So tell me about your prelabour...

Ok, I'm pretty sure I'm getting a bit of prelabour, for the last two nights now I have had "episodes" of what feels like a BH, but accompanied by a band of pain in my pelvis region.

In my other pregnancies, I never got this, my BH's were just a tightening of my belly with no pain. Plus at this late stage of pregnancy, I'm guessing its not unusual to have a little bit of prelabour.

My midwife is already worried that I will labour really quickly this time - not sure why - my last (and first labour) was a total of 13.5 hours, from first contraction to birth - but from active labour, it was about 5 hours.

So for those that had some prelabour - did it lead to a short labour? Or was your labour still reasonably long? And how long did your prelabour go on for? I'm expecting this for a few weeks at least I guess?

I had 5 days of contractions every 5-10 minutes that did absolutely nothing other than keep me awake for a week leading up to the birth (which was really not ideal). Good luck!

Ooohhh, how exciting Mel, youre at the pointy end now, lol!!!
My pre labour with DS1 took weeeeks! I had pains similar to what you explain. On and off, sometimes regular, up to about 4mins apart, sometimes irregular. Alway very annoying. On the upside I went to hospital and I was 8cm dialated, had my waters broken and DS was born within an hour of getting to the hospital. The contractions did change at the end, about 4ish hours before I went to hospital
With DS2, I went into labour on the morning of the day he was born at about 5am-ish, constant contractions, increasingly regular and intense until he was born at 11pm.
Good luck babe. I hope it doesn't torture for too long. I hoep she's here soon for your sake!!

Hi Mel! :hello:

I don’t really remember all that much about my pre labour with DS but I know I got sessions of BHs that would suddenly arrive and then suddenly disappear, maybe once every few days from about 36 weeks and then a few times a day from about 38 weeks?

At 39+3 at a routine ob appointment I had an internal and was 3cm dilated. That night at 11:30pm I started having mild, irregular contractions. 12:30am my waters break (with a pop and a gush) and active labour starts, painful, regular contractions. DS was born at 2:53am, so about 2 ½ hours of active labour.

With DD I had weeks and weeks and weeks of pre-labour with sessions of BHs coming and going, getting my hopes up then fizzling out to nothing. 38+4 routine ob appointment, internal 2-3cm dilated. 39+4, internal at least 3cm and cervix very, very thin. Due date comes and goes.

40+4 at 5:20am my waters break (with a pop but no gush) and I am taken by surprise, there was no warning. Contractions don’t start for another 10-15 minutes but when they do they are full-on and extremely painful. DD is born at 6:25am, so about 45 mins of active labour.

Bub #3, well I’m about 34 weeks now and I get really, really strong BHs but they just come one at a time atm, not in sessions. I’m a bit worried about the birth actually, like what-if-I’m-at-the-shops-with-the-kids-and-my-waters-break type worried? :dunno:

Good luck Mel. :goodluck: I’m sure you’ll punch her out and all will be fine. Watch out for those after birth pains though, with DD they were worse than the labour for me. :hug:

After 2 loooong labours with DD1 and DS1, I had 5 nights of regular BH contractions at the end of my pregnancy with DD2. When labour did start, it took me 20 mins (and 3 contractions) to work out it was probably the real thing and then I had contractions pretty much on top of each other for the next 25 mins. By that stage I was in the hospital and 9 cm dilated so it was really quick.

This time, I had days and weeks of prelabour but never got a chance to find out how it turned out because I had a c/section.

DD1 was a slow lead up, in total 18 hours, maybe 12 active (I think thats what they reckoned, from 4cm)
DD2 pre labour of contractions on for a few hours, off for a few hours, every 15 minutes. Lasted 20 hours.
Active labour (regular strong contractions) 10 hours.
DS 5 hours flat out. Start to finish. Massive shock for me! Didn't have time to get used to the build up!
DD3 Contractions started at about 3pm Sat, irregular right to the end, but MW reckons about 4 hours active labour. DD born posterior.

Not sure any of that helps, but I did find the prelabour build up helped me handle the pain alot better.
DD2's labour was 30 hours in total & its the one I handles the best. While DS's 5 hours was good, I think I was a bit in shock with how quick it was (for me!)

Hope if it is pre labour its the nice kind!
Not the kind that lasts for weeks...

ETA - the after pains for me fourth time around were a killer too. I actually groaned through them the first 2 days!

I had pre-labour on and off for a few weeks each time. But nothing in the two days leading up to the birth. When I went into labour finally, the first was 1hr 50minutes from first contraction to baby. Second was 5ominutes from first contraction to baby and third was my longest(!!!!!!) at 2 hours from first contraction to baby. The third time I actually slowed down her labour by laying down and not being active so the midwife would make it. It was hard but worth it!
Just be ready for a quick labour if it doesn't happen at least you were ready! Towels and blankets in the car!!!

Hi Mel - so excited for you!

