STMs - signs that labor is coming?

missnacholover · October 2014

I know everyone is different, but did you have any signs that, looking back, indicated that labor was on it's way?

Just curious!

CPM13 · October 2014

I got pretty nasty sciatica the last week before DD was born. I think it was because she finally dropped? But that was it.

alysonmh · October 2014

No signs for me last time, felt perfectly normal up until my water started leaking. This time around I'm dilated 3 cm and have had a lot of bloody show for almost a week and nothing has happened as far as labor starting.

abbyful · October 2014

I had no bloody show, and I never saw my mucus plug (I was was 6cm when I got to the hospital, so I must have lost it in the toilet at some point prior and didn't notice).

The day before DS was born, I took off work. I can't point to anything specific, I just felt different and thought the time may be near. Best I can describe it as is "intuition".

wildflower75 · October 2014

Nope, not one...
I had gone to work that day and I was watching American Idol that night and talking on the phone with my mom... water broke... small trickle...no advance warning

soulcupcake · October 2014

While I lost my MP and had bloody show, it wasn't really a "sign" labor was near because it's common to lose all or parts of the MP and have bloody show during VEs.

Other than the constant low, dull backache I had the last couple weeks, and a lot of pelvic floor pressure, nothing in the way of labor. I did get bouts of more frequent BH starting at 38 weeks with my youngest, and they continued the night before we induced, after sex, and the day of. But they were just BH. However, walking around at 5+ cm told me that it *could* be soon, and when it does start, things will move incredibly fast. It was the same with the others, too. I get up to 6-7+ before anything actually starts. And even then I feel fine.

JFH2010 · October 2014

I had minor cramping that felt like period cramps for a couple of days beforehand. But I knew that can go on for weeks, so I didn't think anything of it until my water broke while I was making breakfast one morning.

@aeonlux that is incredible that you can walk around at a 5+! I didn't get cervical checks during labor so I don't know how different dilations feel, but that seems so....laborish. Nice that your body does all that work without discomfort!

soulcupcake · October 2014

JFH2010 said:

I had minor cramping that felt like period cramps for a couple of days beforehand. But I knew that can go on for weeks, so I didn't think anything of it until my water broke while I was making breakfast one morning. @aeonlux that is incredible that you can walk around at a 5+! I didn't get cervical checks during labor so I don't know how different dilations feel, but that seems so....laborish. Nice that your body does all that work without discomfort!

I was totally convinced it was a fluke with my first. Even now I still wonder "So, when do we call you to come over?" I *know* they prefer STM+ to call when contractions are 3-1-1 that get progressively longer and stronger, but I've never experienced that. So I sort of feel like I won't know or realize something is up until way late, and then they'll have so little notice they'll miss the birth.

wallygirl · October 2014

No ma'am. I was 40w 2d. I had been dilated since checks started at 36 weeks. The two weeks prior I was 3 cm and 90% effaced. I had a few contractions on previous days but it was like one every once in a blue moon. I woke early morning with a contraction that was just different than those before. Fell back to sleep woke up with another and needing to go to the bathroom. My water did not break but I had bloody show.

Edit: total proof reading FAIL!

MuchlyGen · October 2014

@wallygirl 49w! That's some marathon gestating.

For me... this is probs TMI, but poop. All the poop. My body sure cleared itself out, both times I went into labor, before I even realized I was in labor. There was a thorough evacuation in the morning, and then in the evening contractions began.

lovingaddi · October 2014

Nada here either...just woke up one morning & contractions started when I was watching tv.

angelajo19 · October 2014

No signs for me either. I just woke up at 1:30 am to use the bathroom and my water broke and contractions started immediately.

mslynn2012 · October 2014

My water broke.

That's all I got. Sorry

mb314 · October 2014

The only sign I had was that 2 days before labor began, I had a lot of BMs, and many of them were loose and diarrhea like. After being constipated for song long, it was unexpected. It is a classic sign of labor. A few hours before labor started, I felt a lot of pelvic pressure. But it was the middle of the night, and in slept through it.

runningmama14 · October 2014

kakicloud said:

This will sound stupid, but my sign was contractions. I had regular contractions for 2 days before my labor really started. It's obvious now that it was early labor, but at the time I didn't know if they were ever going to speed up. Also another thing that happened was my cat, who is very attached to me, wouldn't leave my side at all a couple days before labor started. If she does that again I'm definitely taking it as a sign.

Haha! If cats are good predictors of labor, my 4 should keep me in the loop!

mander82 · October 2014

kakicloud said:

This will sound stupid, but my sign was contractions. I had regular contractions for 2 days before my labor really started. It's obvious now that it was early labor, but at the time I didn't know if they were ever going to speed up. Also another thing that happened was my cat, who is very attached to me, wouldn't leave my side at all a couple days before labor started. If she does that again I'm definitely taking it as a sign.

Aw crap....my cat has been up my ass the last couple days! lol....I really have no other signs though....so maybe she is just feeling snuggly

wallygirl · October 2014

@MuchlyGen‌ That is so what I get for not proof reading. I have to edit that

)

rahkitt · October 2014

With my first I just felt so exhausted from my poor sleep I went home from work early and rested all afternoon. No other signs until my water broke at midnight that night. With my second I had irregular and very uncomfortable braxton hicks all day. Then I relaxed in the tub for a while and they went away, and when I got out real contractions started and DS was born 1 hour 45 minutes later.

