How was your early labor?

lolob45

I am lurking from Oct '13 board ... my c-section is scheduled 10/10 but i've been having PTL since 24wks with 2 additional l&d trips of PTL at 34weeks and false labor last week at 37w. I feel like b/c I am constantly having contractions I won't know when i'm actually in labor ... i've felt like "this is it" so many times. Feeling pretty exhausted...

I'd love to hear any stories of women who had pretty good signs of pre-labor aside from water breaking... I know everyone is different but I can't help but wonder if what i'm feeling might be signs.... (i.e. energy spurt yesterday, mucousy/watery discharge, cramping, increase in pressure down low, contractions 4-8min apart all morning). 

Thank you!

CaliforniaDream87

Once my contractions became time able (5-8 minutes apart) I knew I was in early labor. I didn't go into L&D until my contractions were 4-5 minutes apart, and unbearable. My water broke an hour later.

Like you said everyone is different.

carrotcake06

Looking back, there were signs but I dismissed them all as "this could be something but is prob nothing". Besides, I was having twice weekly NSTs, so if anyone was concerned labor was imminent, they'd let me know.

I started having irregular contrax and an increase in discharge a week before my water broke. The contrax went from mildly painful to stop what I'm doing painful but were never timeable. I had them during NSTs and no one was worried. I was also 1.5cm and 70% at 32ish weeks. My water broke at 34w.

Once my water broke, the contrax changed completely. Intensely painful and immediately 5-7 min apart. I had my twins about 90min after my water broke via emergency c/s under general anesthesia due to baby a's prolapsed cord. Regardless, I was at a 6 less than an hour after my water broke. It was going to be a fast labor either way.

WashingtonQueen

You really won't know what things were pre-labor signs until hindsight.

cinderin

I didn't have any "symptoms" until my water broke. Lo broke my water about a week before my edd. I did have Braxton hicks, etc, but no actual labor signs.

RoosterMemphis

You'll just know. But honestly I didn't realize what was what until well after I delivered.

BabyE143

I had been contracting for about 3 weeks with BHs (I don't care what anyone says, there's nothing false about those contractions they push you to labor). I had my membranes stripped the day before (I was 3cm, 80%) I went into labor. The day of, I had a lot of BH contractions and I walked, A LOT. I went shopping and was on my feet for 4-5 hrs. That night around 7:00pm I contracted for the first time and it felt like a deep period cramp they were about 7-8 minutes apart. By 10pm my contractions were 3-4 min apart. When I got to the hospital I was 6 cm dilated 100%effaced. I had baby E at 12:54 that morning, all natural.

You will know the difference. They are regular and intense. Mine slowly built, peaked, and then gradually loosened. I felt myself open up and didn't fight it. I just breathed through it and sat on a birthing ball the entire labor.

MommyKristin88

I didn't really believe I was in labor until the pain became hard to talk through. I was contracting regularly for a few hours before that point, but I was not uncomfortable so I thought they would stop. Besides that, no extra signs. No water breaking, no loose stools, nothing that anyone else calls early labor signs. Just contractions.

tanabeans

I went by timing them. My contractions started t 20 min apart and never got very intense. Everyone says to wait till you can't talk through them and for me that wasn't until I was transitioning

tanabeans

I went by timing them. My contractions started t 20 min apart and never got very intense. Everyone says to wait till you can't talk through them and for me that wasn't until I was transitioning

BubblyDevil

I started feeling "off" the day before my water broke. A little unbalanced, and confused. It was like I was in a fog.

I got a burst of energy also that night and organized the hospital bag and cleaned.

My water broke the following afternoon and I delivered LO the next morning, 5 weeks early.

Kebert618

The really bad cramps and lower back pain for sure! My doc said its real when you can't walk or talk through a contraction...and like others said, you'll just know! I didn't believe that whole "you'll know" thing until it actually happened....but it's true!

PrimRoseMama

I had nights of contractions 8 to 10 minutes apart from 38 weeks onward until the real deal (after a membrane sweep) at 41w2d. Add the pressure on my cervix & the last weeks were exhausting. I feel your pain.

mommabmb

OP, I know this isn't what you want to hear (because it isn't what I wanted to hear) but you might "just know"... You might not. You might have signs, you may have none, and you may have some in hind sight. It's a (difficult) waiting game, but there is no other way to play. Good luck, and things will go how they are supposed to go.

carlieanddanwedding

I had no signs, not even BH. Then the night after her EDD, I woke up with noticeable but mild contractions. I got out of bed to hang out and read my book to see if they would get more intense (wanted to let DH sleep as long as I could! ) and an hour later my water broke! 13 hours after that she was here. And my contractions never got regular/timetable, even towards the end.

MitsB707

I was in early labor for 3 weeks before my water decided to break one morning. I had back labor and timetable contractions for hours on end randomly during that time. The day my water broke was an ordinary day, no warning at all. Sorry, op. Sometimes there is no warning signs at all.