What was your early labour like?

I'm finishing off an article and would love some contributions on what your early labour was like - emotionally, physically and symptoms you had. So what was it like for you? When did you go into hospital? What would you do differently?

Well, with my first labour, it started off as a show 2 days before i was due. We went into hospital that afternoon to get checked out and found that yes, I was dialated 2cm and i could either go home or stay. Even though I wasn't having any contractions yet I chose to stay and DH went home. I found the time by myself really good as I knew it would be the last moment of time I had before I was somebody's mum. i just relished my time alone and I was very relaxed surprisingly (mind you contractions hadn't started yet) and went over my thoughts about the birth and what the contractions would be like when they started, stuff like that. I was also excited, knowing that I would finally meet by baby soon. When contractions did start, the midwife called DH and he came in about 2 hrs later (we live 1hr away from the hospital). I don't think I would have done anything differently actually, I had a really easy time of it in a way, contractions started off slowly and gradually built up getting closer, it was only after my waters brokes that I suppose I panicked a bit and didn't think I could do it, that I wasn't strong enough, but I got through that with some hugs and lots of positive words from DH.

I think it was, in a way, a little more special than having the girls, because it was our first time and we were unsure of what would happen, how things would go and we were heading into completely foreign territory IYKWIM?

In hindsight, there were a lot of symptoms I had in the days leading up to it, but just didn't realise it. Like 4 days before Lindsay arrived, we moved house and I just felt great and did heaps of stuff (this was me nesting I suppose). Also (and I hope this is not TMI) my vagina was showing signs it was getting ready too. Now to explain this, DH has had a lot of experience pulling calves and lambs and he said to me the night before I had my show that by looking at me, he said I'd be holding my baby in 2 days, because my vagina was all puffy and full looking, just like the heffiers and ewes get right before they go into labour. Now I dismissed this, but he was right on the money.

Sorry if this is a bit long Kelly, I hope it's OK.

My waters broke on the morning of Dec 1st 2005 and I had no pain whatsoever. I went through the day willing contractions to come on but none did!! Emotionally I had decided today was the day and I wanted bub here. I even said to my dad the baby would be here that day, I was sure of it. So I spent the day eating pineapple, nipple stimulation (which worked I think) and finally at 7pm I had the worst contraction I'd ever had. We popped the TENS machine on and went to the hospital and Coco was born exactly an hour and 54 minutes later. It was fabulous, fast and I wouldn't change a thing. EXTREMELY painful though, more so than number 1! xo

I had pre labour for about a week before full blown labour began. It was pretty exhausting, having these constant niggles that didn't go away but never really reached a level, where I thought that it was time to go. I went in for check ups because I was a TOS and the CTG was picking the tightenings up, which were irregular. On the day before William was born, I found that I couldn't keep still and my midwife said she knew I'd be back later, so wouldn't send my notes back down to medical records.

Other little things had changed over that week - the leukorrhoea changed to a clear discharge about three days before labour started, I became really slow and methodical with all that I did.What struck me as the biggest change was that I went from being frustrated and wanting the baby out to feeling really peaceful and accepting of whatever was going to happen. I went into the hospital when I couldn't sleep through the tightenings anymore and after an unusually heavy show (it was a VBAC). I don't think I would have done anything any differently because I had a really great support group waiting for me at the hospital. As it turned out, I laboured all day with very little progress and then within half an hour went from 2cm to fully dilated, so wasn't in what was considered active labour even though I was contracting 2 minutely for 45 seconds for most of the day.

My waters broke at 3am. Before this I'd been having show (though not usually very bloody) for about a week. I was 11 days over though, so they'd been giving me sweeps (at my request) for about 10 days. The last sweep i'd had was the day before i gave birth and i was 2cm dilated and 25% effaced.

The night before i had strong (but not very painful) Braxton hicks which got regular and kept me awake but then stopped all of a sudden. The next day i didn;t even have Braxton Hicks and was in despair at the thought that i'd have to be induced on the Tuesday.

Before waters broke i had vague dreams about period pains but they never woke me, so i guess i was having mild contractions. My contractions got stronger (painful, but i didn;t need to breathe or anything, just noticable, like period pain) up until about 9am, when i went for a walk. At this point they got really strong so that by the time i got home again from the walk i was having to stop everything and breathe through. This continued until was feeling a bit "pushy" at the height of contractions. At this point i was checked and the midwife told me i was 3cm dilated and 25% effaced, so not in "active" labour yet. I'll stop at that since i gave birth 3 hours later having never been "allowed" to push since we didn't know how fast i was going (i had a feeling but thought i was just being a drama queen LOL!) and thus i don't know when "true" labour began.

Emotionally i was scared of pushing when i wasn't supposed to and also up until the midwife came out to us (i was at home) i was scared i would be found to be not dilating much (which i wasn't!). Mentally i was excited when my waters broke and really grateful that i'd finally be meeting my baby soon, and i tried to hold onto that gratitude all the way through though i don't know how obvious that was to my wonderful assistants :) especially during the last hours when i felt like i was being battered by a storm.

Next time i will trust my body more as if i think about it i COULD tell the difference between feeling "pushy" and NEEDING to push and next time i'll push when i have to. But i'll certainly go for homebirth again in the future, it was wonderful.

H

My water broke at 7pm which was heaps exciting!! I had been on teh computer complaining about tomorrow being my due date and no signs of labour, stood up and my water broke just like that! I was jumping up & down, my husband thought it was bizarre I was so happy that hideous pain was about to begin!

Contractions started pretty much straight away but very mild. Went to the hospital (a per procedure) which was a fun experience with two towels weged between your legs! Had to wait 40mins as all midwives were off with a quote "difficult patient" so I dripped all over the carpet in the waiting room! When they checked me out, he still wasnt fully engaged and was posterior. I elected to go home to labour and try and turn him around a bit. The contractions were about every 7-10mins but very managable still at this stage.

Went home and put the older baby to bed, let my husband kip on the couch and I laboured away in my living room with some oil burning, candles going, and silence - it was awesome! Every time a contraction came along I wuld go on hand and knees and just breathe through it. It was a very spiritual and connecting time for me & Cole and I was tempted to stay home & do it all there! I hadnt even contemplated a home birth til then but it felt right to be at home by myself in the nice peaceful quiet with no-one disturbing me - something I am seriously contemplating for next time!

Around 2am contractions were up to 3mins apart and very painful so decided to go back to the birthing centre so I could use the shower & tub (my bathroom right next to toddlers room and didnt want to scare/wake her). Arrived at hospital 4cm dialated, hated the shower so jumped in teh tub and laboured three til about 7am. Every time a contraction came I would go on hands and knees again and hubby would pour cups of warm water over my lower back where all the pain was.

Had to get out of the tub when I wanted to push as they didnt do water births at this hospital, which is the only thing I would change for next time - I never want to leave that water!! Once I was out the pain seemed a bit harder to cope with. I draped myself over the head of the raised bed so I was kneeling upright and passed out between contractions, waking up to push. I chewed on teh end of the gas hose but the gas itself made me feel sick, though the process of finding it (my eyes were closed the entire time) and putting it in my mouth to chew on was enough of a disctraction to help me through the contraction.

Had been breathing him out ratehr than actively pushing for awhile as the lip of the cervix was still there, but Cole's heartrate started dropping so we decided to get him out ASAP. Pushed for about 20mins and he came out with the cord wrapped around his neck twice and his arm was bent next to his head - no wonder his heart rate was dropping!

I can never tell if I am actually in labour. I spend most of the time assuming I'm not, then having to race to the hospital! It aways starts at 5 minutes apart and finishes about 3 hrs from then!