what time of day did labor start? and ...

[jrabbit]

1. What time of day did you first "feel" something? (my MW swears that most labor starts during the night, which was true for me)
2. What emotions did you feel the 24 hours before? (I felt nothing different with DD1, but totally freaked out 48 hours before DD2)
3. What activities did you do 24 hours before? (painting with DD1, cohosh, sex & spicy food with DD2)

Just curious - it's been a rough week for me emotionally, with wondering whether or not I want my mom to be here (but it doesn't matter *what* I want because there are extenuating circumstances) ...

anyway, I don't *feel* like I'm close to birth, but ya never know.

DD1 born at 37w, DD2 at 42w5d. Both right before New Moon, and one day before my parents flew in from Wisconsin. Labor started at 11:00pm & 3:00am respectively and born at 6:29am & 12:05 noon, so relatively short labors.

New Moon is Dec 27 - parents arriving Dec 28 *maybe*. But, I want the baby to wait til after they arrive ... so I'm second guessing every little movement, twinge, emotion, thought, etc. And, since I want baby to wait, we're not DTD - but I **want** it.

--janis

[applecider]

ds1 - I don't remember much but I did get into a heated argument with dp the night before and then started feeling crampy/contractions the next day, so I always thought that was what kicked labor off. Had ds the evening after that.

ds2 - I was feeling bummed that i had been feeling crampy the day before and now wasn't. So I went shopping! Granted it was just the dollar store, but it was therapeutic and it got me out walking. That night at 11:30 pm I woke up to my first contraction. Labored the whole next day and into the next morning.

[A Mothers Love]

4am-6am??? but...thought they were more bh..been having those for months..so ignored them.
went to hosp cause i started bleeding ( a lot)again. got to hosp & was 7-8cm...so they kept me.
i had a terrible cough, so felt like crap 24 hrs prior. i do remember using th bathroom a lot..#2.
no other clues tho. was real tired from coughing & the cough syrup w/ codiene.:

[Mainstream Hippie]

1. What time of day did you first "feel" something? My first contraction with my first was around 1pm. With my second, I woke up at 3:50amish, fell right back asleep, then woke at 4:35am to my water breaking during a massive contraction (putt-putt contractions after that for about an hour).

2. What emotions did you feel the 24 hours before? Don't recall, except that with my second, I had about a week of "pre-labor" and was getting anxious.

3. What activities did you do 24 hours before? Not sure about the full 24 hours, but I had an amazing hour-long massage, with about half of it dedicated to my calves, shins, ankles and feet, which led directly into labor, with my first. With my second, after a week of spicy food and sex doing JACK, I went to dinner to enjoy calamari and eggplant parmesan. That did it.

Hope your baby is willing to wait for the perfect timing.

[odenata]

With dd1 my water broke at 6am, and then I was having active contractions by 3-4pm.

With this one, I've been feeling stronger contractions at night, but part of me wonders if it's just b/c I'm paying more attention at night than I do in the day.

[pjforbus]

[QUOTE=cody'smomma;12840376]ds1 - I don't remember much but I did get into a heated argument with dp the night before and then started feeling crampy/contractions the next day, so I always thought that was what kicked labor off. Had ds the evening after that.

Me too!! With DS, born 8 days early, DH and I got into a "fight" and the next AM, at 5:30, my water broke. For 3 weeks before my DD was born we joked about getting into a fight. With DD, I was 40w+3 and just generally frustrated. Every day I woke up telling myself that was going to be the day I went into labor. I had no twinges or contractions until they started regularly, 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute.

[bronxmom]

Love this thread.

My first was born almost 10 years ago so memory is fuzzy. But I had prodromal type labor for a day or two before she was born. The day before I walked a LOT - like through 3 boroughs of NYC and went to movies. I woke up at around 2am and timed contrax in the dark for a few hours - think they hit 5 min apart pretty quick and was 6 cm when I got to the hospital.

Janis: my mw is convinced that women can keep their babies in when something is not aligned right (such as someone who needs to be there for the birth not being there). So hopefully that's good news for you. Also, since you're not even due til this coming up week, I think your chances are good. Plus - adrenaline/stress hormones inhibit oxytocin so if you're really stressed it probably helps to keep the baby in. Cold comfort, I know. Good luck.

[Mainstream Hippie]

Oh, my first labor picked up in the evening, and I delivered her about an hour and a half after arrive at the hospital, at 2 in the morning. My second labor picked up rapidly, and he was born at 8 in the morning, about an hour after my midwife arrived.

[dsaucone]

Originally Posted by jrabbit

1. What time of day did you first "feel" something? (my MW swears that most labor starts during the night, which was true for me) 1:30am
2. What emotions did you feel the 24 hours before? (I felt nothing different with DD1, but totally freaked out 48 hours before DD2) I was feeling a little less anxious about being "late".
3. What activities did you do 24 hours before? (painting with DD1, cohosh, sex & spicy food with DD2) I laid on the couch all day, and gave myself a foot rub before heading to bed.

.

[CAKJNH]

1. What time of day did you first "feel" something?

DD1 - Sat afternoon pressure/crampiness/backache was worse, same Sun. Felt crappy all day Mon, no appetite. All Worked OT, went home water broke at 815, hubby walked thru door at 820, baby born 11:55PM. I just didn't know I was in labor, I was only 37 wks.

