How will I know that "this is labor"?

[WindyCityMom]

I'm UCing but posting this in B&B because it's not really UC related- more natural birth related.

With DD I was pitocin induced. I had been having contractions throughout my entire pregnancy- not exactly painful, but uncomfy and moreso as time went on and I got farther along (actually walked in on my induction date having contractions that I had learned to ignore because they weren't doing anything).

This time I'm UCing and am worried that I won't know when labor is starting. I'm worried that because the contractions I associate with labor were pitocin contractions, which felt the same beginning to end. Even when they upped it a tad all it did was make them come closer together. I keep hearing all this talk about how pitocin contractions are horrible and far worse than natural labor contractions... DD was also posterior so I was in a great deal of pain from that, this one is anterior.

Last night I had tons of regular contractions and figured it to be prodromal labor (I'm 36 weeks). Just like last time, my contractions have intensified as opposed to what they were earlier on in pregnancy. They don't necessarily hurt though- but are very strong, take my breath away, and are very uncomfortable.

I'm very worried that I won't know that I'm IN labor, and that I won't be prepared when it's time to push baby out. I want to use the valuble time in early labor to prepare my birth settings, get everything set up, etc... and most importantly call my husband home from work (sometimes it can take hiim quite long to get home). How will I know?

[stik]

I think it's different for everyone. I know that's not a really helpful answer, but I wanted to post my support because I felt the same way with both my dds.

I don't know what your dh does, so I apologize if this suggestion is completely unhelpful to you, but is there some way that he could telecommute if you're feeling iffy?

[JamieCatheryn]

Unless you have a very unusually fast or mild labor, by the last few hours labor will be plenty to tell you this is it for sure. It will likely take all your concentration and probably vocalization, staying still or rocking, positioning in particular ways that feel right, to deal with the intensity of late labor. Some few don't, but generally that's how labor is.

[WindyCityMom]

Thanks. I was reading a previous thread for some insight and most moms there said that 4cm dilated with pitocin feels like transition in a natural labor. Someone also said "when your contractions start feeling like pit contractions, you'll know that you're in transition and the end is near."

Another said that by the time she got to the birth center she was 8cm and not totally sure she was in labor, because the intensity was so low compared to her previous pitocin induced birth.

Pitocin is hell- I managed it though, but was totally, sheer hell for me. I'm worrying that since I've been through that hell, I'm not taking what I'm feeling NOW into any consideration. I'm worried that I won't know I'm in labor and that all of a sudden transition will just hit me and I won't be able to figure out what to do with my toddler, to call my husband, etc.

I just walk around most days with very strong contractions (some take concentration to get through, not in a painful way, but in a "swimming underwater", as someone put it, way).

DH works about two miles away down a busy street (we're city people). Not very far, but when you have no car, and have to wait on a CTA bus to go through heavy traffic.... it can take awhile.

[ExuberantDaffodil]

I was nervous about this same issue. I, too, was pit-induced with my first and didn't know if I would recognize when I was going into "real" labor. I had tons of BH, too. Even some crampy uncomfortable ones, for weeks. I brought up my concern with my midwife, and she assured me that I would just know.

The evening before my baby was born, I had a bunch of BH-ish contractions. Instinctively, I knew I would be in labor, probably within 24 hours. I can't tell you how I knew. I just did. And then when I woke up at 2am the following morning, I knew the real thing was starting. It all just felt different. and real. There was no mistaking it.

[WindyCityMom]

Originally Posted by ExuberantDaffodil

The evening before my baby was born, I had a bunch of BH-ish contractions. Instinctively, I knew I would be in labor, probably within 24 hours.

Thank you I'm wondering though, just how different were the BHish ctx from the contractions you later felt that were definite? Could you compare the two? Thanks in advance

[stik]

For me, BH contractions didn't hurt, but real labor ones did. Allegedly, real labor doesn't go away when you change positions or activities. YMMV.

Unless you go really fast, I think two miles shouldn't be a huge distance for your dh to travel. In a pinch, he can probably jog 2 mil in under 20 minutes. You might need to let him know that he doesn't have time to wait for the bus.

[xixstar]

I also wondered this all the time before my last birth since my first was induced as well. And all the advice I found simple said "you'll know...", how is that for some crappy advice? But, as much as it annoyed me then, I realized that was simply the reality.

