How will I know the difference...

[slgt]

First-timer here. How will I know the difference between cramps and contractions? Is it obvious? I started getting some stronger menstrual-style cramps at about 20-minute intervals last night around bedtime. I slept through the night just fine, and have continued having the cramping sensation throughout most of the day today, stronger this evening. It's definitely worse if I'm sitting down, so I find myself getting up & moving around when they get stronger.

I would say they are coming in waves of stronger sensations, and then go away for a while, and then come back. Nothing super-regular - sometimes only 5-10 minutes apart, sometimes closer to an hour. Comes with backache, and changing positions relieves the sensation but doesn't make it go away. Hot shower didn't help much, either.

Also having a great deal of mucous discharge with all this - I assume I'm coming "unplugged" a bit at a time.

So - is it going to become blindingly obvious to me the difference between this and contractions? I'm pretty sure this is early early signs, but I also know from all you mamas that this could go on for a few days and then stop completely. EDD is 2/17, FWIW.

[LoveChild421]

not trying to get your hopes way up...but that's EXACTLY how my labor started this time. Started having cramps Sat. night (thought "oh yeah it does feel like a period when I started labor last time!"), lost my mucous plug throughout the day sunday with a little bit of bloody show, then sunday night I started having some cramps that I couldn't sit still through and had to move around, then around midnight my whole body started vibrating and I starting having REAL contractions that could not be construed as anything else but "oh this is LABOR!". Ended up giving birth monday at 1:37.

I wish you an easy, joyous birth...sounds like it could be soon!!!

[lincap]

Sounds like early labor to me. I think it is you, like me who is avoiding the 16th... so lets hope you do it for the 15th or wait until the 17th!

HUGS!

[zulupetalz]

Honestly, it is hard to tell until they get worse and regular. Especially with your first, you can have a lot of days of prodromal stuff and it not be labor. If it isn't the real thing, you are definitely getting close, though.

[Julz6871]

All good signs. For me, when active labor starts I can't sleep, I can't continue walking, and I usually can't finish a sentence. Have sex and drink plenty of water. Here's to it getting worse from here!

[slgt]

Thanks ladies! We'll see what tonight brings - I slept right through this last night, but it's been stronger this evening, enough to stop me from actually trying to do anything while I'm cramping!

However, I had been thinking a little Valentine's Day nookie might be in order...I'll have to wake DH up - he went to sleep early, with the thought that I might be waking him in the middle of the night...

I'm not getting my hopes up of anything happening soon - but am feeling good that this is the beginning of the beginning, at least. I do feel confident that I'm not going to experience 3 weeks of this!

[CalebsMama05]

I had back labor BAD with my first...so there was no mistaking it. after all...backaches don't usually come and go at regular 20 minute intervals! here's hoping this will be it for you!

[slgt]

And ps--what level of fetal movement should I expect during early labor? Baby is not usually active at night, so it's no surprise that I'm not feeling much, but should I worry at some point?

I'm definitely having what i guess is bloody show.

[flapjack]

All of mine have been very quiet once I was in the final days- my last false alarm was Saturday and I stayed in that state of quiet excitement with very mobile contractions until my waters broke on Wednesday night. If it's starting like this, though, I'd be surprised if it ever fully stops until baby's born. This sounds like you're having a baby.