Pre Labour - How long and symptoms

Hey All,
I realise how individual we all are, as are our bubs, but ive been reading and am really interested to hear how long individual pre-labours were (if you even had noticeble pre-labour) and what the symptoms of it were that you were aware of.

I had a small show about 2 weeks before I gave birth, then braxton hicks on and off, then on the morning of Grace's birthday my water broke. But in the end labour was kickstarted with syntocinon because nothing happened!

Bon

Hmm.. with Christine it's all a blur.. I don't really remember. With Sam, my waters broke and then there was absolutely nothing for 12 hours, until contractions started at eight minutes apart and after two hours of that I went into hospital and had her three hours later.

Kerrie

With Marisa, early labour started at around 7pm and somewhere between then and 1pm the next day I had gotten to 5cms, but stopped upon getting into hospital. Had no other early labour or pre-labour.

With Elijah, I felt niggling contractions on the Thursday afternoon, and I am not sure where I hit active labour at 4cms because I turned up at hospital at 9cms early Saturday morning with strong contractions and ready to push. I had contractions that were fairly regular troughout, but stopped and started (funnily enough), the two prior times I decided to go into hospital - as I did with Marisa that one time! I think my body was most comfortable at home and therefore laboured there. I had my show on the Friday night and just could not get comfortable. I would say that was a big indicator for me, not being able to get comfortable or sit down - I couldn't just ignore the contractions and nothing helped - it was painful in the bath, on my hands and knees, everywhere I tried to make the pain less uncomfortable just didn't work. If changing position helps the contractions slow or stop, then it's probably still early labour.

With my first, I had the show/loss of mucus plug one afternoon, the following evening my waters broke and my contractions slowly started the same night (I couldn't feel them but they showed on a monitor) and I was induced to get things moving the next day around 1pm.

With my second, my waters ruptured prematurely and I didn't actually go into labour but had an emergency c-section two days later.

With Nyah, I had one pain in my side, but had pre-labor for 2 weeks b4 she was born (35weeks and 5 days)went into hospital 7 cms dialated already and 4 hrs later she was born.

With William I had pre-labor for 2 weeks also and he was born the same time as Nyah (35 weeks and 6 days).

Hi Heather. My birth stories are on the main site and include the pre labour. here

My birth story is on the main site too... but quickly, I went into hosptial with a hind water leak the week before Matthew was due.

Come home after being told things would probably start happening soon. Lost my show that night.

Monday morning woke up at 2am with bad contractions every 20 mins, then 10mins in the back. This basically continued until the Wednesday, when the ob said enough is enough and my BP was rising, so he put in hospital that night for gel. Matthew was born on his due date the next day at 7.11pm.

I never had any Braxton Hicks, or a show either... so I would say my Pre-labour symptoms started when I woke up at 5am in the morning with little niggly pains. I thought I needed to go to the toilet, but there was nothing to come out (sorry for TMI!) But I did notice a lot of clear discharge, which I now think could have been my hindwaters or something...
I then had these tiny niggly pains for the next few hours in bed, and the next time I stood up, my waters broke and gushed out everywhere!

As I wasn't having real contractions, yet my waters had truly broken, I was induced via the syntocin drip that night to bring on some real contractions, and Aidyn was born at 3am the next morning.

Had really good prelabour for about 2 weeks before I was induced - it started about my due date and I was induced term +11days. I was basically going into labour every 2 days or so in the middle of the night from about 1am through to about 3-4am. The contractions were solid and steady, and would then peter away to nothing an hour or two later.
I had my show about term+7days through to the induction.
Turns out Jenna was posterior, and what can happen is when bubs is in the wrong position, labour will actually stop. I think this is what happened for me, cause when I was induced (just one lot of gel) everything happened very quickly dilation wise, and then it all stopped again once I was fully dilated. She was forceps delivery because she just didn't want to come out.
Prelabour is THE WORST thing in the world to inflict on an overdue mum-to-be!!!

Fi

I had to be or rather, chose to be, induced after wekks and weeks of pre-labour. It turned out to be a good thing though as I was 6 cms dilated before even being in actua labour so I ended up with a speedy hour and a bit long labour. A nice change from my first effort of about 18 hours!. My second was bout 4 hours and I had lots of pre labour with her too. I think it is is good thing as it seems to gently prepare the cervix and is a good opportunity to practice your relaxation breathing in preparation for labour. My birth story of Baby number 3 is on the main site titled 'An Extraordinary Gift.'