I'm reading this thread with great curiosity because I had bad braxton hicks every time I woke up in the night last night (lots of times, but I didn't keep track) and I'm having bloody show today. My intuition says it will be soon.

mrsodonnell12 · October 2014

With my first nothing other than being overdue haha.

With my second I had an inkling that I didn't recognize until after she was here haha! I just had this feeling before I went to bed. I Even text my bff before bed that maybe I'd have a baby that night. I was also over due by 6 days so it was bound to happen anytime haha

sAAmFam · October 2014

The cat thing may be true. My antisocial psycho cat has been really nice and lovable the past 2 weeks. He's been following me everywhere around the house. My other cat is acting super weird though. I have been wondering if he is sick.

SweetMelissa5 · October 2014

With DS, I was induced, and I had absolutely nothing happening prior to going to the hospital. With DD1, I had an NST at 41w3d, and they didn't record any contractions or see any indication that things were happening, then a few hours later, labor started, and she was born the next afternoon. With DD2, I was actually pretty shocked when I started having semi-regular contractions the night before her due date, and even when I got to the hospital I was only 1-2 cm dilated, but she was born about 5 hours later. So that's pretty much just a long-winded way of saying that I've never had any real sign of impending labor besides contractions.

mexinugget · October 2014

Nope, water broke out of the blue on my due date while laying in bed. Intense painful contractions immediately followed.

Sarahbeth612 · October 2014

I had all the signs start two days before she was born. Loss of appetite, body clearing itself out, mucous plug loss, bloody show, contractions...

For those of you worried about the actual birth, it was a relief for me, compared to the gross uncomfortable-ness of pre-labor. Everyone said to relax, take a bath, enjoy one more meal before going to the hospital, but I felt like I had the flu.

kfo22 · October 2014

aeonlux said:

While I lost my MP and had bloody show, it wasn't really a "sign" labor was near because it's common to lose all or parts of the MP and have bloody show during VEs.

Other than the constant low, dull backache I had the last couple weeks, and a lot of pelvic floor pressure, nothing in the way of labor. I did get bouts of more frequent BH starting at 38 weeks with my youngest, and they continued the night before we induced, after sex, and the day of. But they were just BH. However, walking around at 5+ cm told me that it *could* be soon, and when it does start, things will move incredibly fast. It was the same with the others, too. I get up to 6-7+ before anything actually starts. And even then I feel fine.

Was your baby posterior?

MuchlyGen · October 2014

j3nnyb said:

I had false labor a week before my due date - strong BH that I could time for about an hour and when I laid down they subsided. Beyond that I didn't have any other signs. Two days before my due date I had a prenatal appointment and my OB offered to sweep/strip my membrane. It hurt like hell but it must have worked because 2am on my due date I started getting strong, painful contractions and delivered DD almost 12 hours later.

Haha, I almost forgot! I had this too with DS2. It was strong enough to convince me - it was pretty comparable to early labor with DS1. Called the midwife and everything. She came and spent the night on the futon, and contractions fizzled out - baby had dropped a great deal, but didn't make his arrival for exactly one week.

morrkim · October 2014

The only sign I had was that I felt funny the day before. I think I might have been bh, but I didn't recognize them since I hadn't felt any before then.

MarcyR92 · October 2014

I had no warning, at 230ish am my water broke and MP started to come out and I head out at 4 something am.

rahkitt · October 2014

rahkitt said:

With my first I just felt so exhausted from my poor sleep I went home from work early and rested all afternoon. No other signs until my water broke at midnight that night. With my second I had irregular and very uncomfortable braxton hicks all day. Then I relaxed in the tub for a while and they went away, and when I got out real contractions started and DS was born 1 hour 45 minutes later.

I'm reading this thread with great curiosity because I had bad braxton hicks every time I woke up in the night last night (lots of times, but I didn't keep track) and I'm having bloody show today. My intuition says it will be soon.

They changed to pre-labor contractions today (in my lower back and bikini line instead of random places or on top). I've had them off and on today, varying intensity and spacing, mostly weak and far apart. Went to the clinic and I'm 4-5cm. They're now 10 minutes apart and getting more intense. Waiting for them to amp up a bit more before committing to the hospital.

ElinJ · October 2014

It's so interesting how different a lot of responses are!

I woke up overnight Friday night/Saturday morning coughing really hard (I think allergies), and got up to pee. That's when I first noticed a little bit of mucus plug/bloody show. That continued through the day here & there Saturday but no noticeable contractions. In retrospect I was also doing my own version of nesting (which doesn't include much cleaning, ha!). I ran errands, went to check out a hip new coffee shop, took our dog to the dog park, made a double batch of homemade scones mostly to freeze for later enjoyment, homemade pizza, 2 batches of cookie dough (to go into the freezer to bake & share with the nurses when I was in the hospital, YEAH…)… WHEW, I'm exhausted just remembering it all. Literally the only cleaning I did was obsessively make sure the dishes were washed after every single crazy baking/cooking adventure.

Felt funny/off Sunday, and tried to rest, but by overnight Sunday night I finally admitted to myself I think I was in labor. haha

My water never broke. They had to break it for me when it was time to push. DS was born Monday morning around 9am. I honestly can't say for sure when early labor ended & active labor began. Maybe around 10pm-midnight.

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