What did you do when you knew you were in labor?

[Overthemoon]

Did you just go about things as normal? Did you have things to set up for your HB?

I keep dreaming of how it's going to go and what I'll be doing LOL, I just want it to get here already!

[dogmom327]

I made DH take me shopping so I could walk around then I came home and tried to rest. This time though, my first course of action will be to lie down and rest. Before I wanted to speed things up but now I know they will happen anyway and I might as well get some rest.

[Leah_R]

I was also going to say to rest. However, if it is early and that is not something you can or want to do, I would just do normal things around the house. If your labor comes on with random contractions, you will have several minutes between them (and that is if they are regular) and then you will feel fine. So anything is possible. I just would not start cleaning the house and exhaust yourself.

And then I would say probably eat if you feel up for it. It will help you to keep your strength later. I did not eat for more than 24 hours by the time my dd was born. I think I would have felt better with some food because I was absolutely starving afterward.

Then also.... relax. Clear your mind for the journey of getting ready to meet your baby.

[JorgieGirl]

I filled my birth tub and stripped my bed sheets since my water broke in bed.

If I hadn't had such a precipitous labour (which I *wasn't* expecting) I had planned on going back to bed, then baking once I woke up. I also planned on walking through the field in my backyard and dancing to my labour cd.

[Peony]

I called the MW because I knew she was working then (she also worked at a hospital), just so she would know. It was really early in the morning and I didn't want to do stuff around the house and wake up a child so DH and I just sat talking and he filled up with birth pool.

[momto4kids]

let's see....

with this baby I didn't realize i was in early labor & went out shopping all morning w/ my oldest. once i was home & we eventually realized it was labor I hung out at home & did laundry...played on facebook ....but then again i only had a couple of hours of contractins every 10 mins before my water broke & he was born less then 30 mins later....Dh set up the tub & got the house set while i was playing online ~ @ this point i really didn't need support yet.

my last baby ~ we went to the mall & my cousin's going away party...came home & called the MW, DH got the house set up & the pool....then my son was born shortly after.

[chrissy]

I was walking around Target when I realized I was in labor with my last baby. I felt kind of spacey and wanted to get home and away from all those people!

So, I went home and called to cancel my NST. Then I called my midwife and my husband. Then I started making a cake. I knew my labor was moving pretty fast when I couldn't really concentrate on baking. I couldn't remember how much of an ingredient I needed from when I read the recipe to when I walked over to the pantry to get it. Finished the cake, and went upstairs and bounced on my birth ball a bit. When it got really super intense I got in the shower.

I have really fast labors, so pretty much once I realize I'm in labor it gets serious fast.

[Full Heart]

Usually I call the mw and get down to labor. I almost always start right off in active labor. Which means just managing contractions. With my 6th It was an easy labor. We took walks, watched tv, got on the computer, cleaned, cooked crescent rolls, talked, slept.

[D'sMama]

* Covered the bed & rug in plastic sheeting, topped it with an old fitted sheet.
* Filled the birth pool.
* Made cupcakes.
* Had a glass of red wine.
* Called midwife and doula when things got intense.
From that point on it was all attention on baby-having.

[Jilian]

With DS2 it was just before 7 am that I knew I was inlabor. I tried to rest for a bit but the contractions came on so intensely that I just sat on the couch. I waited until I couldn't take it anymore and woke DH and asked him to fill the pool and I called the MW. I got into the pool ASAP to slow things down.

[fruitfulmomma]

Hmm... Last baby I had been having prodromal labor so I wasn't sure this was "it". I had gone to the midwife and she swept my membranes I think. Started having contractions when I got back in the car and was 45 minutes from home. Thankfully dh was driving. We got a few things from the store and headed home. I laid down for a little while and when they didn't stop decided to take a bath. Still didn't stop so I called the midwife and our assistant (a student midwife coming to help with my daughter who wanted to be at the birth) and then just started getting things ready.

When my assistant got there she took the kids for awhile and then I just hung out with dh until the midwife and her assistant got there. We made the bed and got all the supplies ready and then just pretty much hung out quietly until I hit transition. I was doing killer sudoku puzzles for a while and ate a couple of times. Mostly just sat on the edge of my bed.

[MamaQuest]

The lightbulb doesn't usually go on for me that I'm in labor until around transition for me, and moaning through contractions is about the first thing I'm doing when I figure it out. I usually am having a "bad day" before that, trying to do everything I should, and complaining the whole way about how I wish the baby would just kick me into labor already .

At some point shortly after that, DH will usually let the important people know things are happening, and then baby arrives. I usually lose track of anything else that goes on during that timespan. I have no idea what I'd do if I went into labor without DH there, honestly. I'd probably still be in denial as I was pushing the baby out, sure I was just pooping.

[super mamabug]

With my last my water broke at 2:30 am, so I got up dealt with the mess etc. I lost all my fore-waters it was a ton of water! Then I made sure to eat. I made sure everything was where it was supposed to be and DH new where everything was, then I went and lay down in bed, listened to hypnobabies birth affirmations and relaxed, rested. I hadn't slept yet so I just tried to rest as much as I could.

[Oliver'sMom]

I got my "bloody show" when I was at dh work, then immediately started getting steady contractions. I was SO excited that I insisted on walking all over the place and not sitting or resting. I thought it would speed things up. Boy was I wrong! 24 hours later, ds was born. Looking back, I should have just gone home, taken a shower, eaten, then tried to sleep.

[Romana]

First time I went shopping, then cleaned and put fresh sheets on the bed until labor was too challenging to let me do anything else.

Second time I cleaned (middle of the night), tried to nap (didn't work), then did a jigsaw puzzle until labor got too challenging to do anything else.

I have pretty good memories of the stuff I did in labor. For me the feelings were happy. With #1, once the endorphins kicked in I was positively giddy. #2 hurt more and I didn't get the nice endorphin rushes, or if I did, they didn't work.

[the_lissa]

The second time I made soup in the crock pot, but by the time I am in labour, I am in hard labour, and can't do much.

[Munki'sMom]

I cleaned up my house, folded laundry, ate, and hung out at home. Later in the day we played the Wii. lol DH made our bed once labor got really going.

[webjefita]

Originally Posted by Overthemoon

Did you just go about things as normal? Did you have things to set up for your HB?

I keep dreaming of how it's going to go and what I'll be doing LOL, I just want it to get here already!

I got out of bed and ate, came to MDC and hung out (this was the middle of the night). Then I went upstairs and sat on the birth ball, timed contractions by myself for awhile, and read. After I was sure they were getting closer, I called the midwife and woke DH up. I helped him set up things for the birth and for our DS downstairs. Once I couldn't keep doing normal things, I got in the tub and waited for the midwife.

[ferra]

Water broke at 3am, called midwife, I checked his heart tones...everything sounded good, tried to go back to sleep (yea right). Got up, went to a yummy breakfast, walked, watched fantasia and tried to nap (yea right), hung out with good friends, ate stew for dinner, then tried to go to bed. Didn't get to bed because labor really got going (about 9pm). Then I didn't "do" anything. Just let my body take over.

[HappyMommaBear]

Eat lots of carbs and protein. You want something that will stay with you during the labor, in case you're not able to really eat again until after the birth.
After that, maybe take a short nap, but focus on getting rest. Chances are the labor will pick up on its own without all the walking to get it going, so make sure you are rested and have energy for the tough job you're about to do.