What were you doing...

[JeDeeLenae]

when labor started this time around or a previous time??


I'm interested, and willing to try anything... so even if you were sitting in the middle of your floor eating truffles... I want to know.

[Kim919]

The day before I went into labor (it was my moms bday) I got up early and went to her house to suprise her. We drove 3 hours on some lousy bumpy roads and did an outdoor walking tour, then went to a museum and walked all day long there, went out to supper then 3 hrs home over bumpy roads again. had a bloody show about 3am, and I woke up in labor at about 8am. contx 5 mins apart baby came at 8:38 that night.

So I suggest bumpy roads and lots of walking.

[ibusymomto5]

With this baby - It was 2am, and I was sitting at the computer reading birth stories, lol. I was getting sleepy and tried to go to bed and ignore them, but I quickly realized that wasn't going to happen. Baby was born about 6hrs after that.


ETA what I was doing with previous babies :-)

Babies 1 & 2 were c/sec and I didn't go into labor on my own.

Baby #3 - I was laying around watching tv around 7pm and started contracting every 5-8min. Early/active labor was long and came on very gradually, but then I went from a 6 to complete quickly. Baby was born the next day at 1:32pm

Baby #4 - Earlier in the day(39w 6d) mw checked me and discovered baby had flipped breech. Scheduled u/s for next morning to attempt version. I was closed and not effaced when she checked me late that day. At midnight I got up to the bathroom, lost my very bloody and huge plug, and immediately started having intense contractions 2-3min apart. Baby came footling breech and complication free at home 3hrs later.

Baby #5 - Water broke at 8:30am as I was laying in bed. I paced around the house all day cleaning and waiting for contractions to start. Just after laying down for a nap I had my first contraction at 2:00pm. I was immediately in active labor with fairly easy contractions that were 2-3min apart. That labor never got very hard, not even in transition. Baby came 3hrs after first contraction.

Baby #6 - Water broke while I was laying down napping. Had my first contraction a couple hours later, baby came 3hrs after that. Another fairly easy labor.

Baby #7 - I was laying on the couch close to midnight watching tv and felt a tiny gush. Thought my water had broke, but discovered it was a gush of bloody mucous instead. Started having mild contractions every 3-4min, and baby came very easily about 2hrs later. She pretty much fell out of me. My biggest baby(9-2) was my easiest and quickest labor and birth.


I see a pattern here.. At the end of preg and during labor contractions are always way more intense when I'm laying down. So, my advice is to take lots of naps! :-) Once labor hits, though, I stay upright the whole time and things generally move quickly.

[Marcimama]

#1 - I was taking a bath and contractions started.
#2 - I was sleeping and they started gradually. I knew it was "it" after we took a walk later that day.
#3 - I was sleeping and my water broke all over the bed. Contractions started about an hour later. BTW, I never want my water to break prior to labor again! It made is so much harder.

[Mamja]

Well, I was induced, so this question is no fun for me! But I was in the hospital (duh) and I think I was actually sleeping when labor really started kicking in. I really hope that next time I get to feel the excitement of having labor start spontaneously!

[TaraRae82]

I'm not exactly sure when my labor started so I'll give you the few different times that could've been it.

My "BH's" started while I was at DH's Grandma's house watching Dancing With the Stars the night before she was born.

I was in bed watching the 6am news when the back ache started and had a pattern with the "BH's".

I was in the shower when I had my first ctx that caught my attention and made my legs feel a little weak.

[Baby_Cakes]

Hmm, I hope this isn't TMI, but the night labor started for me, I had a massive bm around midnight. The ctx started right after I lied down at 12:30am. I went to bed, and realized, hmm, these ctx kinda hurt. They lasted through the night. In the morning, I still wasn't sure what was going on or if I should believe it, but after much hemming and hawing, I went to the vet with Chris (we had to drop off our cat for x-rays) and just barely made it home before the ctx really started picking up!

[mkmb129]

With Colin I'd been having contractions all day (didn't realize they were contractions, though, just thought it was some more annoying pregnancy pains) that were mild. Went about my day normally. DTD around 8pm (which I feel is completely coincidental and had nothing to do with labor) & went to sleep, or tried. Got up around 8:45 b/c I was really uncomfortable (contractions, again, just thought they were annoying pregnancy pains) and sat at the computer for hours.. didn't do much other then sit there & they just kept coming and getting a little stronger, but still nothing terrible. Then boom out of nowhere they were the can't walk or talk through kind of pain.

