Up with labor like symptoms?

[paula444four]

Hi,
I wish I were sleeping...as I know I should be...but its difficult because of the nausea. Here is the timeline...what do you think?

Wednesday morning
...cramping starts. Just normal cramping and I dont think much of it. Lasts all day. I also had loose bowels and just in general an abnormally high number of bowel movements (TMI).

Wednesday midnight
....I lay in bed and start noticing a pattern to the cramping. This is mild cramping...although sometimes it makes me grunt a little. They range from 3 - 10 minutes apart. It takes a while before I actually start believing they are contractions. I think one woke me up...but its hard to tell if that was a dream or not.

Wednesday early AM...
...nausea sets in...so much so that I decide to get up. Bowel movements are still continuing and my guts are gurgling some. The contractions no longer have a pattern that I can distinguish...but my pelvic region is defintiely tight and uncomfortable. The baby has had tons of hiccups all night.

OK...so do you think all of this means labor is around the corner? I know it is anyones guess. My personal feeling is that this is some kind of early early labor preparation...but I tend to be in disbelief. I am dying to talk to someone about this...which is why I am here on the boards. I dont want to wake anyone in the house for something so non distinguishable....plus they need their rest if this is real.

OK...so whats your opinion? Thanks for your time.

oH...I am 38 weeks 3 days today.

[carseatqueen]

Well, I could have about written your post, except mine have been 4-6 minutes apart since, oh, 9ish last night, but getting stronger. I could sleep through them till 12:30ish.

I'm planning on a baby sometime today, but this is #3 for me. Hopefully this one won't confuse me. I've never had labor start, then stop, and I really don't want it to this time.

[Erdbeer]

I was also up with labor-like symptoms last night although I haven't had any bloody show or lost my mucous plug. After dinner I felt a bit dizzy and got into bed and maybe 2 hours later I started feeling crampy, like I was about to get my period.

Around midnight till 2AM I had contractions about every 12 minutes, then they dwindled to totally random ones throughout the night. I had a break from them this morning but around 10 they started up again and have been totally random until now (3 hours later)...

Since I'm 41 weeks today I'm hoping to get the show on the road!

[ilovebabies]

Similar things going on here. To be honest, I expected the baby to be here by this morning but.... not here yet! TONS of bloody show for 2 days, lots of contractions and cervix pain and pressure. I'm SO surprised I'm not in labor yet. Dr. Appt. today.... maybe baby will be here by tomorrow morning....

[jesbentink]

me too! Loose, frequent bowel movents, low appetite. I was having regular contractions for about 5 hours last night 6-8 min apart and 30-45 seconds long. I had an appt yesterday and was 3 cm, 50% effaced, engaged at -2 station with a bulging bag of waters. Had loss of mucous plug and small amount of bloody show. I thought for sure I'd get woke up with active labor last night. Not so much! I am still having contractions but not timing them...how annoying!

[paula444four]

update

Thanks ladies.

Well...I finally was able to fall asleep around 5:30am and by the time I was awakened at 10am the contractions were gone...and replaced by a steady aching cramping. Now that I am up and about the contractions seem to be coming back...I will start timing them eventually. I still feel like i need to go the toilet a lot and my appetite is waning. I still have hope...at least things are changing...something to keep me entertained. He. good luck to all the early labor mamas.

[filiadeluna]

My contractions seem to happen almost exclusively when I am sleeping in bed. The only time I had them when up was at the movie theatre last weekend. I got up to take a nice warm shower this morning, because I've had contractions on three separate occasions since 4am, and wanted to soothe my back a little. Then it stopped again. :

It sounds like you are probably more on your way than I am!

[Erdbeer]

Paula444four, sounds like we are going through the same thing right now.
It is now 7:30 PM where I live, and I've had consistent contractions all day since 10AM. My midwife came at 4 and said she couldn't even feel my cervix, it is posterior and therefore she thinks that the contractions I am having or have had until now are not doing much to open my cervix just yet. She said it can go on for another few days or can all happen fast, nobody can tell me...

Since she left, I think the contractions have gotten closer together (maybe every 8 to 10 min), and in between I have a steady ache and pressure that feels like I really need to poop but I don't think I am going to be able to...

[paula444four]

Well...today ended up being much less eventful than yesterday.: I did not cramp hardly at all...and no contractions! My last labor and birth happened all at once with no prodromal or on and off again stuff....so this is new to me. My midwife is coming tomorrow ...just for the normal weekly appt...but I dont plan to get checked...because not only does it really tell us nothing...but I am strep b positive...and dont want to introduce buggies where the sun dont shine.

I wonder if the contractions will come back tonight...in bed. Let the games begin I guess

[dmariev]

Hey ladies! Sorry to crash your DDC- but we DID have a full moon yesterday..
May have thrown some of you into labor, ykwim?
Again, sorry to crash, just wanted to throw that out there!
Good luck to all of you, happy & healthy birthing!

[filiadeluna]

Sorry, paula! It didn't continue for me, either.

Maybe the above poster is onto something as far as the Full Moon goes. Too bad it didn't continue full-blown labor for most of us, though!

So, I wonder how many more Friday the 13th babies we'll have tomorrow? It's funny that there are two in a row this year.

[liliaceae]

I've been having a lot of contractions lately, but no regular pattern, and low back pain and pelvic achiness, and nausea. Oh and I lost a little bit of mucous plug a couple days ago, but nothing since then. It's weird for me having these symptoms and no labor too; with my son my water broke before anything started.

[paula444four]

OP here....just an update...on Friday the 13th the cramps and some contractions started back up. The cramps were contant and strong and contractions were very very sporatic and actually infrequent. I already had a MW appt scheduled so she came over and wanted to check me...which I allowed. I am 80% effaced and 2 cm dilated. Its actually nice to know. Now I just pray that the contrations get regular so I can dilate and prolong this tooooo long. MW did say of course that it could still be a week or more but she was betting on this weekend . I am trying not to think about it...but I am pretty uncomfortable ...and excited

Much love

[koalove]

honestly, its hard to tell. for me, at 38 weeks, it would more likely be food poisining or a stomach bug. is it lower intesinal cramps or is your whole belly getting hard each time? are the getting stronger or closer together? do they change with movement like walking, or a shower? these are good ways to tell. true labor wont slow or stop and progresses in strength and intensity.

[carseatqueen]

Originally Posted by carseatqueen

Well, I could have about written your post, except mine have been 4-6 minutes apart since, oh, 9ish last night, but getting stronger. I could sleep through them till 12:30ish.

I'm planning on a baby sometime today, but this is #3 for me. Hopefully this one won't confuse me. I've never had labor start, then stop, and I really don't want it to this time.

Quoting myself for an update. I went to the mw Thrs afternoon since I was having reg contrax. 4+ cm, not totally effaced. She said soon is likely, but it could be days since no one knows. Labor totally stopped when I went to bed Thursday night. I had a few contractions in bed, then woke up 6 hrs later. I guess it was good to get some rest- but dissapointing.

The good news is they started back up Friday afternoon- and I have another DS born just before 8 pm at home Friday the 13th. :-)

[paula444four]

So today I had NOTHING. Not a cramp...I mean NO ACTION. Crazy. Its almost like every other day. Will be interesting to see if they return tomorrow. I am resolved to ignore them for the most part...until its not possible anymore then I wil allow myself to get excited.

Good luck mamas.