[SaraC]

1)how many days were you when you went into labor
DD #1 42wks exactly DD#2 41wks 5days
2) How acurate were your dates ?? meaning do you think your due date was even calculated correctly based on your real cycle or conception or ultrasound??
DD #1 Not sure at all. Based on when I remembered my LMP
DD #2 Very sure. DH was in a wedding and gone most of month. Had sex only one time
2) did your water break before labor? ( they say this is uncommon)
DD#1 Broke before
DD #2 Broke during labor at about 9cms
3) What symptoms did you experience before going into labor???? Did you have any idea it was coming the days or weeks before???
I had no idea with DD #1. With DD #2 I lost my plug the morning I went into labor
4) any other thoughts you think would help first time moms know about regarding due dates and labor ( besides that they are pretty inconclusive)
Don't put to much faith in them. Let nature take its course. It won't fail you

 

[momsgotmilk4two]

1)how many days were you when you went into labor

I was 37 weeks, 3 days with ds 1 and 38 weeks, 6 days with ds #2.

2) How acurate were your dates ?? meaning do you think your due date was even calculated correctly based on your real cycle or conception or ultrasound??

My pg was dated by LMP with my first pg and was dead on accurate since I had 28 day cycles and knew when I concieved because we were trying. With ds #2 it was dated by u/s because we were not trying and I wasn't keeping track of my periods and forgot the date of my last one.

2) did your water break before labor? ( they say this is uncommon)

no

3) What symptoms did you experience before going into labor???? Did you have any idea it was coming the days or weeks before???

I lost my mucous plug aprox. 2 days beforehand both times. I had loose stools and just "felt" different. A tad flu like almost. I felt pretty good during most of my pg, but right before labor I felt like I needed to rest.

4) any other thoughts you think would help first time moms know about regarding due dates and labor ( besides that they are pretty inconclusive)

I would try as hard as you can not to worry about it and just let your body do it's thing. Way easier said than done. I was lucky to go early both times and I know that this time I will be pretty antsy if I go past 39 weeks. Also, my bp goes up in late pg along with lots of swelling, so I'm not sure it would be such a good thing for me to go over 40 weeks, but maybe my body realized that. I think that for the vast majority if we just trust our bodies we'll be okay. Also, towards the end of your pg if you feel like resting, rest. Don't push yourself. I think that's your body's way of telling you to slow down so that you can save your energy for labor.

 

[NaturalFamiLEA]

1)how many days were you when you went into labor I was 40 weeks, 6 days.

2) How acurate were your dates ?? meaning do you think your due date was even calculated correctly based on your real cycle or conception or ultrasound??
Ariana was born 6 days after the due date I came up with based on conception.

2) did your water break before labor? ( they say this is uncommon)
No.

3) What symptoms did you experience before going into labor???? Did you have any idea it was coming the days or weeks before???
I was 1.5cm's dialated and 80% effaced 10 days before she was born. I was 3cm's and 100% 3 days before she was born. I had a sharp pain here and there the the final 2 weeks, but nothing real major.

4) any other thoughts you think would help first time moms know about regarding due dates and labor ( besides that they are pretty inconclusive)

 

[crazydaisy]

1)how many days were you when you went into labor? i was 37 weeks along!! it shocked me that i came early like that (i know, early compared to what???). when dd was born the doc said she "looked" like she was only a week or so old...how can they tell this? i don't know. i guess that everything was working right and properly on her

2) How acurate were your dates ?? meaning do you think your due date was even calculated correctly based on your real cycle or conception or ultrasound??
gosh...i knew my due date was off...i actually figured that my real due date based on the day of conception was a few weeks b/f the read date...but ultrasound said differently and i figured not to change it would buy me some time with my midwife...you know, they said i could not go over 41 weeks AT ALL!! so i was greatful for the mess up!
2) did your water break before labor? ( they say this is uncommon)
yup. my water did that trickle thing...then contractions started.