No clue this time..

[Faerieshadow]

DTD seemed to have done the trick for me... :

I woke DH up at 6 am to "do his job"... because every time we'd dtd it made my ctx feel more intense. They started up in the usual manner about an hour after that, and noon brought on the first of the serious ctx that let me know I was really in labor.

[justme&my3+1]

My first was DTD also, even though it turned into a c section

#2 was a scheduled c section

#3 I was in the E.R. with my 2 yr. old while he was getting stitches from busting his chin at the pool earlier. I had a classic pain that you see on TV when a big pregnant woman grabs her stomach out of the blue doubles in pain and screams. Half an hour later she was born via c section

#4 I had BH or prodromal labor for 3 days before he was actually born. They started on my 15 hr. drive from Indiana to Virginia. I then lugged all my belongings in the house and unpacked. I did have help, but I did a lot of it too. I spoke with an ask a nurse on the phone to see if I should go to the hospital because it seemed BH contractions were a little too close together and lasting for so many days. She said sure, might as well considering you aren't term yet. Arrived at the E.R. 1 hour later and contractions were 2-3 min. apart!!! Another c section.

[JMarie930]

I was sewing most of the day, but contrax were still pretty irregular. I finished up one last project and decided to lounge on the bed to watch a little TV. Still nothing regular, but right around 10PM, they got REALLY regular, every 3-5 minutes! Called DH at work around 11PM (he works nights) and he came home with our back-up sitter for our 5 y.o. DS.

[CrunchyDoula]

With #1 I was induced.

With Christopher, I woke up at 7:25 to a small little gush of fluid. Then contractions started an hour and a half later and then I had him 3 1/2 hrs later!! I didn't do anything special the night before. I was irritated and frustrated that the full moon didn't work right away, but I guess it did after all!!

[audsma]

With DD I worked all day with DH organizing our garage. Very little lifting on my part, but hot and focused work was how I didn't notice my back labor. Then, after a shower and a bit of dinner, I was sitting on my couch and started laughing really hard. My water broke and then I went into crazy nesting mode-- not wanting to tell DH until the sheets were washed and the bed was made.

We'll see how labor starts with this one (although I have quite a backache right now... one can only hope!)

[Fly Girl]

I had seen my midwife in the morning, the day before my due date, and she recommended DTD and walking up a hill or stairs. So I ran a bunch or errands, DTD with DH, hiked a steep cliff, walked on the beach, went out to a nice dinner, DTD again and then contractions started less than an hour later.

[lasciate]

Sleeping

[leurMaman]

I was watching television. However, earlier that day I was restless, grumpy, and impatient to have the baby. I was highly emotional. I went for a pedicure and manicure - and told them to rub my feet good. I went to whole foods and bought a birthday card for the baby and evening primrose oil. I came home and drank a cup of RRL tea and then went upstairs to put the EPO directly on the cervix (as I had read to do online) rather than take it orally or use capsules. I felt my first good contraction within 30 minutes of applying the EPO to the cervix and had the baby 5 hours later. I have no idea if any of those things did it or if it was all just coincidence and my time, but that's what happened.

[NDFanatik]

I was sleeping... Then suddenly was awoken to a HUGE POP!!! Sound and feel. Freaked me out and I jumped up suddenly (faster that any preggo woman should be able to move, lol) and bolted for the bathroom to just BARELY make it in time for my water to go gushing ALL OVER THE PLACE!

So go take a LONG nap

[JeDeeLenae]

Thanks for all the stories. I think it's so fun to see all the different experiences people have had.

So far today, I've cleaned and taken a nap. I'm headed out for a walk with the boys now.

[mamanurse]

I was typing my end of term papers for nursing school in the very same recliner chair I'm in right now. That's when I realized how painful my "BH" contx had gotten and started timing them. Dd was born about 12 hours later with 7 hours of active labor.

[lovemysunshine]

With DD I was sitting eating lunch in the staff lounge with 2 other teacher friends. My water started trickling out, but I thought it was more blood from my internal 2 days prior. I went to the bathroom and no blood, so I guesed it was my water. I went and got my kindergartners to the room, then left them with another teacher and went home to meet DH.

With DS I was lying down on the bottom bunk with DD to nurse her to sleep. I felt this tickling sensation down below and then my water gushed everywhere! No question that time!

I'm wondering if my water will break to start labor again this time around or if I'll actually get to experience contractions with some buffer first!