I had one day where I thought that it might be something starting, but nothing really did. And then at least a week or more later, I got some contractions in the middle of the night and I honestly just knew this was it. Those contractions felt different. At first I couldn't sleep through them, maybe for excitement reasons, but also because they had a different edge to them. I wouldn't say it was to much on the painful side because they were early labor contractions, but it was on a much more serious side.

If it makes you more comfortable, do all the prep you can now. Having stuff ready and waiting eases a lot of angst when wanting labor to arrive. And I'm sure your dh will get there in time.

[BanditaMamacita]

I've never had pitocin, so I don't know if this si exactly the info you're looking for, but it's all i haves, so here ya go

With my first, I'd had the typical prelabor signs, so I was waiting and hoping, which I think helped alert me that it was the real thing. BUT it hurt so much less than i had anticipated that I was in transition by the time I made it to the birth center. It didn't feel the way i expected it to... It didn't wrap around to my back like people said, or feel like menstrual cramps... It was all in front, and a sharper kind of pain, more like gas. And it was so manageable that even at 7 cm with them 2-3 minutes apart, i wasn't ready to go.. DH made me, since i was on all 4s on the floor moaning through them. lol. And that, i think, is a good indication that its real.. when you have to actually work through them.

With my 2nd, the pain felt exactly like everybody described, crampy and in my back, and i had a ton of bloody show getting progressively heavier through my whole labor, so it was pretty clear. But that time, they came so far apart until a sudden, rapid transition, that i again made it to the birth center very late in the game. Not a factor for you, and that's one of the perks of homebirth... That you're not trying to figure out that perfect time to go, kwim?

You will, most likely, know you're in labor. They'll get closer together instead of staying the same, they'll hurt more as time goes on, even if its not as much as ur pit cxns, and u'll have to work through them. Good luck!!!!!

[turnquia]

Ok I've never had pit but I am a mama who contracts the ENTIRE pregnancy all the time despite meds etc.

There is something different about real contractions. There is a sense of urgency and this is it feeling. Its like BH are a tightening, but real labor its like something is MOVING.

For me there was more of a downward pressure and that sense of this is it, and even tho I called my midwife very early in labor despite 10+ weeks of constant BH I just knew. Its so hard to explain there is just more power, and strength behind those contractions even if they are not painful.

You will know very few people dont know they are in labor. It feels different it feels like your body is working.

good luck and congrats on the upcoming UC!

[ExuberantDaffodil]

Originally Posted by WindyCityMom

Thank you I'm wondering though, just how different were the BHish ctx from the contractions you later felt that were definite? Could you compare the two? Thanks in advance

The BH-ish ones were a tightening all over my abdomen with some pinchy little crampy feel under the belly. "Real" contractions felt like menstrual cramps to the tenth degree, and ended with a very distinctive pinch down to the cervix area. And they become progressively more intense, whereas the BH's didn't intensify over time.

I'm not sure I'm describing it very well. The mind has a way of dulling the memory of these things, for some reason.

[Kidzaplenty]

For me, if I have to question whether or not it is "real" labor, I am NOT in labor.

I can spend days and weeks sometimes, thinking, "Is this it?" But the only time I KNOW I am in labor is when my question truns from "Is this it?" to "Should I go to my 'nest' now?"

You would think that after all my births it would be easy for me to know. But, it's not.

With my last one it was especially strange. I used CO to try and induce myself multiple times (pre-e and NEEDED to have baby ASAP), yet my mind never got past the, "Is this it?" question. I ended up having to be pit-induced.

It was a very strange sinsation for me to never be able to naturally get to the actual knowing I was in labor part.

Hoping for a "normal" "Should I go to my 'nest' now?" point this time around!

[Mizelenius]

GOOD question!

I have to say-- I don't think you always know, or at least don't know how soon you'll actually give birth.

I think there is a definite difference between BH and cx that are effective. For me, BH may be uncomfortable, but I can make them stop by moving the baby, moving myself, etc. Cx that are making a change, I will feel even when standing and moving.

Intensity isn't always a good indicator. My births are pretty fast-- this last one was the fastest. I was in the hospital 20 minutes before giving birth. At that point, I was SURE I was in labor but I would not have guessed I'd have the baby so soon. Transition is normally very noticeable for me, as I just see it as a time the cx come without a break (the lack of a break is what makes them hard). This time I never got to that point, and then suddenly felt like I had to push.

I was worried throughout my PG that I would not have childcare in place to get to the hospital on time. Frankly, I almost did not, had my friend not come over (my mom was still en route). I DID have that sense of urgency (not panic, since I felt very, very calm) but, if you have fast labors, it might not be for that long. I was sitting here on MDC when my water broke, and had the baby an hour later. So, that sense of urgency did not buy me much time. However, I still had time to put makeup on (ha, ha) load the car, call my mom and MW, etc. Even one hour can be enough.

