How did your labour start?

[Freya]

Ive never gone into labour naturally so all this is new to me. I know what an induced labour feels like but not spontaneous labour.

Did you see a mucous plug or have a show?

How did it start - waters breaking, full on contractions, period cramping, lower backache.............?

If it started with cramping and/or backache, when did it turn into real contractions?

Did you get any other odd "signs" like nausea/vomitting/heaviness in thighs or legs, headaches, sharp pains..................?

[myson]

No plug or show for me.

Both times it was waters breaking that started it all. First time a gush while in bed, second time a trickle after peeing. Then contractions starting and building up very quickly after that.

[Lolli]

A few back tinges, a feeling of heaviness in my belly, and a day or two beforehand I noticed I could suddenly feel my ribs again

Unfortunatley, for me, the next step was blood- a lot of it. The hospital ob decided the blood was 'just a show'.

[OceanPrincess]

For me it was back ache, period pain, that started at about 11pm, then by about 4am had turned into contractions - a different pain, tightening, at the front instead of back.

My waters didn't break until about 6pm that evening, so over 12 hours since labour started!

I didn't have a show either... My obs said I possibly lost my plug really slowly, as I had heavy discharge in the weeks leading up to birth.

I also had loose bowel movements the day before and vomitting when the contractions started.

[Cassius2]

for me it was intense (and i mean INTENSE) spurt of energy in the morning (i was surprised at how good i felt!), followed by in the mid morning by loose motions, then i noticed that DD started kicking furiously (which i later recognised was her fighting against the tightenting of contractions (she did this the whole labour LOL!). fell asleep absolutely exhausted and woke on the couch in the late afternoon to my waters breaking. first a pop, then a medium trickle, stood up and a gush.

HTH!

active labour started 6 hours later.

[Inertia]

First time it was the show. Last time it was 2 weeks of pre-labour. Oddly, sometimes you don't notice the show. Apparently that time I missed the show AND my membranes rupturing. O.o

I basically ignore any contraction that doesnt have me reaching for support. Until you get them, it could be anything that has nothing to do with actual labour.

[Snacks]

My labour was preceeded by a period of restlessness - I literally could not sit down.
Contractions felt like pretty strong period pain to start with, in both belly and back. Gradually intensified as I tried to sleep. Active labour started about 10 hours later, once I had walked up and down my very steep driveway about 6 times. I tried to use the positioning of my body to encourage DD to move her back to my front, which resulted in less back pain.
I lost my plug bit by bit as labour progressed - could see little streaks of it on the paper each time I peed.
My waters were broken for me by the midwife when I arrived at hospital - I was 6cm dilated.

[Visitor8]

I had 2 inductions (one because my water broke and nothing happened, the other cos I was in so much pain) and one natural ... with my natural it was back pain and it just didn't ease off. Ash was posterior.

I didn't have mucus plug loss or anything noticable like that. I was actually surprised to go into labour. Also I don't remember a time where my waters broke, so it must have happened in the shower or something.