Labour????

[Bubba82]

ok ladies yes i've already got a bubba BUT i was induced and it all went pretty quick & my contractions were as bad as they get right from the start so i've no idea what signs to look out for that tells you labour is starting??

[dara07]

I'm sure you'll know when it starts. I was induced too for my only labour, remember backache was awful!

[rachaelmae]

mucus plug, period pains, waters breaking... normally tickles, the sihts, backache....

you just kind of know...xxxxxx

[JulieBannon]

for me it was gradual, my waters didnt break until 20 mins before the birth.

at about 1 am when i was asleep i started getting stomach ache like something i ate had disagreed with me, i took some gaviscon. but after it kept coming back in waves and going again i thought something was up. after that it just built up very gradually and consistently, i got time to get used to the pain as it didnt hurt to start with.

about 9 hours start to finish not as long as i expected

[Debbiemeep]

With Matthew, my contractions started on the Wednesday night, just one an hour, not very painful and after 2 or 3 hours I fell asleep. When I woke up next day they had stopped but I had a sore back. Thursday night I felt them again every hour but Friday morning it was just a sore back. Went to bed early on Saturday night as my back was sore but got up to go to the toilet, felt a kick and my waters broke. I felt the contractions every 5 minutes then and while it was sore it wasn't unbearable. Matthew was born 9 hours later.

Didn't have a show or the runs and the early contraction pains were just like a backache unless I was lying down, which is when they felt more like tummy pains.

[wickypop]

with both of mine i just had period like cramps!

i didnt have a show and my waters didnt break!

i think you just know!!! i felt 'different' and knew something was going on!!

x x x x

[rachaelmae]

mine were both different..

JM waters broke... contractions every 5 min for 12hours
Livvy period pains overnight getting gradually worse when i woke up.. born by lunchtime

no mucus plugs, but i did have he sh1tsxx

[Ellie H]

I had a 'show' and then mild contractions from 5am. Waters broke with and almighty pop (so loud Mr H heard) at midnight, gushing soap opera stylee . Had full on contractions from then on every few minutes (epidural after 4 hours of gas and air, tens, birthball bouncing) and Ethan was born 13 hours later (cutting a long story very short LOL).

I'd had Braxton Hicks contractions from early on in my pregnancy but when the real thing started I just knew. It's kinda instinctive IYKWIM?

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[lilmuppetlou]

I had a 'show' with Megan at about 9am on the Sunday morning. I then had mild contractions and backache throughout the day. At 5pm Sunday evening my contractions came full force starting at every 20 mins, by the time I went into hospital at 9.30pm that evening my contractions were every 3 mins and really strong. I was 4cm and was using the birthing ball for about half hour, I started on the gas and air (lovely stuff) at about 11pm and was fully dilated by 12am. My waters hadn't broke when I started pushing and I was pushing out the sac, MW had to burst them. Megan was then born at 1.14am on the Monday.
I agree with everyone, you just know. I was scared that I wouldn't know if I was in labour or not, but when it started I knew.

[Claire76]

I was woken from my sleep at 5am with the weirdest popping sensation, thought what the hell was that, got up and like Ellie H, water came gushing out of me, very weird. Contractions didn't start until 10am, you'll just know hun xx