3) What symptoms did you experience before going into labor???? Did you have any idea it was coming the days or weeks before???
i dropped a week before i had dd...same as my mom i had a hunch it would be earlier than expected
-kate

 

[gingerlane]

1)how many days were you when you went into labor

On my due date.

2) How acurate were your dates ?? meaning do you think your due date was even calculated correctly based on your real cycle or conception or ultrasound??

We knew date of conception, so it was right on.

2) did your water break before labor? ( they say this is uncommon)

I had pre-labor all day, but didn't know that was what was happening. When my water broke, we knew what was going on!

3) What symptoms did you experience before going into labor???? Did you have any idea it was coming the days or weeks before???

From about noon on, I thought I was sick: had diarrhea, felt woozy, tired that kind of thing. Nothing in the days or weeks prior. My water broke around 6pm.

4) any other thoughts you think would help first time moms know about regarding due dates and labor ( besides that they are pretty inconclusive)

It's a crap-shoot! The big thing to remember is that baby comes when baby's ready. Period. Don't let anyone tell you different. Good luck!

 

[stayinghome]

38 weeks with first, and my water broke before labor began, 36 weeks with my second and my water broke before my labor began, and 39 weeks with my third and my water broke before labor began.

I knew my due dates were right because I've always kept track of my cycles. Ultrasounds were ridiculous- one told me I had a big, 8 or 9 lb baby, and she weighed 5 lb 11 oz. Give me a break....

 

[Al Dente]

We all know that due dates are circumspect at best. With inductions it is hard to figure out how long woman usually go. I learned in bradley that it is usually 41 weeks 1 day on average. So I thought I would ask you moms to post.

So for your first baby if you did not induce could you please answer the following.
1)how many days were you when you went into labor
2) How acurate were your dates ?? meaning do you think your due date was even calculated correctly based on your real cycle or conception or ultrasound??
2) did your water break before labor? ( they say this is uncommon)
3) What symptoms did you experience before going into labor???? Did you have any idea it was coming the days or weeks before???
4) any other thoughts you think would help first time moms know about regarding due dates and labor ( besides that they are pretty inconclusive)

You didn't ask for my perspective (I had a c-section) but I'll answer anyway! 42 wks, 3 days at c/b date.early ultrasound at 10 wks determined the due date. I conceived on the pill. I had no symptoms of labor. No Braxton-Hicks, no back pain, never lost mucus plug, etc etc...

My advice for first time moms...Listen to your body. I was too scared to wait longer. I don't know that I would have gone into labor if I had waited longer. Ds was not in a position to come out vaginally, and his heart rate was starting to dip into the high 90s by c/b date. I was determined to birth naturally. We attended Bradley and hired a doula. I was doing bigtime gardening and walking for weeks before he was born to "try to get things started". We did chiropractic (Webster), moxabustion, and herbs. But for whatever reason, it didn't happen for me. It was more important that he be safe than that I have my ideal birth, and at the time it seemed like the right decision to have the c/b. Now, I don't know.

 

[Peony]

1)how many days were you when you went into labor
38 weeks

2) How acurate were your dates ?? meaning do you think your due date was even calculated correctly based on your real cycle or conception or ultrasound??

EDD was calculated on cycle.
2) did your water break before labor? ( they say this is uncommon)

CNM broke it when I started pushing

3) What symptoms did you experience before going into labor???? Did you have any idea it was coming the days or weeks before???

I knew my cervix was ripe with some dilation, I had lost my plug several weeks before, I knew it would happen eventually!

4) any other thoughts you think would help first time moms know about regarding due dates and labor ( besides that they are pretty inconclusive)
plan on going over the "date", I kept telling myself that baby wasn't going to come until 42 weeks, so when she decided to appear at 38, it was a nice surprise!

 

[fiikske]

1)how many days were you when you went into labor

40weeks + 5 days -- no induction whatsoever

2) How acurate were your dates ?? meaning do you think your due date was even calculated correctly based on your real cycle or conception or ultrasound??

