Labor differences (preterm >34 weeks vs. full-term)

[mom2angelbabies]

For any of you who've experienced both (a L&D between 34-36/37 weeks AND a full-term birth), did you notice differences?? For example, did your preterm labor come less noticably than your term labor? Did you experience any or more/less pre-labor signs with one or the other? Any info is greatly appreciated! :)

[lilyka]

#1 was 34 weeks. the whole thing was weird and I had been in intense pain for weeks. not suprising I didn't notice the contractions. I did however notice my water breaking which made me feel much better. It was my hardest labor of the three but they were actively trying to slow it way down (in hopes of keeping me in labor for 5 days to avoid the mandatory NICU stay. It totaly sucked all around. I lasted all of 8 hours (from start to finish) and she ended up in he NICU for 7 days. She was 5 1/2 pounds.

#2 was 42 weeks (that sucks even worse when you were expecting and worrying about going early :lol) The contractions weren't painful but i was inducing with black and blue cohosh so I was really hoping that it was the real thing. I had two false labors that even fuled my midwife. labor lasted about 7 hours from the first contractiont o out. She was 9 1/2 poubds.

#3 was born at 37 weeks. I felt like poo that morning and thought the next 5 weeks were gonna suck. my back started hurting around 1:30. by 2:30 I was having regular, strong but completely painless contractions (much like the false alarms with my last labor - 1 to 1 1/2 minutes every 3 minutes like clock work) I thought it might be the stat of a very long labor or false labor that would get me excited and ware me out only to dissapoint. I still didn't think this was the real thing. There was absolutely no pain. by 3:30 they were starting to be strong enough to take my breath away but still not painful by any definition. On the way out the door to my prenatal apointment I took a LLL call and was able to chat through the contraction without the person on the phone noticing. still comepletly comfortable and figuing they were probably BH contrax. I got to my apointment at 4, contractions were real, and were starting to hurt. but I could still laugh about them. she checked me at 4:10, I was 10 cm and my water broke. after my water broke I instantly went down to about 7cm. we decided to check into the hospital. MW went to get towels and nurse went to get a wheel chair. DH went to call about someone keeping the kids a litle longer than planned. all in all maybe 90 second. Ava was crowning when dh came back in the room. she was out 3 minutes later. easiest labor ever and the only contractions that realy hurt were the last 4 or 5 after my water broke. so what, about 3 hours? maybe. she was 7 1/2 pounds.

I don't think gestational age made a difference at all.