I'd been in prelabour for weeks, I was 3cms for 2 weeks before DS was born! So I kept posting on here trying to find out how to tell the difference between prelabour and labour. Everyone told me I'd know it when it happened and I was getting more and more frustrated. Then I woke up at about 7am one morning and KNEW. The contractions were different, and stronger, and it took my whole body to be involved ITMS? I'd love to say DS was born 4 hours later, but it was 21hrs later
Oh, and I had AROM at some stage during that 21 hours...
my first signs were waking up earlier than usual with a massive amount of energy and excitement (couldnt wipe the smile off my face kinda excitement). about half hour later i had my first tightening (but as i had had prelabour and it felt the same before) i didnt give it much credit. i guess i kinda knew something was up that morning as the tightenings were there (irregular in timing and length and intensity) so i called midwife that i *might* have a baby in the next day or so. BUT tbh, i didnt realise it was really labour until my waters broke that afternoon.
Having had several babies where i experienced irritable uterus, i never realised i was in labour with any of them until a mw told me LOL.
#2, i was in hospital for high BP, they put me on the ctg, came back in and said you realise you are in labour dont you? im like no?? they said, yes you are having regular contractions. It was about an hour before i actually started feeling these contractions. DS was born the next morning.
#3, i woke at 4am on a friday morning with my first contraction. The fact that it woke me up should have told me something but no, i went shopping that day (driving myself and all), commenting to family members i was having some really strong "braxton hicks" lol, i then went visiting on the saturday (having had 15 min contractions all day friday, all night and still going..............and i still hadnt clicked), came home, had a power nap, contractions moved to 5 mins apart suddenly........still had no idea i was in labour but thought i should go get checked out so we drove DS to the IL's, pulled up in thier driveway and they moved to 2 mins, it was then that i wondered if i might be in labour, she was born about 8 hrs later.
#4, i was having regular 5 min contractions and decided to ignore them cos i was thinking it was IU and DH wasnt home. Lucky my friends came and took me to get checked out because DD was in distress (i was only 35wks) and they had to bring her on faster, i was 3cm when they broke my waters, and thats all i needed, didnt need the cyntocin. So my theory is i was in labour myself anyway.
#7, i woke up that morning with strange cramps down low across my back and front in like that cervix band area. Felt like i had to keep going to the toilet but i couldnt. I was being induced that morning anyway, so we went in, me still having these strange cramps and i was 3cm stretching to 6cm, so my theory is i was in labour myself too. They only had to break my waters and the contractions started straight away, no cyntocin needed again.
So yep, every time, i was oblivious to the fact i was actually in labour with any of them really till after the event and hindsight came into play.
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