Talk to me about labor

[KarmaJoy]

I was induced with dd1 so I don't know how this goes as far as going into labor on my own. Last night I had some decent contractions, although I would still call them uncomfortable rather than painful but it woke me up. I had them pretty sporadically as close as 8 and up to 20 minutes apart. THis morning they are eased up a lot. Is this a good sign labor is soon??(please say yes). Thursday at check up I was 80% effaced and 3 cm so I am hopeful... but don't want to get my hopes up too much. Next few days maybe?

[dachshundqueen]

I'm voting for no, sorry! Sounds like BH contrax still.

I was 3 cm for a month last time and mostly effaced so.....

Anyways, lasting 1 minute, every 5 minutes for about a solid hour and not letting up is when you're really into labor. You'll know, feels like very strong menstrual cramps and you kinda catch your breath rather than them being so far apart and puttering out.

Liz (Due 9/24 w/second)

[mighty-mama]

I've had two labors, but both have been different..

With DS1, I was at 3cm 75% for over a week, and the night before I had diarrhea, some bloody show and cont. from 5 to 30min apart. The next am around 10:30 am, I felt stronger contractions. Since I know I was probably only 3cm that am, I waited about 6hrs before going to the hospital, even though my contractions were 4 min apart, I found out I was only 4cm, and was very disappointed..

With DS2, I had 11 days of prodromal labor, mostly having contractions every 8min.. They got more and more intense each day, although I was checked and was only 2cm, and 30%.. When labor really started, it came faster, stronger, and much more harder.. We went to the hospital two hrs later and I was 5cm and 100%. With this one, I had no diarrhea, and only lost little slivers of my mucous plug. I only lost my plug and had show when my water broke, right at the start of transition.

I was amazed how different the two labors were. Even though I only gave birth 5 days ago, I swore I wouldn't know "when" labor started.. But that was the similarity between the two, and I hate to say but "when it starts, you'll know". You'll find yourself struggling to breathe thru the contractions, and my rule of thumb is when or if you have to get in a car during active labor, you contemplate having your dp stop in the middle of the highway so you can jump out, or think about jumping out of a moving car.. (btw, that just might be me, on both occassions) nothing told me more about being in active labor than trying to sit in a car.

[IntuitiveJamie]

I really want to tell you yes. You have no idea how much I want to tell you that, buuttt...you just never know when labor will start. I def. think you are at a great place that it absolutely could start and go anytime! You are at a jumping off point I think. Your body has done a lot of work already and they consider 4 cm to be active labor. So it's all good signs. But other then that no one can say how many days, not even a doctor. Sorry
But I do want to tell you that Mighty Mama is right on when she says You will know. I still think back to my first pregnancy and how often I wondered if I was in labor and how many times I called my doula asking her if it was happening. We made guesses, we hoped, we prayed. But when it finally came down to time, I knew. WIthout a doubt. I don't know how, I just did. I woke up and instantly knew it was the real thing. It was very instinctual.
Hang in there, it's coming soon, that's all I can really say!

[lactivist]

I'm in the "you will know" camp. My first birth I had 2 minute apart contractions for hours and hours but knew I wasn't ready to go to the birth center. It was when I couldn't deal anymore and was forcing my dp to count from 1 to 10 repeatedly during contractions and look me in the eye that it was time to call the midwife and head in. I was still only 4cm at that point but things progressed from there. I just couldn't work through the contractions how I had been and the energy completely changed. Each time that "this is it" feeling came later in the labor. With my last it happened about 3 hours before he was born. It does sound like your body is doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing. The more early work that gets done the easier it will be for the rest of the birth. Hang in there! You will be holding your baby pretty soon.
Wendi

[angelamclamb]

Well with my 1st I started having some mild contractions and felt like I needed to go poo but couldn't, all I did was go back and forth to the bathroom thinking maybe I was constipated. There was pressure back there. I called my doctor and she said for me to step outside, which I thought was strange but I did. Then she said, "Okay, now start walking". I did (about 10 steps) and then I doubled over in pain and she could tell by the change in my voice and said "See ya at the hospital". I went to the bathroom before I left and there was bloody show.

#2 I had preterm labor 4 times, but really the same thing happened. I kept going back and forth to the bathroom thinking I needed to poo. No real contractions, just tons of BH's it seemed. But then as I left the bathroom for the millionth time that day and headed down the hallway I doubled over in pain. I knew it was time to go!

#3 Preterm labor at 28 weeks was some pressure down there, right side of my back hurt and I had this feeling of, "Something's not quite right". Otherwise, I didn't feel the contractions. The night before I was induced with him at 38 weeks I had no REAL contractions to speak of but instead it was constant pain and pressure that wrapped around my waist and horrible back pain. I finally fell asleep at some point and when I went to my regularly scheduled appt the next morning the doc said I was 5cm and completely effaced, but the u/s showed low amnioitc fluid, thus why I was induced.

#4 Also same preterm issues but was induced so nothing really before then. But you get the picture.

YOU WILL KNOW! Believe me, your instincts will kick in and you may question things here and there along the way but when the "real thing" is happening, something in the back of your mind will tell you.

[HeatherB]

Sounds like your body is prepping! Every ctx will do *something* - whether tone your uterus, move baby into the proper position, efface, or dilate - they are working! Clearly, no one can tell you when active labor will start, but do be encouraged that your body is working towards a birth, and it WILL happen.

[Maple Leaf Mama]

I had mild contractions with DD starting on a Sunday morning. They bounced around between 5-14 mins. Hurt during the night-sporadic.
Monday was DH's uncles funeral-I didn't go b/cI really wasn't feeling well. Still contracting sporadically. That night they hurt and woke me up. Still sporadic.

On Tuesday at 5:30 AM I was awake and in pain right above my pelvic bone. I was pacing-but they were still sporadic.
Went to a scheduled ultrasound. The tech freaked out I was 2mins apart. Ya we know-no big deal-been that way up and down for quite a while and L@D said don't bother coming in. She finally came back in with the Dr. who said I needed to go straight to the L@D. Baby was having decels.

When I arrived at L@D-I was 2 mins apart and in active labor.
So not all labors follow the normal path of contractions.
If you have any question-just goin to be checked.