I pre laboured with DD for a few days. I had had bh's but they werent at all painful, i only knew i was having them as i coiuld feel the tightenings. So on the monday i was having a few bh's that i could 'feel' - only for about 2-3 hours and they werent regular, i knew something was up - that was when i was posting the ooooh's on my FB lol (i was already 3 days over due at this stage anyway though). Tuesday i lost my plug and i had more bh's that i could feel throughout the day but not all all regular or really painful but i did feel different iykwim? Wednesday - early like 4am - i was woken by bad regular period pain and i knew it was on as i felt exactly the same with DS. Then that day the pre - labour was more intense and regular the whole day (but still irratic, anywhere between 6-10 mins apart but staying the same intensity and not stopping if i sat down or walked and not even when i started dancing like you recommended rofl) until 9pm that night when it amped up big time and i knew it had shifted to 'active' - then she was born a few hours after that.

Best of luck to you xxx

With DS, I had nothing! Not a thing!

This time, all I have is period pain :( It doesn't radiate, pretty much only at night too... Kinda disappointing. When I normally have period pain - eg: that time of the month - it's accompanied by a migraine. Last night I had both. Hopefully things aren't too far away - for either of us!

My prelabour started at 7pm the night I went into labour... I didn't get anything but BH before I went into labour, a little bit of pressure but nothing enough to make me think bubs was coming anytime soon!! It kinda just came out of nowhere!
7pm-3am was prelabour so it took 8hrs to get to 4cms... then it was only 3hrs 50 mins until I was holding my DD.

With number 3 - I had what I thought were strong BH (very very tight but causing no pain) from 9.30pm - 12 midnight, ranging from 7 - 12 mins apart, i did use my i phone app- contraction master to log them only as they were tighter than normal and I thought they might get painful but as there was no pain I thought nothing of them in the end and went to bed.

Went to the tiolet at 2am, got back into bed, rolled over felt a wetness, got up out of bed and bam water went, 2.05am contractions came straight away and strong, left for birth centre couldn't sit down in car? (now realise head was crowning) had him at 3.14am.

so if you count the strong bh as prelabour then yes they did lead to a very quick labour and delivery.

I never got a lot of BH....esp near EDD....but had loose stools 1 week before giving birth for both #3 and #4....
Loss of mucous plug too a few days before going into labour, with all babies except #2.
And yeah, my labours were supa dupa fast....7hrs, 1 hr, 3hrs, 2hrs....
GL....

With DS I had contractions every 5/7 minutes for 14 hours (take my breath away contractions, very painful).
When I went into the hospital they checked me out, the contractions were registering on the machine thingo, but my cervix was long and I was tightly shut. They told me I was experiencing prelabour.
They continued. Still extremely painful. At midnight that night (after now almost 24 hours of pain). I had had enough and went back to hospital with my prelabour. They were cranky with me for wasting their time. Checked me, and DS's head was right there, ready to be pushed out.

According to them it was still prelabour, and they counted my actual labour as extrememly short (something like 2 hours).
So yes prelabour certainly did shorten my actual labour.

But I think I had a shy schincter, I was extremely anxious about going to hospital (terrible first birth). I know youre an ina may fan, so I don't need to elaborate ;)

Hehe Telly yeah I know what you mean ;)

Thanks guys, it seems a pattern that it leads to a reasonably short labour time. I don't know whether to be happy about that or shiat scared of that..... Lol

A 13.5 hour is quite quick too Arimeh :)
You're body will do a fantastic job, just trust in yourself. Being scared just isn't necessary x

Heya! :)

With mine, I'd been having BH's lots since around 32 weeks! :o period pain and hard belly etc.

And I was exactly like you, all up labor was around 14 hours from when I noticed contractions to when she was born, but "active labour" was only around 3-4hours. But then I was in transition for 2 hours too! Lol

Prelabour for me was 2 days and nights of constant contractions ranging from 5 mins apart to 30 mins apart. No waters breaking, no show, no sleep lol. Even after all that my active labour was 19 hours and still ended up with assisted delivery due to sheer exhaustion from both me and bub.

Hope all goes quickly and smoothly for you!

Don't be scared hun.... :hug: I don't recall prelabour lol... I did, however lose my plug with Elijah but not the others and that was 2 weeks to the day (and almost the hour) before he was born.... I had lots of BH's and he was 12 hours from start to finish. Oskar, I was 9cm after about 3 1/2 hours... but not with Elijah, not sure what I was cos forgot to ask them lol. For me though, I don't think it made anything quicker at all.

loads of prelabour with this latest little poppet. my labour was 1.5 hours :)

1st son 26 hrs of labour until he was born was induced due to high BP.
2nd son 4 hrs of labour until he was born had the runs and belly/toilet cramps for an hour before contractions started.
3rd son 1 hr and 8 minutes until he was born i had a few weeks of false labours regular contractions that lasted an hour or more but never got closer together or intensified that happend every few days until 37 weeks i had some more false labour signs then my waters broke DS3 was born an hour later.