Bored and curious- STM survey

blessedandhopeful · May 2014

Questions have been asked in the past about specific signs of impending labor. I'm 40+2 today and...let's just say I'm slightly impatient and acutely aware of any and all twinges and changes that may or may not be happening. So, as a way to gather a bunch of anecdotal evidence, what signs lead up to you going into labor? If you never did go into labor, besides planned c-sections, do you know the reason why (positioning and such)? Was it something likely to happen again, or mostly a fluke? My favorite stories are, "Oh, I was sitting on my couch and my water broke without warning!" Things like that give me hope.

But anyway, let's hear about your early labor experience!

blessedandhopeful · May 2014

I'll start.

I never went into labor with DS1. I was induced right at 41 weeks at 0 cm dilation and 0% effacement. Needless to say, it resulted in a c-section due to failure to progress. I have to wonder if I had pushed to wait even half a week more, if anything would have happened on its own. I do think positioning had something to do it with. DS1 was sunny-side up and stayed high the whole time.

Right now DS2 is realllllly low. I am dilated a fingertip as of last week, and pressure is building. I am hoping this means I will go into labor by 41 weeks, because that is my doctor's cut off for attempting VBAC. I know we'll be scheduling a c-section at my appointment tomorrow for next week if I make it that far without going into labor.

noice247 · May 2014

I didn't notice anything leading to labor and then my water broke in the middle of the night at 39 weeks 3 days and I had DS that afternoon. I hope this happens again... Soon

LoveIsAll25 · May 2014

blessedandhopeful said:

I'll start.

I never went into labor with DS1. I was induced right at 41 weeks at 0 cm dilation and 0% effacement. Needless to say, it resulted in a c-section due to failure to progress. I have to wonder if I had pushed to wait even half a week more, if anything would have happened on its own. I do think positioning had something to do it with. DS1 was sunny-side up and stayed high the whole time.

Right now DS2 is realllllly low. I am dilated a fingertip as of last week, and pressure is building. I am hoping this means I will go into labor by 41 weeks, because that is my doctor's cut off for attempting VBAC. I know we'll be scheduling a c-section at my appointment tomorrow for next week if I make it that far without going into labor.

This is similar to my delivery with DS1. Except my cervix closed up at the end and my DS1 heart rate was going crazy so they recommended a csection.

JKTTC1 · May 2014

On a Friday I was having bad period like cramps and lower back hurting versus upper back.

Saturday I went to a farm and walked around with DS all day and had bad swelling. We went nonstop.

Sunday went to church and then that evening went to get a carpet cleaning machine with my hubby around 5:30. My water broke in the store!!!

Went to labor and delivery and was kept for 5 hours since I had a fever but was still dilated to a 1 with contractions. Went home with pain medicine and rested all day Monday feeling bad.

Tuesday went to the doc where they did an ultrasound to check fluid and did a cervical swab to check for a high leak. Sure enough called back in an hour and said to check in to L&D to have the baby for risk of infection!

Junebug060609 · May 2014

Induced both times.

DS i had pre-e and delivered at 37+4. Vag delivery.

DD i had GD and was induced for low fluid at 38w. C/s after pushing for an hour due to her giant noggin.

jenb_99 · May 2014

I never went into labor with #1. He had a giant pumpkin head (thanks, DH!) and that thing was just not gonna fit through my pelvic opening or come into contact with my cervix. I had a pitocin induction (following a crapload of failed prostaglandin treatments), and all the contrax did was slam his head into my pelvis repeatedly and stress him out.

I'm having another c-section because I have a baseball-sized ovarian mass that needs to come out, but I opted for RCS even before it was discovered just because I liked the first one and no longer have a desire to experience a vaginal birth.

My doctor is 100% behind my choice, not just because of the secondary surgery but because she says babies' heads (and the babies themselves) generally don't get smaller with subsequent pregnancies, and she has zero faith in my body's ability to initiate labor.

chillypenguin · May 2014

DD1: My cervix started thing out early (34 weeks) but every appt I was not dilated at all. At 39 weeks, I walked 3 miles to try to get things moving. I had a lot of period like cramps the next few days. At 39w5d I was 3-4 cm dilated at my appt. Also had some bloody show. Doctor said she thought I would deliver within 24 hours. I went into labor that evening and she was born the next morning at 39w6d.

DD2: Had lots of cramps and contractions for weeks. Not dilated at all at 36w0d. Went to my appt at 36w6d and was 3-4 cm. I had lots of contractions the next 2 days and lost my mucus plug. Then my contractions stopped the next day. Woke up the following morning (37w2d) and my water had broken. She was born that afternoon.

Both pregnancies were so different at the end, and then L&D was so completely different with both of them too.

