First Time Momma-- a ? about labor and contrax

[mrsfrenchy]

I feel like this is a horribly obnoxious question and that I should just shut up and wait patiently for my LO to arrive, but I have to ask anyway:

I've been feeling increasingly crampy the past few days (more and more every day), been having more and more BH, and have had at least 2 "real" contractions now. I've been having a little lower back pain too.

It's making me all excited (and DH too), but I suppose this could go on for weeks right? How likely is it that I'm getting close to the real thing? Or is it normal to feel like this for 2 or 3 weeks before I actually "go in to labor"?

Thanks! I'm just so ready and eager to meet my LO!

[veganf]

How far along are you? The average for first time mamas is a bit over 40 weeks.

[mrsfrenchy]

I'm 38 weeks right now

Yeah, I'm totally aware that statistically, I'm very likely to go over. But I can't help but have some wishful thinking that I'll be one of those lucky women who have a natural tendency to go before their due date.

I just didn't know if it was normal to have lots of contrax and cramping for a while before actually going into labor.

[njbeachgirl]

Yeah, that is just the way some women labor. It may be hours or weeks. I know that's not what you want to hear.

For me, it was about 2 days from the first "signs" of labor (cramps, bloody show, etc) till babe in arms.

Enjoy this time with your LO on the inside! I know it's hard at the end but soon you will be cherishing these memories

[stacyann21]

but I suppose this could go on for weeks right?

Right
It's normal to have lots of tight, crampy feelings during the last trimester. I swear, one day I had a 2 hour long Braxton Hick's contraction. I actually had my first baby 3 days before my due date. I knew labor had started pretty much right away. It was quite obvious. The contractions just got worse and worse and did not go away. They started out about 20 minutes apart and slowly got more and more close together. I spent most of the morning on the toilet thinking I was getting sick Then I realized it was definitely labor. I had my first painful contraction several hours later. Really, there will be plenty of time. There's nothing to worry about.

[KD's Momma]

with my first, I had some cramps the night before and really couldn't sit down comfortably (because of his head coming down), went to bed, woke up the next morning with cramps, got up to pee, and my water broke. I turned 38 weeks that day, he was born 4 hours later.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

Originally Posted by veganf

How far along are you? The average for first time mamas is a bit over 40 weeks.

41 and a day according to the Harvard study

Could go on for weeks. Days, hours. Who knows!

[apelilae]

It's so hard to say. I had what you described for three weeks before birth. It's very difficult. I know of other first timers who had what you described for just a few hours/days before the big event. I think it's very normal. I also had "the show" for five days. So annoying waiting when you are so excited. If you can, to help with the back pain, why not see a chiropractor. It made me feel so much better and those last few days so much more bearable (I also swear it helped during labor).

[seaheroine]

yeah, DD was born at 39wks 3 days...I had lots of what I now know were mild contrax prior, 10min apart...after my water broke, I had some bloody show and then those contrax immediately got down to business. Like my Mom promised, there was NO mistaking labor contractions for those BH!