How did you know you were in labor?

[vegas]

This probably sounds like a dumb question, especially for a second time mom, but I was induced the first time and I was given the epidural at 4 cm before I ever had any contractions. I had the baby 4 hours later and never really felt any "real" contractions so I have no experience with them.

Up until last week I was on bed rest for pre term labor. I went to the OB yesterday and I'm 3cm and 60% effaced. I've had lots and lots of cramping over the past 24 hours but nothing that causes tremendous pain.

I'll know when I'm in labor, right? I mean, there will be obvious contractions vs. just cramping and discomfort at some point?

[kittycatlove]

One of my biggest fears was that I wouldn't know when I was in labor. I ended up being woken up at 1am with intense pain that had me doubled over and contractions that were about 4-5 minutes apart. I got to the hospital and I was 5cm.

Up until that point I wasn't really having any sort of contractions.

Good luck!

[badtzmaru22]

It's not a dumb question! I was debating whether to go home or to the hospital after work, and about halfway home decided I should probably have gone to the hospital because I didn't feel safe driving. I still wasnt convinced it was real labor until DH was driving me in!

[Deleted]

I was just crampy for the first 6 hours or so.

Then I realized they were coming and going and timed a few, and they were 4-6 min apart. In another 5 hours, I was ready to die. Or have a baby.

www.contractionmaster.com/

[birdmom]

I felt like I was constipated, and spent most of the night going back and forth to the bathroom. My water broke when I was getting back into bed and then I immediately started feeling cramping, which turned into contractions.

[madringal]

With DD1, the contractions felt like my back was exploding. With DD2, I apparently had no clue because I was sent home from the hospital 3 times before I was induced at 41 weeks. There is nothing more embarassing then the "walk of shame" out of L&D.

[vegas]

madringal--that's what I worry about! The problem is that my delivery was so fast last time that I'm scared to miss the cues. My doctor told me she thinks I have less than a week, but I'm not as convinced since I've heard of many people who were dilated and effaced like me and still took weeks to go into labor.

Sounds like most people had something more noticeable than the cramping I'm experiencing. I was also thinking that the cramping could be from my OB visit yesterday and the cervical exam.

[jr009j]

I thought I wouldn't know. Then I wasn't sure that I was actually in labor once it started because I had exclusively back labor. Like nothing up front at all. But as soon as things got to be timeable, I knew it was actually labor.

[Ashley&Scott]

I was having consistent, painful contractions, they didn't go away regardless of rest or activity. They were timeable & I could not walk/talk through them.

My "is this labor" story:

Two days before DS was born I started having contractions. They started around 10am, I was at work & stayed there until 4pm or so. They were not painful but they were consistent, 2-3 minutes apart. I had been emailing DH updates. That evening we went to L&D to get checked. I was there for 3 hours being monitored, they said it was preterm labor & sent me home. (consistent contractions but no progress) They said to come back when I couldn't walk/talk through the contractions.

The next day was pretty calm, just a few BH. We went for a long walk that night & went to bed early. Woke up at 4am with painful contractions. (36hr after being sent home) This time they were painful, so we went back in & I was admitted.

[aspentosh]

My water broke So I am no help. But I do think you'll know!

[Jem]

I really had no idea I was in labor. Thank goodness my water broke, because at least I knew I had to go to the hospital. Looking back, I was just super run down, but not crampy. Even after my water broke I never had contractions that I really felt. They eventually started pretty subtly and then when I was ready to push they were insanely intense.

It was my worst fear that I wouldn't know I was in labor and if my water didn't break then that fear would have come true.

[h]

This is not a stupid question. Both times it took me several hours into labor to be sure it was the real thing since I had been having contractions for weeks at that point.

With DS1 I woke up with a strong contraction at about 4am, timed them throughout the morning, then called my OB to ask her if she thought I should go to the hospital. She told me she wasn't that busy and that she would check me if I wanted to run by her office. I got to her office around 11am, and she told me I was definitely in labor and to make my way to the hospital.

With DS2, I had contractions on and off all day the day before he was born, but they never got regular. By about 10pm that night I finally became convinced that it was labor and told my DH to try to get some sleep since we would likely need to head to the hospital before long. I woke him up at 4am and told him I thought we needed to get going. We got to the hospital a little before 6am, and I had DS2 in my arms by noon.

