Pre labour symptoms? Can labour really just happen?

[Salsa]

Ok, well I know no-one can predict it, but I guess just want to reasurrance that all is heading in the right direction. I never had any labour (nor prelabour that I am aware of) with DS, so this is all new for me.

Is it true that labour can just happen? Does it just turn up at any old time and then increase in intentsity?

I am just on 38 weeks.
The past 2 weeks I (TMI ahead) have noticed changes. I have been needing to pee often, I have had an increase of cm - of which I have had none through most of the pregnancy. I have had loose stools - and going 1 -3 times a day. I get sudden random moments where I think I am about to be sick. I have had a change in appetite - i am interested in healthier food now and not junk like I had been
I have been quite nesty - needing to get all the house and everything organised and I am having bursts of energy, and then some days tired.
Oh, and my boobies have been starting to get moments of feeling tingly like back in the first trimester.
Im not really experiencing much in the way of BH, though I did have alot of them in 2nd trimester.
The osteopath told me that in the past few weeks since he last saw me, baby has moved down - so this correlates with the 'changes' I have been experiencing. M/w and Obs havent told me anything - I feel they almost just assume I`ll end up being in for another c.section

Thats pretty much it, I think that all sounds good, but I could be still going on for weeks yet couldnt I?

[Lulu]

Or you could go tomorrow...

The last 2 weeks SUCK most of all don't they?

I've said it before, I get no prelabour my cntx start at 5 mins apart...

[Salad]

Hi Salsa,
I am 39 weeks monday and still waiting for a sign of labour I havent had any real changes at all, I know bubs is down ready to go but I have not noticed any real changes in my body. I am starting to think that I will be pregnant for another month I realise people can just go into labour but I am starting to think that is never going to happen, I hate these last weeks of waiting. Good Luck with everything i hope it happens soon for you.

[Cricket]

With my first, I didn't notice anything really different, except being achy and tired and weepy, until I woke up with regular contractions, 5 min apart. It can happen.
Those last few weeks can be SOOOOO long, I know. It'll come, don't worry. All the best!

[bon]

I didn't have any labour 'signs' so to speak. The first two I was induced, so that was why but with the third, I woke up at about 2 am with contractions - they were not too strong, but strong enough that they woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep.

[Cassius2]

I had absolutely no pre-labour: my waters broke at 38 +2 weeks and contrax started a few hours later 3 mins apart....

in retrospect there were some signs: i got very emotional in the week before. i didnt want to move anywhere and walking was the pits. then the day my waters broke i went a bit manic and tried to clean the house top to bottom and dig a new garden bed...

i hope that it happens soon for you and you can prove the ob wrong and get your vbac!!

[MantaRay]

I had no warning at all with DS1, just boom, ctx 8 mins apart. With DS2 I had been having painful BH for quite a few weeks, so if you don't count that as pre-labour I didn't have any signs with him either. And then he arrived quickly, labour was just 3 hours.