I would say, call your DH when you are pretty sure, even if you are not 100% sure.

[soso-lynn]

I really only knew I was labor when I saw the baby's head...

I guess that means that when you do not have any coherent thoughts you must be labour.

Seriously, if your main concern is alerting your husband you will likely be inclined to call him earlier than later, even if it might be a false alert. Your brain will remember that you want him there. There is also a very good likelyhood that you will go into labour when he is home and that it won't matter.

You should probably encourage him to wear some comfortable running shoes to go to work in case he needs to run all the way home.

[WindyCityMom]

how funny would that be if I posted in my birth story that my husband ran home from work on one of the busiest streets in Chicago home to catch his baby I would have such an awesome birth story, lol!

Thanks everyone- I suppose only time will tell. I just would hate to honestly not believe that I'm in labor- lol.

[Harmony96]

Originally Posted by WindyCityMom

Thank you I'm wondering though, just how different were the BHish ctx from the contractions you later felt that were definite? Could you compare the two? Thanks in advance

With DD, my BH were just a completely painless tightening. The real labor contractions had a peak to them. Then with DS, I also had BH contractions similar to the ones I had w/ DD. Then every so often, I had a "BH" contraction that was painful, and that increased in intensity to a peak and then died down again. Compared to the other BH contractions, those felt real. But I rationally knew that they weren't REALLY real. I would only have like one a day or so. Then the day before he was born, I started having real contractions all day long, but 30-60 minutes apart. They didn't feel all that drastically different from the "peaky" BH contractions, but there was some little nuance about them that I can't even put my finger on that made me realize "hey, these are REALLY REAL contractions." At about 6:00 pm, they finally picked up in frequency to 7-9 minutes apart, and DS was born just after 2:00 in the morning, 8 hours later. I "count" his labor as being 8 hours long, lol.

Originally Posted by WindyCityMom

how funny would that be if I posted in my birth story that my husband ran home from work on one of the busiest streets in Chicago home to catch his baby I would have such an awesome birth story, lol!

I read a birth story not too long ago where the mama knew she was in labor, but thought she had more time than she did. Her DH went out to the car to put a load of stuff in to take to the hospital, and her son was BORN by the time he got back, 3 minutes later. lol. It was crazy. Her poor best friend had to catch the baby, lol.

[laughingfox]

I know it sounds silly, just saying "you'll know", but that was true for me, too.
I went into solid consistent contractions, about 5 minutes apart, sometimes for 7 hours straight, for weeks before I really went into labor. However, I knew somehow when that was going on that it was not time to call the doctor.
The day before my daughter was born (38 hour labor, so it took 2 days), I knew to call the doctor.

Sometimes I have to wonder, though, if my labor stopped after those other bouts of contractions because I didn't tell myself "this is it".
Did my labor continue on the day I called the doctor because it was "time" or did it continue simply because I decided that this was it, and my body simply followed suit?

[WindyCityMom]

laughingfox- that last part is a very good point! I wonder about that too.

Last night in bed for an hour (longer, actually) i had contractions, probably 5 mins apart on average. I was sleepy and they hurt, but I told myself that if it wasn't real labor I would be able to sleep, and that my body would tell me it was time. I ended up falling asleep but my best guess is I was contracting through the night because I woke up horribly tired and very crampy. I'm 38wks tomorrow.

[SallyN]

I've had a pit-"augmented" labor and a completely natural labor.

You really will know. :P

The HUGEST difference b/w the pit contractions and normal contractions was that pit doesn't give you any down time between the contractions. In early labor (in both cases), I could tell my body was contracting, but there wasn't a whole lot of discomfort/pain.

For the natural birth, I was making a fair number of phone calls to my support team (doula, doula assistant, midwife) during early labor. My doula had stated ahead of time that she insists on talking directly to her moms, not the dads, as she could tell a lot about what stage of labor mom was in by how she was speaking, especially if there was a contraction on the phone. In short... do you have any experienced friends you could give a call if you're unsure whether you should call DH home or not? They might be able to give you some 'in the moment' feedback.

[prancie]

for me I was napping in the afternoon and woke up suddenly and just knew i was in labor, even though I hadn't had any contractions yet. We went to the grocery store, made dinner and ate and then I lost my mucus plug. About 10PM the contractions started in earnest.