DD2 - recognized contractions, but they were pretty mild at first, didn't think much about it. Called dr at about 9pm, don't really remember much -she was born 12:45AM. DD2 is autistic - she had an infection (which I attribute to her Hep B vaccine as she was fine until she got it. We went home, 12 hrs later she was hospitalized for 5 days, septic work up only showed an "unidentified possible infection" so I really remember all of that more that than labor & delivery :

DD3 - contracted for HOURS! Finally they weren't really very strong but very regular and close, called dr. Went to the hospital at 10pm-ish. She was born 9:11AM next day - after a horrifying experience in the hospital, wishing I'd been at home & done it myself - she'd have been better off!

2. What emotions did you feel the 24 hours before?
DD1 - At first I was fine, but as the backaches got worse I got pretty cranky.
DD2 - Tired and "overdone!" - she was born 2 days before her due date.
DD3 - Cranky, tired, HUGE! - I was bigger by far w/DD3 (though I didn't gain more weight than the others) and I was tired. My girls are pretty close in age.


3. What activities did you do 24 hours before?
DD1 - Walked the mall for a few hours with my niece and brother in law
DD2 - Not much, just played with DD1 who was 2 days shy of 16 mos
DD3 - Not a whole lot, took care of the older girls.

DS1 - Gonna keep me guessing until the very end!!

[jrabbit]

Bumping this topic up - still curious to see if anyone has any more thoughts. I was icky crampy all day yesterday and most of the night. Thought it was pre-labor, but not. Today, I'm not hungry ... a little bored ... not interested in doing anything!

--janis

[applecider]

Originally Posted by jrabbit

Bumping this topic up - still curious to see if anyone has any more thoughts. I was icky crampy all day yesterday and most of the night. Thought it was pre-labor, but not. Today, I'm not hungry ... a little bored ... not interested in doing anything!

--janis

Ooh! Wonder if you'll have an 08 or an 09 baby? Such suspense!

[Starfish11]

Originally Posted by jrabbit

1. What time of day did you first "feel" something? (my MW swears that most labor starts during the night, which was true for me)
2. What emotions did you feel the 24 hours before? (I felt nothing different with DD1, but totally freaked out 48 hours before DD2)
3. What activities did you do 24 hours before? (painting with DD1, cohosh, sex & spicy food with DD2)

I only felt something when at 2 AM I got up to go the bathroom. When I got back to bed I rolled over on my left side and my water broke.

I don't remember feeling anything different the 24 hours before than the whole previous month. I was lethargic but excited, calm but nervous. I had no idea I was about to go into labor. I do think I was a bit weepier in the week before labor. I would cry about random things that related to DH.

I worked until 9 PM the night before the morning of labor. I had a program to attend and did quite happily. I was tired but not any more so than normal.

Physically, I was feeling a lot of pelvic pressure and it was harder for me to walk--I got winded easily. The week of labor I had had to walk a lot.

[caedmyn]

DD--6 am, 40 weeks exactly, DTD night before (and about 3 days prior, too, which didn't star labor!)
DS--3:30 am, 39w1d, DTD about 28 hours prior

Didn't feel different before either time. nak

[Biscuits & Gravy]

1. What time of day did you first "feel" something? (my MW swears that most labor starts during the night, which was true for me) 8:55pm. I had just put DS in bed, and H and I were settling in to watch some tv. I felt a pop, thought it was gas, and then realized it was my water breaking. Contractions started soon after that, and baby was born at 9:35am.

2. What emotions did you feel the 24 hours before? I felt as normal as you can at 39 weeks and 4 days pg. I had no idea that labor was coming, it honestly took my by surprise. I especially didn't expect it to begin with my water breaking.

3. What activities did you do 24 hours before? Normal stuff. I took some things to the post office, went to Target and the grocery store. Wrapped Christmas gifts. Bathed DS.

[theboysmama]

1. What time of day did you first "feel" something?

Ds1 - 9:30 pm. (ds was born at 5:05 am) I started leaking small amounts of water and going to the bathroom a lot. I had been pooping all day long and kept throwing my hips out every time I walked.
Ds2 - I had a very high leak and leaked for about 1 hr then it stopped. Then mild cramping and slow leaking again started about 6:30 pm. (ds was born at 8:47pm)
Ds3 - Mild cramping started at about 7:30 pm. (ds was born at 11:47pm) He was born in the Caul.
Dd1 - Mild cramping started at about 11:30 pm (dd was born at 5:04 am) She was born in the Caul.

2. What emotions did you feel the 24 hours before?
Ds1 - didn't feel any different but was 42 wks pg so pretty irritated, tired and crampy
ds2- Didn't have any idea whatsover.
ds3 - cleaned my house like a mad woman. I didn't nest at all during my pg and did it all that day.
dd1 - Very tired, emotional, stomach felt bloated.

3. What activities did you do 24 hours before?
ds1 - Went shopping for patio furniture, went out to dinner.
ds2 - went to soccer tots w/ my 23 month old, went to a meeting, went out to dinner.
ds3 - cleaned my house like crazy, made rice krispy treats, finished my MA assignment, went out to dinner.
dd1 - slept in, took a nap, made dinner, went to see my 9yo at a holiday pops concert.

The only pattern I see is that we went out to dinner 3 out of 4 times.

[leavemealone]

1. What time of day did you first "feel" something? All three of my labors began at night - somewhere between 11:30pm-12:30am. I guess I am an overnight laborer and daytime birther.

2. What emotions did you feel the 24 hours before? I don't remember with my first two kids, but I remember being really, really cranky with my third child.

3. What activities did you do 24 hours before? I just tried to lay low and relax. I did a few sewing repairs before DS1 and baked peanut butter cookies before DS2.