Will I Really Know?

[chely7425]

Ok, this feels like the stupidest (yes, I know it isn't a word) worry ever... this is my second baby, I should know this... but will I really know when I am in labor? I was induced with DS because DH wrangled 10 days emergency leave from basic training (unheard of) and he needed to be there for the birth so that he could do what he needed to do at training. Anyway, I was induced at exactly 40 weeks and never felt more than a BH or 2... this time I am all sorts of crampy and getting random contractions, though I don't know if they are real or BH... seriously, I feel like the biggest idiot on the planet.

[JamieCatheryn]

DDC crashing from May, hi neighbor. I'd say you won't likely know immediately, you might know the first labor contraction from everything else but odds are you won't, but you sure will know when things are really moving forward! IMO it's better not to know through early labor, then it won't seem like you worked so long by the end of it. I read birth stories where the woman denied it was anything until serious active labor or even transition hit, it sounds much easier that way!

[annekh23]

I think you will probably know, but depending on your pattern of labour, you might not know until fairly late on. Like you, I was induced with my first, I felt plenty of BH beforehand and really thought I was going into labour the few days before I got induced, I suppose in some ways I was as there were some cervical changes and my water broke, things just stopped happening once my water broke!

I tend to have a lot of BH, so it's hard to tell what is early labour and what is just lots of them. If I was having early labour contractions I didn't notice them and I went into labour in the bath and it really was obvious it was labour, within minutes I was vomitting and shaking and into full blown transition. I was so glad that that happened in the hospital I was going to birth at, so I only had to transfer upstairs to get to labour and delivery!

[Voltige]

I had a TON of BH with my first (and also this) pregnancy. They happen so often I don't even make note of them- if I'm up and moving around I have BH. But I knew the first REAL contraction, absolutely. It was completely different. Made me stop and pause- I thought, "now that's different" Things progressed very quickly from that point and I never questioned whether or not I was in labor. I knew I was, I just didn't realize how quickly things were actually moving until I walked into the birth center at 7cm, only a couple hours after that first real contraction.

That said, I'm not expecting this labor to go the same way. Who the heck knows?

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

I've had a TON of BH contractions and at least 2 episodes of fake labor. Personally I'm not calling it until I feel compelled to swear. So "ow" isn't labor, but "holy bleep this hurts" is.

[because]

After my first, I thought that there was no way someone could not know it was real labor. Then I had my second where I had practiced my hypnosis and visualizations so that I would "ignore it until I couldn't." From realizing that it was real labor to holding my son was less than 90 minutes and I don't really recall the start and stop of contractions per se until transition (all of 5 minutes) and pushing.

If you're like that, you may not be able to tell from a snap shot of how you feel physically at any one point in the early part of labor but if you know the general symptoms, you'll be able to add them up and see that something is happening.

Loose or frequent bowel movements? Introspective? Weird urges to crawl around or get in water? Crampy? Bloody show? Contractions? "Zoning out" periodically? Add 'em up!

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

"Loose or frequent bowel movements? Introspective? Weird urges to crawl around or get in water? Crampy? Bloody show? Contractions? "Zoning out" periodically? Add 'em up!"

My problem is that I had all this twice this week and still no baby

[because]

Originally Posted by sunflwrmoonbeam

"Loose or frequent bowel movements? Introspective? Weird urges to crawl around or get in water? Crampy? Bloody show? Contractions? "Zoning out" periodically? Add 'em up!"

My problem is that I had all this twice this week and still no baby

Well, I should have said that these can be indicative of early labor if your body is healthy and without infection that can cause similar symptoms.

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

I'm going with the fact that my body has a bad habit of messing with me. And yes I'm healthy, thank you very much.

[because]

Originally Posted by sunflwrmoonbeam

I'm going with the fact that my body has a bad habit of messing with me. And yes I'm healthy, thank you very much.

I thought I read that you had a bladder infection or something? That can totally cause labor-y stuff...

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

I had a very very minor asymptomatic UTI which I've been treating. A UTI can cause contractions, but it's not gonna cause things like nausea, diarrhea, being super introspective/spacey, an urge to clean or to crawl into water.

[Cuau]

I would consider myself fortunate if I don't know when I'm labor. Denial is great!

[KJRSMR]

I am going back 10 years but I remember "real" labor contractions. I think that's why this time I am having a hard time making myself go to the hospital. I have all of the symptoms and good solid bh. I am just not convinced. I think that the difference is a real contraction is full belly, lower back and quite painful.. Even though my bh feel this way just not painful enough.. ykwim??

[beachcomber]

With my first it came on gradually. I couldn't pinpoint when the first contraction started but I did know when they were regular and lasting a certain length of time. That's when I knew this was real and not just more of my body getting ready.

[Thistles_in_Snow]

Well -- if your baby comes out at the end of it all, then you know the labor was real!