It was calculated based on first day of last cycle.

2) did your water break before labor? ( they say this is uncommon)

No, it was broken just short before delivery.

3) What symptoms did you experience before going into labor???? Did you have any idea it was coming the days or weeks before???

Absolute feeling for nesting. I never do puzzles, but here the couple of nights before birth I got up to work on a 1000piezes-puzzle. Amazing the patience I had these nights ;-) Ow, and the evening before birth started, I had a terrible urge for sex! ;-) Luckily, dh was consenting

Hope these answers can be of any value,
Fiikske

 

[CarrieMF]

Quote:

1)how many days were you when you went into labor

39wks 2 days

Quote:

2) How acurate were your dates ?? meaning do you think your due date was even calculated correctly based on your real cycle or conception or ultrasound??

I have no clue. I was around 15 weeks when I found out I was pg. I was only ever given the edd that the dr calculated by my estimated LMP. If it changed nobody told me.

Quote:

2) did your water break before labor? ( they say this is uncommon)

Not with my first, they broke my water at 6cm when it seemed like my labour had stalled out after 2 hours.lol

Quote:

3) What symptoms did you experience before going into labor???? Did you have any idea it was coming the days or weeks before???

I could write a book on this one. I had my first bh's at 38weeks, I didn't even know they were bh's until the nurse said that the pressue I felt against my pubic bone was bh. At 38weeks 5 days I started having contractions. I would get 4-5 in 20minutes then they'd go away for an hour or so and come back in the same patter. The next day I had it the same except it was 6-8 in 10minutes and they'd go away for 30minutes and then come back. The next morning(39weeks) I lost my mucous plug, and the dr was po'd at me because I had not called him and told him about the contractions or mp(I had an appt with him 3 hours after I lost it). By now I was having to do some minor breathing & concentrating through the contractions that were still coming every 1-2minutes. The day after the contractions were still there, by 6pm I now know I was in labour but I didn't at the time. I remember talking to my sister on the phone and telling her that they felt like strong menstrual cramps(she seemed disappointed,lol). By 9pm I couldn't sit still. I went to bed at midnight, woke up at 1. By 3 I couldn't get comfortable so I went to the uncomfortable couch. By 5:30 I was kinda whining through them and dh came and brought me back to bed. At 7:30 we called the hospital to see if they thought I was in labour. They said to time them for 30minutes and call back I had 10 from 30seconds to 8 minutes apart. They said they couldn't tell if I was in labour but if I couldn't handle the pain to come in. We went in at 9:30 more for me to see if I really was in labour or not. I was 4-5cm, she was born 6 hours later. When I went to the hospital I really did not think I was in labour, I thought it had to feel different.lol I have no idea when I went into labour, when I had my 3rd and there were complications with the labour the nurses asked me if I have fast labours and I just laughed at them. I have long first stages and short active labours(last one was 18minutes).

Quote:

4) any other thoughts you think would help first time moms know about regarding due dates and labor ( besides that they are pretty inconclusive)

It's nothing but an estimate, the baby will come when it's ready. When in labour remember each contraction is 1 less that you'll have until you see the baby.

 

[Yummymummy74]

1)how many days were you when you went into labor

43 weeks 1 day

2) How acurate were your dates ?? meaning do you think your due date was even calculated correctly based on your real cycle or conception or ultrasound??

Dates were very accurate, based on my cycle.

2) did your water break before labor? ( they say this is uncommon)

No

3) What symptoms did you experience before going into labor???? Did you have any idea it was coming the days or weeks before???

I had lots of prelabour! back ache...crampy legs..bloody show..lost my plug all about a week before.

4) any other thoughts you think would help first time moms know about regarding due dates and labor ( besides that they are pretty inconclusive)

I think all moms cook differently and we need to respect that fact you know? all babies develop in utero differently as in the first few years of life!