Question about prelabour and subsequent pregnancies

[Arimeh]

So I'm overdue (blah again!) and this pregnancy is much like DD1's pregnancy when I went to 42 weeks and had to have a c-section - no prelabour, my BH's aren't anything much, just a slight squeezing feeling at the bottom of my uterus sometimes accompanies them. No discharge or anything remotely exciting.

With DD2 and DD3 - I had prelabour for weeks - strong BH's and some discharge, and I actually felt like my body was working towards getting ready to labour. Even though I went to 12 days over, and 11 days over with them, I still felt that it would eventually happen.

This time - I feel nothing. Except really disheartened.

So has anyone had pregnancies with lots of prelabour and then one with nothing and still went into labour on their own?

Cheer me up please, cos at the moment I'm feeling pretty damn rotten about the situation.

[RainbowRiver]

DD2 I had nothing at all, no pains, no bh, no show...zippo. She came on her own 5 days late

[Santosha]

I can't really answer your question as this one's obviously not out yet, but to say that I've had three VERY different pregnancies in terms of end-stage:
DD - no prelabour, PROM and spontaneous, but gradually building labour from about 12 hrs later
DS - prelabour over night and for a few hours in the morning... a few hours of silence followed by a ROM and a very forceful and unmistakable onset of labour
BUMPY - two hours of prelabour each night, most nights for almost a week... just enough to really F with my sleep... then nothing. No show. Lots of BH in the evenings but no sign that baby is imminent. So who knows?!

Feeling for you Love. The unknown factor is the hardest. Sending you lovely, happy spontaneous labour vibes. xox

Maybe watch some birth vids? I just watched Bella29's again (on Documenting Delight blog if you search Belinda Birth). Made me happy and hopeful... and cry a bit too!

[Arimeh]

Thanks guys. I know I should relax and not consider the what ifs but its hard when the what ifs have previously happened you know?

I hate feeling like this, hopefully I'll be in a more positive mood tomorrow.

[Rowellen]

I had zip until my waters broke and DD arrived 2 hours later. She was 7 days late. I was having BH but I could barely feel them. I was 2cm dilated on DD's due date when my ob did a S&S. I also had no pre-labour with DS. His labour started with contractions that built up slowly. He was 11 days late. BH with him were a bit more noticeable but not enough to make me wonder if they were "real" contractions IYKWIM.

[raffy]

I've only had the two but with DS1 I had prelabour for weeks and with DS2 I woke up at 7am surprised as anyone else that I was in full blown labour both born naturally

[Arimeh]

Did you do anything differently? I took some homepathic stuff both times with DD2 and DD3, all the time, from 36 weeks, but this time I've been pretty slack at taking a different homepathic stuff - and only started from 38 weeks, and not every day because it makes me feel a little sick (I have reflux and when I burp it comes back up and it tastes like vomit so it makes me feel sick lol)

I'm wondering if thats the difference - I'm not taking stuff to prepare my body, so maybe my body isn't preparing.. so to speak...

[Jennifer13]

Nothing until the day before with DD2. I've never had BHs ever. I had a couple of cx a week before but I didn't know that was what they were, they were random and very low. No discharge, anything until labour started.

Have you tried acupuncture?

[AndiE]

Maybe this storm coming across SEQ will help you out? That's an old wives tale, right?

Hope you go soon. I went 2 weeks over with DS3 (DS1 and DS2 arrived on time with only BH, no real prelabour) after heaps of prelabour for several weeks prior. Three times I thought I'd gone into labour with DS3 only for it to fizzle. They induced me with gel and he was born very shortly afterwards as he was so ready to come out.

Hope you feel better tomorrow and hopefully when you "least" expect it your bubba arrives.

[Cricket]

Had lots of prelabour with most of my later pregnancies. Not really much at all with this last baby. Some BH tightenings in the later weeks, but no real contraction-type pains or cramps as I did with the others. He still came out! Earlier than all the others, even, and with a short labour.

You're going to be fine, hon. It's normal not to have much prelabour with a first baby - that's probably why you didn't feel anything with your DD1. And each pregnancy is different. Just because this isn't like your subsequent babies doesn't mean that something is wrong or that you won't go in to labour. Your body knows what to do.