MrsT2008 · May 2014

With DD - at 39 weeks I was barely 1cm and about 70% effaced and her head was engaged. I had also lost my mucous plug at that point. Around 1am at 39w2d, I woke up to pee and was having minor contractions. They never let up but never got worse either. Totally bearable but 12-20 minutes apart. At 5am at 39w3d (so 24+ hours later) they suddenly jumped to 6ish minutes apart and I couldn't talk through them and we left for the hospital a couple hours later. DD was born just before 3pm.

Right now with this one (38w4d), I am 2cm and 50% effaced and she is fully engaged. I have been crampy all week but no pattern to it.

SMM1986 · May 2014

I went into labor with DS. I was 2cm dilated for a while and the day my contractions started I remember just feeling off. I also felt like my vagina was huge. In the early afternoon mild contractions started and got more regular and intense as the day went on so I knew it was the real thing.

ho11yday · May 2014

With my first, I went into labor only after being induced. I never noticed I was crampy, never felt off, nothing. I knew I was in labor only because the contractions were strong and consistent following my last dose of cytotec. Was induced due to low amniotic fluid.

With this LO, I feel a lot more crampy but nothing consistent, at least not like it was when I truly went into labor the last time.

ns1 · May 2014

With DD I woke up with contractions. They got closer and more intense. That's it. Nothing really beforehand clued me in that she'd be here soon. Looking back I did have a little clean-the-house weekend frenzy, but I think I only connected that after the fact.

mmks · May 2014

With my son I went into labor the day after my 1st cervical check at 41 weeks. The only sign I had that day before contractions started was an urge to stock the cupboards! Went to target and just had to buy more toilet paper - lol!
Never had BH so I pretty much knew it was the real deal when I started getting light contractions that afternoon. Had long prodomal labor though with light contractions for about a day and a half.

artroyer · May 2014

No signs at all before going into labor. I had contractions throughout the night but was able to sleep mostly until 4am when they were REALLY bad and only mins apart. I had only been 1cm for two weeks and was still that when I got to the hospital, so I really hadnoidea. It truly can happen whenever!

ksyknelvr73 · May 2014

Unfortunately I never went into labor, so I can't really offer that experience. I was induced at 39w3d. When I came into the hospital I was dilated to 2cm and 80% effaced so I think it helped my induction go smoother....but I honestly had ZERO signs of impending labor leading up to that. I probably would have gone past my due date had I not been induced.

CMDR513 · May 2014

1st- born via emerg c/s at 36w4d due to fetal distress during pre-e induction. Only got to 5 cm. 2nd- born via unmedicated VBAC last Friday at 37w6d. Lost plug Thurs and Fri. Water broke after a strong contraction at 7:30pm. Admittance- 5 cm and 10 cm by 10. Born at 10:58. My RCS was scheduled for the 12th.

bumpuser9353653 · May 2014

With DD1 - I was about 1 cm around 39wks and two days before her EDD, I woke up in the morning with what I assumed were contractions.
The next day I woke up in the morning with slightly stronger contractions. Started timing them and decided to head to the Birthing Inn around noon and got checked in at 4cm, 90% effaced.
Initial progress was great. Got to 6cm and OB broke my water. Made it to 8cm and then everything stalled. 6 hrs later and still no progress and DD was so high up that the OB said I should have only been 2cm (not 8). Tried pitocin, tried an epi to help with the pitocin pain. Nothing worked. The pitocin made me regress and DD never dropped.
Ended up with a c/s ... DD was sunny-side-up and doctor said my pelvic opening was very narrow.

Really hoping this kid keeps her face down and that my body does what it's supposed to do. Definitely more uncomfortable this time, but that could be the RLP. So anxious about everything!

pistolpackinmomma · May 2014

No labor for me. Breech baby. We'll see this time.

DaisyTortilla · May 2014

With DD, I just woke up around 1am with contractions, went in around 5 I was at a 1. They started pitocin broke my water and 12 hours later, I was at a 3.5, so I was thrown into a c/s. With DS, I was attempting a vbac but he got too big, I wasn't dilating so we set up a rcs. That is all.

jay3907 · May 2014

With DD I was 40+6 days and they broke my water and induced me. If I had known better back then(7 years ago) I wouldn't have agreed because it resulted in a c-section because she wouldn't come down. She kept falling asleep when I was contracting. I am currently 40+6 days today and went to the doctor yesterday. I am 1.5 cm dilated and 50% effaced and opted out of scheduling the induction while we were there. He's going to let me go until Tuesday and check me again to see where we are then. But he also did a membrane sweep yesterday, so fingers crossed my DS will be here soon.

Want a personalized experience?

Bored and curious- STM survey

Re: Bored and curious- STM survey

Choose Another Board

Search Boards