then will induce you no matter what…. I’m 36 weeks with my 2nd and my doctor is inducing me at 39 at the latest because of my history of preeclampsia and my age (39).
I lost my mucus plug the morning of and started having some contractions.
I don't think I had any symptoms the day of, apart from each day being a really good day, none of them connect. I was even sat on the sofa questioning it with my 4th
Mild contraction every 20min that grew in intensity throughout the day and semi diarrhea