Differences in labour signs?

[jaylily]

I was wondering about this for those who have given birth to more than one child. How did your first labour signs differ from your second or any subsequent pregnancies?

With my first, I started losing my pink blood tinged mucous plug right on the dot at 37 weeks. Then later that day I was leaking (was confused if I was just leaking urine or if it was my water.) Then that evening I had some period like cramping. Sometime the next morning I had diarrhea and also started having contractions 10-20 min apart and I don't know at what point they got closer together; it's kinda a blur. My son was born the next morning at 37 weeks & 2 days.

I'm 38 weeks today and no signs of anything! I know it's still early yet, but I keep watching for blood tinged mucous. Nothing yet! But I suppose it's possible I won't even lose it or notice losing it this time?

[MamaAcorn]

I had lost my mucous plug with the first few contractions with my first two, but not with my third. I kept waiting to see blood before declaring that I was in labor. That labor lasted 45 minutes from first contraction to birth and I wouldn't admit to being in labor until I realized that I was pushing.

[LionessMom]

my first was 42 weeks. no signs of anything until 6 hours before birth. woke up in active labor at midnight. lost plug and water broke at hosp. my 14 yr old was born at 6 am.

my second was 41 weeks 4 days. had mucous for a couple of days before labor. started labor at 3pm. didnt get active until midnight. that is when i lost the plug. water broke at 2am. had her at 5am.

with my 3rd at 38 weeks 6days. i had been having a back ache for a week. i lost a chunk of plug at 9pm. water broke at 9:30pm. found more plug. started cramping real bad around 10 pm. intermintently losing fluid all night. started active at 3am had her at 5:47 am.

the only thing different that i did, for the 3 was this time i started RRL in my 2nd trimester. everything else was the same. i can see a consistency with the 3 different pregnancies but also how they are different.

[Nature]

Lost mucus plug around 39 weeks, woke up at 9am because my water broke in bed at 40 weeks 3 days. Walked around the mall. Nothing. Just leaking fluid. No contractions at all until close to 5pm with the "help" of pitocin. Horrible contractions with no break in between. Hated pitocin. Baby #1 was born shortly afterwards though. 10 minutes of typical "Now push and hold 1 2 3 4 ... come on harder... " I tore.

Started having contractions fairly close together in the morning at 40 weeks. Went to walmart and walked around making "clean up in isle 7" jokes. Contractions but no pain until around 3pm. Went to hospital and was told I wasn't ready to push. Dr watched me go from 2cm's to 10 when I was contracting. Baby #2 was born in one involuntary push. She broke my tailbone. I peed on the doctor. LOL I tore

Baby #3 lost mucus plug at 39 weeks. I was 3cm's at 40 weeks, contracting regularly. History of quick births led my OB to tell me to stay at the hospital even though babe was high and floating. OB broke my water and she was born almost instantly. Had I been at home when my water broke, I wouldn't have made it. I tore both ways. Tearing your urethra sucks. She was also my biggest baby at almost 10 lbs.

Baby #4 lost mucus plug very early on, around 20something weeks. It rebuilt itself. Anterior placenta. Continued to lose pieces of plug most of the pregnancy here and there. Backache that night in hindsight. Nothing I thought was labor pains for sure. I woke up in the morning with contractions. It took only 2 contractions for me to realize I was in full blown labor already. Water broke on the way to the hospital. He crowned in the car going down the highway 90 mph. by the time we got to the hospital I had to pull down my hands with one hand to show the nurses that his head and upper body were hanging out of me, constricted by my pants. No, I don't need to be hooked to monitors. LOL Start to finish time less than 20 minutes. Zero real warning for labor coming. I tore but less than all the rest of them.

this baby? 36 weeks and 2 cm's dilated. Losing mucus plug regularly. Cramping on and off daily. Low backache. Trying to make it to the 27th to be induced at 39 weeks to avoid a highway delivery again. By the time I know I'm having contractions, its nearly too late to do anything about it put have the baby. The whole "take your time, babies are rarely born with the first contraction" don't really hold true for me. I'm nervous about how fast this one might be, while at the same time hoping it doesn't go super slow for some reason because I'm not used to that!

[MamaAcorn]

Originally Posted by Nature

The whole "take your time, babies are rarely born with the first contraction" don't really hold true for me. I'm nervous about how fast this one might be, while at the same time hoping it doesn't go super slow for some reason because I'm not used to that!

Same here! My husband is afraid of leaving the house at this point for fear that I'll have had the baby before he can return. All of our babies have been born in the early morning, so that's at least a little reassuring to him.

[zjande]

Well, with all 4 of my babies so far, losing the mucous plus has been a big sign for me. I've had the baby within 1 - 3 days each time. Also, I felt extremely antsy each time the couple days leading up to birth. I pace around feeling totally unable to focus on anything. And I too have the endless bowel emptying the day before & day of.

So, pretty similar each time I guess. I'm gonna get suuuuuuuper excited & nervous as soon as I see the mucous plug this time.