[alicenwonderland]

talk about the days leading up to their labors?

Here i sit crocheting away, feeling impatient lol. Last appt i was 2cm dilated, 80% effaced, and Teddy's head was -1 station. I can feel his head pressing down with every Braxton hicks. I'm having on and off pink discharge, and very frequent bowel movements when i'm normally super constipated. I know that this stage can just go on and on for a few more weeks, so just curious what everyone's experiences were.

[Mars]

It seems like you're losing your mucus plug and the frquent bowel movements can be a sign of early labour. Very exciting things are happening.

As for what to do to past the time, I have no suggestions. I worked right up until the end. I even went to work the day I started to lose my mucus plug and I had Amara the morning after.

ETA: I didn't experience anything out of the ordinary the days leading up to my delivery but a friend commented that I was walking extremely fast the day my contractions started. I never knew how effaced, etc I was because they told me that they didn't do internal exams until labour had started.

[Bre*n*Will=Reid]

The week before I went into labor, I was very crampy but only when I was on my feet or out in the heat. They felt like achy period cramps, but also with pain (pressure) on my cervix.

I lost a bit of my plug (looked like EWCM but tinged with brown blood) 1 week before I went into labor. I didn't loose anything else between that time and active labor.

The day before I went into labor, I had my 39 week appt. She checked me, and I was 1cm, 70% effaced and -2 station. The week before she said I was 1cm/80%/0 station....so it was like I had unprogressed! I was super bummed and sure that I was going to go overdue.

However, immediately after the appointment I felt crappy. I was a LOT more crampy than usual (the achy period pains + cervix pressure) and was bleeding enough to need a pad. I attributed it all to her checking me. DH and I had plans to go over to a friends house but I didn't feel up to it so we just went home, which was very unlike me.

I woke up at 1am that night/morning and was in labor!! My contractions were 3-3 1/2 mins apart right away. I was 2cm when we went to the hospital but they kept me because my contractions were so close and because they thought I might be leaking water. Reid was born 23 hours later

[bittersweet]

At my 38 week appt I had your exact stats. I didn't have any pre labor symptoms though. In fact, I didn't have a single BH my entire preg.

So the next morning after my 38 week appt I couldnt sleep. But that was nothing new. I was awake from about 2am-5am every morning for the last month. So around 5am I got out of bed and was going on the computer in hopes it would make me sleepy. Once awake and moving I started getting period type cramps. They weren't horrible and I had them occasionally through the preg when I'd get dehydrated. So I drank some water. They didn't go away this time though. I never did time them since I knew they weren't frequent of regular. However, I just knew this was the start of labor since they weren't going away. I don't think they ever became regular....but they did get much more painful. By the time I got to the hospital at 8am, I was already 5cm dilated.

Any day Alice~ Although they do say the babies that try to come early in the preg often end up realizes they love it in there and stay late!

[Oriyan]

I was induced however, I had 2 weeks of early labor. Which sucked. J.J was engaged and -1 station, and I had your stats since 33 weeks.

[Alison81]

I will tell you Kylie's, Elsa, I felt so changes, just went into labor one night, although was getting lots of stabbing cervix pains for a few days before.

Kylie, I had been having contractions on and off for 2 weeks before she was born. Two nights before I was having contractions every 3 minutes for 3 hours, but they never got stronger or closer together and eventually I just fell asleep. But I did start losing big chunks of my mucous plug that whole week, and I had my membranes stripped the monday before the friday she was born. At my monday appointment I was 1.5cm dilated and 50% effaced. The day before she was born I do remember being extremely tired, but I did a ton, even did my grocery shopping that night. Then woke up at 4:30am feeling contractions, and the contractions just got stronger and stronger, and I got to the hospital at around 9am and she was born at 12:52pm.

Good luck, won't be too much longer!!

[Babybear4]

I had been in pre-term labor/early labor since 34 weeks and by the time I went into active labor, I was already 4 cm's dialated.

The day before I went into labor, I just felt off. I slept almost the entire day and didn't have much of an appetite. I was so exhausted and sick of being pregnant. That night, I wrote DD a letter for when she was born and drank castor oil (which I now regret) but I don't think the castor oil had any effect on me whatsoever, since I never had bathroom issues. Not a single diarrhea cramp, I didn't even have a bowel movement until 2 days after delivery, so I think it was going to happen that night regardless. Anyway, DH got home from work that night and we played some Mario on our Nintendo and then headed off to bed around 1:00 am. I couldn't fall asleep, so I layed there playing with my nipples () and hoping something would happen. By 3:00 am, I gave up, rolled over on my side and shut my eyes. Not even 2 minutes later, I shot straight up and thought HOLY *****, that hurt. I thought it was just a strange kick or something, but got up to use the restroom and on my walk I had to stop and grab the wall. It still didn't register it was contractions. Then on my walk back from the restroom, I had to stop and breathe and it finally hit me that I must be in labor. I layed in bed for a while timing my contrax and they were immediatly 2 1/2-3 minutes apart, lasting at least a minute. I waited about 2 hours and woke DH up to let him know I was getting in the shower. By that time, I had to get on hands and knees to get through the contrax but DH just wanted to sleep. I took a quick shower, threw myself together, called my mom to come over and off to the hospital we went! Lorena was born at 11:03 that morning, 8 hours after labor started and 3 1/2 hours after arriving at the hospital. By the time we got to the hospital, I was already 7 cms so things went quick.

So, that's probably a lot more info than you were hoping for, but I just love talking about my experience. I hope it is soon for you! I remember how frustrating it was, thinking your baby was going to come early and prepping for it, and then making it to full term and beyond was agonizing.

[Frozendesire]

sounds like things are moving along!!!

I never had too much of a warning. With Curtis and Dustin my water just broke. With Curtis I cleaned like crazy the night before but I knew I was going to be induced that morning... although my water broke on it's own instead. With Dustin I was sluggish and super duper lazy and didn't feel like going any where and then all of a sudden my water broke. With AJ I had a sudden burst of energy that evening.

So it's all different haha. I think I had the lose BM and lots more discharge and all that leading up to all my births... but for a while so I didn't really pin point it as a sign.. more like a warning the end was coming haha.

[Mjp121212]

I went into PTL at 29wks and had contractions daily after that, but with rest and fluids they'd stay mild at the most. then at 34wks 3 days I lost a huge chunk of the plug and was 1cm dilated, still high and tight on the cervix. The night before my water broke i was sitting in the living room with exdh watching tv. It was around 11pm I thought i spider jumped on my leg, I jumped up and felt baby hit my ribs. Went to bed around midnight, woke for my daily 4:30am pee, then at 5:40 I woke up freezing....felt damp, felt with my hand and discovered I was SOAKED! Thought I had wet the bed LOL! Got up, realized water was pouring out and the rest is history.

[Adriana's Mommy]

I just remember counting down the days until I could enjoy a good meal with carbs in it.. lol

I honestly don't know what it feels like to go into labor on my own.. I don't know what braxton hicks feels like.. Only contractions I felt were those being brought on by a pitocin drip..

For some reason, my body never went into labor.. I was induced at 39 weeks + a couple days with both of my pregnancies and both times my body was not ready to go into labor.. They both were still bouncing around and not even locked in place. They wanted to cook longer. With my last pregnancy, after 8 hours of pitocin, they broke my water, but the nurse had to lay on my belly to force A.J's head in the canal..

I was induced for medical reasons, not by choice.

[LisanAndy]

Taylor: Lost my plug at 37 or 38 weeks. