Calling all Moms who have gone into labor on their own

williswifey2 · May 2013

I was induced with DD so I don't know what it feels like to go into labor naturally. I have awful period-like cramping today here at work and I have to poop. I was pooping earlier today with not much strain but now I feel like if I were to keep trying to poop I'd give myself another hem, which I don't want. I've read where cramping/pooping is a sign that labor could soon start. I'd like to hear your early signs before you went into labor...thanks! Oh and my BH these past few weeks have become more frequent, not no real pattern.

williswifey2 · May 2013

**but no real pattern**

amarissa85 · May 2013

I felt a bit achey and had some sporadic contractions early in the day which turned into active labor as time progressed.

Soleil3 · May 2013

I went into labor on my own both times, but honestly there weren't any real signs.

Kari Merks · May 2013

I had contractions about 10 minutes apart off and on for about a week before I delivered. The day before I went into labor I pooped a ton and then woke up in the middle of the night with PAINFUL cramps/contractions. Then pooped again and then the contractions ramped up.

With my first my water broke - a slow leak - and I didn't have strong contractions so I worried I wouldn't know when I was in labor, too, but with my second and third I had regular contractions and immediately knew it was real. GL!

krystalanstey · May 2013

My early contractions felt much like period cramps and they just continued to get more painful and more frequent throughout the day.

mben1119 · May 2013

I didn't even realize that I was in labor when I was. I was at work, and I started having really bad menstrual-type cramps. Mine weren't time-able at all, just random. After 9 hours of that, paired with some bleeding (which at the time, I blamed on my internal the day before), I finally got DH to take me to L&D, where I found out I was 6 cm dilated.

Mrs.KMid · May 2013

this! They were every 20 min apart in the beginning.

Mrs.Handy · May 2013

Menstrual like cramps that got progressively worse.

Pooping was definitely a large part of early labor, I was in and out of the bathroom. Then there was some puking and I knew it was the real deal.

erineliza311 · May 2013

I went into labor on my own with my first at 36w 6d. I left work that afternoon feeling sick to my stomach. I went to bed without dinner and when my DH called from his second shift job at 8:30 pm, I didn't even want to talk to him. I went back to sleep but was awakened at 11:30 pm feeling like I had to have a BM.

I shuffled into our bathroom, took care of business, but still felt crampy. I went to lay down, thinking a change in position would help. It did not. I got back up and my water broke. Called DH, took a shower and contractions were timeable and intense by that point.

DH was home by 12:30 am, got to hospital by 1 am, baby was born at 1:54 am. No drugs - no time! I was 10 cm when I got there. I remember thinking that if the contractions got any worse than they were while I was pacing the house, waiting for DH to get home and packing my bag, I would not be able to handle them. But, they never did. Giving birth to that boy was the most empowering moment of my life.

thegoodpotato · May 2013

No real signs. Actually, no signs. I went from nada to labour.

But I might just be weird.

JaimeCH · May 2013

I pooped a lot before I started labor. Had a lot of light and timeable BH like contractions with a little more pain that eventually grew closer together, stronger, and in my back.

Liz4444 · May 2013

My water broke.

WashingtonQueen · May 2013

The morning I started labor I felt like I was having period cramps. Early afternoon I had a bloody show and figured out what the cramps were. Throughout the day I had a lot of diarrhea.

meggers102 · May 2013

No signs at all with my first. No BH, no nothing. My water broke in the middle of the night and I was 38w 3d. I woke DH up and we both took showers and got ready to head to the hospital. No contractions until about an hour after my water broke.

mrsf123 · May 2013

Everyone is different.

My early contractions felt like I had to poop badly but nothing was coming out.

The day before I went in to labor, I was at a work meeting and had 5 contractions in a row. Then they stopped until the next day.

I don't recall the pooping a lot thing, but I have heard that can happen.

You'll know.

BelhurstBride · May 2013

The day before I had some bleeding and cramping, both of which I related to the previous day's internal, and had a ton of BMs. Overall I felt pretty cruddy but not enough to prevent me from going home, mowing lawn and working in my gardens.

The next morning I woke up with a lot of back pain and more abdominal pain. Eventually it dawned on me that I was in labor.

kcox123 · May 2013

With my first my water broke (it was a trickle not a gush). I had my baby 13.5 hours later.

With my second I woke up with what I thought were diarhea cramps. Well, they were but even after emptying my bowels th ecramping didn't stop. I had an outside baby 1 hour 45 min later.

I was induced with my third.

NiksMama · May 2013

thegoodpotato:
No real signs. nbsp;Actually, no signs. I went from nada to labour.But I might just be weird. nbsp;;

This for me too. I woke up at 1am with really strong back labor. Zero to 60.

kathleen02 · May 2013

amarissa85:
I felt a bit achey and had some sporadic contractions early in the day which turned into active labor as time progressed.

This was me as well. I never had BH contractions so that was no indication for me. I didn't necessarily feel periody just achy and could feel contractions. I did do the dooh but it only lasted a in the morning the day I went into labor. If you feel like you want to pick things up (I didn't see how far along you were) get walking. Stairs are helpful, rocking on an excercise ball, rotating your hips, etc. Rest also. You'll need as much energy as you can save.

ETA: I see you're only 37+ weeks. Hmm...I probably wouldn't do anything of the above I suggested. If it gets too uncomfortable I'd call your doc.

luvmyducks · May 2013

Early contractions were like menstrual cramps but time-able for me. I had the cramps for a couple weeks before actual labor but they changed the night before I gave birth. The would come in waves--start out minor and then peak more painful and then subside again. Then they would go away completely and then repeat 15+min later. The next morning around 2am I woke up bc they were more painful and they started coming every 5-10min. Then they just increased in intensity after that and eventually I got back labor. I don't remember feeling the need to have a bowel movement. I did lose my mucus plug the day before.

rissa06 · May 2013

thegoodpotato:
No real signs. Actually, no signs. I went from nada to labour.
But I might just be weird.

this happened with me with #2. With number one, was water broke.

CalMum_Momma · May 2013

My first sign of labor for both kids was my water breaking. With DS that was followed by painful timeable contractions about an hour later. With DD the contractions came about 15 min later. Both times there was no warning.

markhamgurl · May 2013

krystalanstey:
My early contractions felt much like period cramps and they just continued to get more painful and more frequent throughout the day.

This. I had no other signs otherwise. Water didn't break and I didn't start to lose my mucous plug until several hours into the contractions (right as they got more difficult to bear). I had to poop at this stage, too.. But it wasn't a lot. HTH!

amahar02 · May 2013

My water broke

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