postpartum mamas, how did you "know"?

[crazyrunningmama]

So, those of us who are on the other side of this magical journey..
... how did you know you were for real in labour?
....what were you doing?
....did any of your inducing tricks help, do you think?

And congratulations!!!!!!!!

[rhiOrion]

They turned the pitocin drip up

[jenfl]

I woke up with contractions that felt.... different. Sorry, I know that's no help. They felt lower? Stronger on my cervix? And after an hour of dealing with them alone, I started to really want DH up with me for company/help. I never felt that through all my hours of pre-labor -- those I wanted to be alone for.

But I wasn't convinced it was for real, even once the midwives were there and set up, because I had breaks between the contractions whereas I didn't with DD DH knew it was for real as soon as I woke him up -- 3.5 hours after that, Sprout was born.

[finn'smama]

i had a hard time knowing it was for real this time! and it's my third babe, lol. the ctx were slightly different than the pre labour i'd been having in that they had a slightly sharper feel but i wasn't convinced even after my mw got here and said i was 4cm!
i wasn't doing anything special, just going about ny day as usual. my mw did sweep my membranes the day before which always seems to work for me.

[loveneverfails]

Veteran mom weighing in...

When a baby emerged from my crotch. That's a pretty good indicator that you have been in labor.

Seriously, though? The contractions have a different quality to them when it's labor.

[SuzieQ3417]

My contractions were significantly stronger and more painful than the episode of prelabor I had. And they started at 5 minutes apart (prelabor they were only 10 minutes apart), which I thought was kind of strange...I don't think I had much of an early labor and instead felt like I started at the active part.

In hindsight, I had some intestinal "cleaning" the day before, and for a few days leading up to it the baby seemed to be calmer...still moving, but smaller movements instead of the somewhat painful shoves and kicks I had been getting up to that point.

My husband had also been out of town until the day before, so I tend to believe that my body was waiting for him to get back before allowing me to go into labor...it's weird that it just knows when it's a "safe" situation for the baby to be born.

ETA - DH and I dtd the night before...whether that induced labor or not we'll never know, but I told him he got lucky that we decided to (he was really tired since he had just gotten back from a week long business trip and wasn't really up for it) since it will be several weeks before we got a chance again thanks to a second degree tear that is still healing (ouch!).

[Carita]

Originally Posted by crazyrunningmama

So, those of us who are on the other side of this magical journey..
... how did you know you were for real in labour?
....what were you doing?
....did any of your inducing tricks help, do you think?

And congratulations!!!!!!!!

i didn't... woke up w/ contractions and thought it was prelabor... my dad picked up my son, and then it kicked in and REALLY hurt, then i knew!

ironically i was so busy a couple days prior that i forgot all my inducing tricks like forgot to take my EPO etc.

[Oliver's Mama]

Originally Posted by jenfl

I woke up with contractions that felt.... different. Sorry, I know that's no help. They felt lower? Stronger on my cervix?

I'd say the same. After a week of BH's that felt like my uterus/upper uterus tightening like a rock every ten minutes, I woke up with a different sensation every ten minutes.. like groin pain. (it wasnt painful, and it wasnt the actual contractions that woke me up.. ds1 did that) I had no idea that's what a real contraction would feel like (with my first, I only had pitocin-induced contractions)
Sounds cheesy, but a calm came over me and I "Just knew" that was going to be the day.
we did DTD the night before, and every night that week.. wether it helped, it was fun!

[aylaanne]

My labor contractions this time actually hurt. I could feel my pelvis separating (it sucks). Also, I knew because my water broke.

[krismarie]

geez, makes this time around really confusing for me--reading all of these. i've been "cleaning the bowels" for days an days (usually a good sign of labor for me) and have been having intense ctx with cervical pain (sign of labor with ds2--after weeks of more mild early labor). i know i'm in early labor right now (day 3) and have been working on position since that's why i think it's not progressing...but my own signs of labor aren't signs this time!! oh and i've been having major anxiety and hot flashes--so the hormones are changing too. argh!

can't help ya mama! was looking for some insight myself.

[justamama]

I woke up with the sale contractions I'd had for weeks, but an hour later they were stronger, longer, and I could feel my cervix thinning out and baby moving lower.

I think the biggest help was the huge emotional release the day before. I yelled, I cried, and I sat in the tub talking through my fears (which weren't about the actual birth, but things surrounding it). Using Clary sage in baths and just smelling it helped facilitate the emotional release, imo, as its an emotional balancer.

I also think talking to the baby and acupuncture helped.