What the heck are prelabor signs?

[Boobiemama]

Browsing the boards, I always see people saying they see prelabor signs that their body is getting ready.

How come I have never ever had any prelabor signs with any of my 5 babies??? Or anything that caught my attention anyway....

The only thing(that I didnt even notice at the time) was with my 3rd baby, I didnt feel like eating, was just tired, and layed on the couch all day. I also felt like I had to poop, but couldnt go. So I went to bed that night at my water broke at 3am, and my son was born at 3;42am. And before we left the house I was yelling at my husband," but I still need to poop! " LOL I was scared I was gonna poop when the baby was born. Well that wasnt poop I felt all day, it was a baby head.

But anyway, I never noticed anything ahead of time with other babies, just the same ole uncomfortable stuff I always felt..

[JacksMomma]

Yeah, I would really like to know what these "prelabor" signs are that people speak of, too, 'cause this is my first baby! Someone please reply with some answers! Thanks!

[aguacates]

Well, I think *some* people have signs like lots of braxton-hicks, loose bms, lose mucous plug, bloody show, crampiness, crankiness, nesting.......and I think at the end, we tend to want *everything* to be a prelabor sign. That said, I had no prelabor signs with dd, and I was two weeks past my edd, so believe me, I was examining myself under a magnifying glass. The only thing I could consider a sign was that I had lost all sense of humor about being pregnant, and had given up hope that I would ever go into labor. Within 24 hrs of that dd was born. I don't put much faith in prelabor signs, since you can have them all, and still not have the baby for two weeks.

[beanbean]

My only "prelabor" sign was my water breaking!

It was the day before my due date and I was totally shocked, as I expected to go late (most 1st babies arrive at 41 wks 1 day, and my mom was really late with me and my brother). Maybe it was all that red raspberry leaf tea? Or the Mexican for lunch and Ethiopian for dinner the day before?

I'm really, really hoping I don't go late this time. But who knows?

[Shelleybelly]

With ds the only thing close to a prelabor sign I had was braxton-hicks, but I had been having those since my fourth month of pregnancy. This time is completely different. Within the last week the baby has dropped, my BH have been coming regularly at night and I get the urge to go to the bathroom when I have them, I have been really tired except for when I HAD to clean out and rearrange all of the kitchen cupboards and give our fishtank a complete overhaul, and in the last 36 hours I feel really crampy (like I'm about to start my period).

Unfortuately they say you can get these prelabor signs hours up to weeks before you actually go into labor. So with my luck I'll probably be two weeks overdue .

[mom2angelbabies]

This is just my first baby (well, will be my first living child) and I've already dropped (32 weeks), already lost part of my plug (34 weeks), and am experiencing more and more frequent BH every day. For me, I'm anxious to keep on top of these signs because if at all possible, I want to prolong this process and keep this baby cookin' until term!!!

[Lynnseedoil]

Adapted from "The Birth Partner" by Penny Simkin

SIGNS OF LABOR
(Chart on pages 38-39)

Possible Signs.
(Without other signs, these are not clear enough to get excited about. They may be due to something besides labor, such as indigestion, fatigue, or physical overexertion... If, however, the mother has had a rapid labor with a previous birth, she should be particularly alert to the Possible Signs to avoid being surprised by another rapid labor.)

• Vague nagging backache causing restlessness--a need to keep changing positions.

• Several soft bowel movements--sometimes accompanied by flulike, "sick" feelings.

• Intermittent or continuous cramps, similar to menstrual cramps; discomfort may extend to thighs.

• Unusual burst of energy resulting in great activity; termed the "nesting urge."

Preliminary Signs.
(These are more important that Possible Sings, but it could still be hours or even days before labor is really underway.)

• Blood-tinged mucous discharge ("show" or mucous plug) released from the vagina; mother continues passing this discharge off and on throughout labor.

• Bag of waters leaks, resulting in a trickle of fluid from the vagina, but no contractions occur.

• Continuing, nonprogressing contractions that do not become longer, stronger, and closer together over a period of time. Sometimes called "false labor, prelabor, or Braxton-Hicks contractions.

Positive Signs.
(These are the only certain signs that the mother is in progressing or "true" labor.)

• Progressing contractions, which are contractions that become longer, stronger, and closer together over time.

• Spontaneous breaking of bag of waters (rupture of membranes) with pop or gush of fluid followed by progressing contractions within hours.

I hope that helps. I have found this book to be really invaluable. Here's a link at Amazon: The Birth Partner

Boy I hope this post works because this is by far the fanciest post I've ever done!

[Boobiemama]

Great post! Thanks!!
I am having a ton of bh today, plus my legs hurt. But I am not going to get excited for nothing!

[*violet*]

Thanks for the post! It's a good reminder of what to be aware of.

[Metasequoia]

Hi! Popping over from March, I never had any "pre labor signs" with either of my Dd's except being 4-5 cms dilated for 3-4 wks prior, but how much of a sign is that??!!

LOL, I had that poop feeling too with Dd2 but not until I was *definitely* in labor, huge contractions. With Dd1 I did poop but just after my first big contraction, so I already knew. I too kept waiting for "the big poop" w/ Dd2, thinking that I would poop en route, never happened. Once my water broke, pooping sensation was gone.

I wish I had some reliable signs, my labors are getting progressively faster w/ no warning. Dd1 was 3.5 hrs & Dd2 was exactly 1 hr from my first contrax to birth, I feel like a walking time bomb .

[Sleepymama]

Well I had the flu for 3 days before DS was born, so it's hard for me to separate what may have been prelabor from flu symptoms. I had fever, terrible backache, diarrhea etc. Plus lots of BH but I was in total denial that I could be going into labor soon because I didn't want to give birth while so sick! Then my water broke and I couldn't deny any more...and ctx started right away. I never had bloody show or lost mucus until well into active labor.