Is it possible...

[Glamourcide]

...to go into labour without your waters breaking or losing your 'plug'??

I've had an awful pain in my lower back for the last few hours, it goes right down into my tailbone and sort of curls up underneath, if that makes any sense?? I'm only 37 weeks (although there appears to be a bit of confusion about my due date, it got adjusted for me at my antenatal check yesterday in which case I'm about 38 weeks), but bub's head has been down for a while and I've just been feeling... ready, if that makes sense? Like it could happen any time? I didn't get that with DD and was induced, so I don't know what the start of labour feels like.

It's not bad enough to go to the doctor, I'm not having contractions (that I know of anyway, my stomach isn't sore, just my back and pelvis), and obviously my membranes haven't ruptured and I haven't lost the mucus plug, so I might just be having a bad day back-wise...

Was just wondering if it is possible to be in labour without showing any of the typical signs (ie loss of plug, waters breaking etc), and if anybody can tell me any possible reasons I'm feeling so sore in the backside today?

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Only roughly 15% of labours begin with waters breaking and most women don't lose their plug until late in labour... so yes.

It sounds like a lot of normal prelabour to me. Be prepared for that to last for a few weeks yet...

Good luck!

[Jellyfish]

Very possible for things to start without your waters breaking (I had mine broken after experiencing contractions at home for 4hrs and at the hospital for a further 3-4hrs). Not sure about the plug but I do know it can come away slowly and not be noticable that you have actually lost it.

[AliBaby]

They broke my waters at 9cm also i never really had any thick globs of mucus plug.

[skybie]

my labour with DD was spontaneous, my waters didnt break until about an hour b4 she was born and i didnt loose any of my plug until i was in active labour. i think id been in early labour for about 15 hours b4 i started loosing my plug

[Glamourcide]

Arg lol thanks heaps ladies...
Please, not today hahaha - I was leaving my waxing appt until the start of next week so everything would be neat and tidy around my due date!! Soooo don't want to have to front up to the hospy in the state my nether regions are now lol :/

I will keep an eye on things and see how they go Thanks for your experiences!!

[Danni]

you could be experiencing "back labour" which means all of your contractions are felt in your back.

It could also be your bub descending further down

[Just Me]

to needing to get everything tidied up for labour. You are very nice to your mw. I feel sorry for mine and what they have to look at but I couldn't be bothered at that point in pg.

GL with everything!

[Shanti]

Yes it sure is! I went into labour and my waters hadn't broken or my plug hadn't come away either.... (until I got to hospital).

Good luck hun!!! How exciting!!!!!!!!!!!

[csab]

Back pain can be another sign of labour, so keep an eye on it. You dont have to have your waters break to be in labour tho and it make take a little while before even having a show. Although I had contractions for several hours before my show with some of my pgcys I was still in labour. Also my waters didnt break when I was in labour with two of my bubs, where the other two my waters broke and one of course I didnt get a chance to go into labour. Goodluck hun for your upcoming arrival of your bub. If anything worries you call the hospital, I am sure they would be happy to check you out. hugs

[Just Me]

Don't know why you are feeling so sore in the backside but . . .

I never had a show with either or my labours (that I saw) and my waters were broken while I was in labour by a mw at the hospital. So it is possible to go into labour without a show or your waters breaking.

[Michelle71]

Don't know why you are feeling so sore in the backside but . . ..

Posterior presentation can give you butt pain

[Glamourcide]

^ Yeah I'm pretty sure my DD was posterior throughout her birth, OH MY GOD the pain my back with her...!!

Thanks again for the replies ladies Still nothing as yet... but one more question for you experts
Actually, 3 questions.

1) A friend of mine who is due said the other day that her baby was still kicking heaps - which I took to mean that labour wasn't going to happen for her any time soon. Is this true? Does bub stop moving around/kicking/sticking limbs out etc before labour, and if so, how long before labour starts does bub usually do that?

2) I had an antenatal appt yesterday and the doctor mentioned that he would probably see me before my scheduled appt next week (3 days before my due date). I asked what made him say that, and he said that my blood pressure was slightly elevated compared to normal (I have shockingly low blood pressure all the time and he said it was now in the 'lower end of normal' range, so quite high for me), then handed me back my book and said goodbye lol (he hasn't got the greatest English and can come across as quite blunt at times). Again, is this true? Does elevated blood pressure indicate labour isn't far off, and again, what kind of time frames are you looking at if it is true?

And 3), I had a nap earlier and ever since I woke up and got DD out of her cot (actually, *she* woke *me* up, but that's neither here nor there lol), I've been feeling really dizzy, sick in the stomach, and a bit *tingly*, if that makes any sense. No headache or anything, I've been drinking heaps of water today and had a sleep so I should be feeling quite refreshed (oh, and I actually ate lunch today so I should be feeling *awesome* instead of miserable like I do when I forget to eat lol), but instead I just want to go and sit under a hot shower and throw up? Again, does this indicate labour? A friend of my mum's told me once that she didn't know she was in labour because the contractions were making her throw up and she thought she had a tummy bug or something, I mean I'm not having contx but was wondering if feeling really nauseated and dizzy means something is happening/going to happen soon??


Lol thanks guys... I didn't go into labour with DD, and my mum didn't go into labour with either my brother or I (c-secs for both of us) so she can't tell me anything hahaha and I haven't got a clue myself!! Just wondering if anybody out there can sort the old wives' tales/myths from the truths and shed some more light on things for me. Thanks in advance!!

[angelaartsstudent]

I've been feeling point number 3 all week and it's driving me up the wall. My body is exhausted. I feel for you.

Keep us informed of what's happening...hopefully you'll give me some good baby vibes and I'll burst too, seeing as I'm not far behind you. :-)

[Trillian]

I never had my waters break first with any of mine.

THe amount of movement your baby makes is not a real indicator of if birth is imminent - some babies will keep moving loads and others will slow down, but it's neither here nor there really. but if the movements slow down toooo much, doesn't hurt to keep an eye on things kwim?

BP - my bp stayed the same during the entire pg for all my pregnancies. Never heard that one as an indicator either, unless he is classing that as PE LOL.

As for the third, some women can be like that as their body wants to empty out kwim? but again, it's not really an indicator.

[Inertia]

This is so sad. 3 questions I cant help you at all with! I am sorry!

What I can give you is my BP on the lead up to Harrys birth.

125/80, 110/60, 120/80, 105/80 and then 120/75 two days before I had him. The first lot was over a week, and the last one 2 weeks later. It kinda yoyoed. Not sure if its much help, but.. worth sharing just in case.