[pierogigirl]

I was induced for #1 and went from no big deal to excruciating in a matter of minutes. I went into labor naturally with #2 and I wasn't sure for a few hours. I noticed something every 7 minutes, so I kept track for an hour before I told my husband and called my mom to come babysit. I got to the hospital about an hour later and I was 6 cm. It still was not painful, but it was very regular.

[froggy76]

I had cramping at regular 10 minute intervals for hours. They slowly got closer and closer together and eventually got uncomfortable. So, it was pretty obvious for me.

Good luck!!!

[mie]

I had consistent contractions every five minutes. The second time I went into labor, I felt constipated and felt the urge to go to the bathroom, but nothing happened. It took me almost an hour to realize that what I was feeling was actually contractions.

[mrshandy]

They felt like really crappy period pains. I was back and forth from the bathroom. I knew it was the real deal when I puked. +o(

[starlily]

I realized that the lower back pain that woke me up in the middle of the night kept intensifying every four minutes.

[pugz]

my water also broke so I am not much help. I had no contractions until after that, when they did start they were timeable and increasing in painfulness.

[Deleted]

Aug 7, 2012 10:30:05 GMT -5 vegas said:

I'll know when I'm in labor, right? I mean, there will be obvious contractions vs. just cramping and discomfort at some point?

For me, there was a big difference and I could definitely tell when the contractions started getting serious. Then I just timed them until they were about five minutes apart and went to the hospital.

For my last two pregnancies, the doctor had to break my water.

[bunch]

In all honesty, I wasn't sure. I also had timetable contractions for weeks. The day they became real, I thought that they hurt more than usual, but not out of line with what I'd been experiencing. I'd actually gone to my weekly appt in early labor at 10 that morning and didn't know. A few hrs later it hurt when I walked through the contractions. I was admitted at 3 and pushing by 7. I'm also terrified of next time things going even faster.

[vegas]

Ok thanks everyone. Right now I just feel really crampy so I'll keep an eye on it. I'm going today to get pre-registered at the hospital just in case. I'm so far behind this time, whereas last time I was all set and ready to go! I haven't even packed a bag.

[LauraMoser]

Mine started out as pretty mild period like cramps with DD2. They slowly strengthened over the course of a few hours. What you're describing sounds pretty much like how mine started. I'd keep an eye on it.

[nannersp]

Aug 7, 2012 11:00:46 GMT -5 aspentosh said:

My water broke So I am no help. But I do think you'll know!

Ditto this exactly!

[sewpinkgal]

I woke up at 1am to pee and it was pale pink on the paper. I figured that didn't mean much and went back to bed. Woke up at 6am and had cramps that felt like I was starting my period. Nothing timeable though. At 8am, I went to use the bathroom and had my first "oh shit, this is a contraction!" moment. I started timing them and they were 5min apart and 1 min in duration. We left for the hospital at 9am.

For me, it was very obvious when I started having real contractions. Like, I couldn't miss it.

[lizard]

I was just like you--already had a baby, but was induced and got the epi early. Dilated with second baby and the doctor said I'd know when I was in labor.

I waited and waited for super painful contractions, and I waited too long! I got to the hospital and was 9.5cm dilated and told not to have the baby in the hall. It was too late for an epidural.

Download an app to time your contractions and if there's any kind of pattern get to the hospital!

[Deleted]

The contractions were timeable - that was the biggest difference. I could feel them coming and going like a wave with a very specific rhythm. They felt like bad menstrual cramps (and by the end were the worst menstrual cramps EVER ha) but I had had that feeling for weeks, so it wasn't that alone that clued me in that i was in labor, it was definitely the timing and the wave-like coming and going of them.

[water*drop]

My water broke. I didn't start having contractions or dilating until they started Cytotec and Pitocin. My contractions never got timeable, even when I was pushing. My body doesn't really get how labor is supposed to work.

[ohgillian]

I have the same concern. My first was an induction, so I feel like a FTM in terms of the whole "going into labor" bit. However, I had a lot of BH contractions last time, so I'm assuming it will feel like those, but on a regular/consistent basis until it clues me in. I hope.

[jaylea]

My water broke with both kids, signaling the start of labor.

With DD I had been having what I thought with BH contractions. With DS I hadn't had anything but some minor cramping. Then my water broke and an hour later I was getting hit with hard and fast contractions (beginning to end he was born in under 5 hours).

[mrssandro]

My water broke in the early morning when I woke up. Then the contractions increased. I was 6 cm dilated the day before so I walked all afternoon to see if I could speed it up.