Question about your last pregnancy...Contractions and labor signs?

Re: Question about your last pregnancy...Contractions and labor signs?

• Ashleypixie member

  January 2014

  The difference for me was the timing. My BHs were less defined, and there wasn't a clear beginning or ending of each. With real labor there was an obvious space between contractions. I'm not sure you "just know" because it took me about two hours to accept that I was in real labor. I initially thought i had gotten food poisoning and thought I might crap my pants all morning, but the feeling would go away and come back. I lost my mucous plug the night before but I had never even read about that before and had no clue what had just came out of my body. It's very unlikely that you won't have enough time to get to the hospital, it's usually a slow process for most women most of the time! If you're lucky you're water will break first anyways. Besides, it wouldn't even be the worst thing if you had to drive yourself and your son to L&D if it had to come to that.

   
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

   

  
  

                                                                 

  
  

                   

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• momofmanyinthemitten member

  January 2014

  Once they were 2 min apart I went in, but I still wasn't dilated enough to stay. I went back in a couple hours later after my water broke.
  

  
  

   
  
  

  

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• BuckeyeWife07 member

  January 2014

  DD1 was induced, so I felt the same way as you with DD2. I honestly agree with the "you just know" comments. The biggest thing that I noticed was the idea that you can't walk or talk through the real ones. They really make you stop.  I sort of knew I was in labor all night because they just seemed a lot stronger than the million braxton hicks I'd been having. When they got to about 8 minutes apart they were noticeably uncomfortable and I would stop talking, texting, etc. mid-sentence until they were over. That's about when I had DH call his parents to watch DD1. 

  
  
  
  

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• TheAnalyticalMommy member

  January 2014

  Thanks for the comments! What's throwing me off, I guess, is that the bad ones i get now are similar to the ones i got while on Pitocin. So they feel like the "real" contractions I had while being induced. I hope I'll just know!! I'd hate to have the baby at home !! haha

  Rachel (a.k.a. The Analytical Mommy.com and @analyticalmommy on IG)
  I'm just trying to make sense of things :-) 
  

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• sandraanddrew member

  January 2014

  I am in the same boat.  I was induced with DS so have no clue what going into labour on my own feels like.  The other night I was having contractions I couldn't talk through in a regular pattern but the closest they got was 6 min apart.  They lasted about 3 hours at 6 min.  Then they spread back out to about 15 min apart.  Which is what they still are at 3 days later.  My doctor wants me to call him when they get close again but to wait it out at this point.

  

  
  

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• iverske9 member

  January 2014

  My contractions were way more painful, where as the BH were more annoying than painful. Also the Contractions kept coming and no water, sitting feet up, etc changed them. Don't freak to much most (not all of course) can totally feel the pain that comes with labor. 

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• cMichelle0423 member

  January 2014

  I had BH throughout most of my first pregnancy (started around 16 weeks). The night I went onto labor, I like instantly knew when I had my first real contraction. For me, it was a lot more than just tight feeling in my belly. Which was what BH felt like for me. It was like a sharp pain that felt like it hurt from the inside out. My belly also got hard but there was an actual pain to it rather than discomfort.
  
  Of course every woman has a different experience with labor and contractions. So my best advice (aside from double checking with your OB/MW) is time them. I'm not sure what your dr would tell you, but mine said go to L&D if I get contractions lasting 1 min long, and 5 min apart, for 2 hours. Or listen to your body and go earlier than 2 hours if you feel like you're progressing faster.

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• food_chick member

  January 2014

  My water broke with my first, but with my second I started spotting overnight/early in the AM and thought I might be having contractions.  By mid-morning they weren't consistent at all but were definitely there (I want to say they were similar to menstrual cramps but wrapped all around my body, but it has been a few years).  I took a nap when my son did that afternoon and then started walking when we got up, they went from sporadic (anywhere from 2-10 minutes apart) to 5 minutes apart instantly.  And got stronger.  Called the hubby to come home and we went in.  

  

  BFP 5/12/13 mmc 6/14/13
  

  
  

  

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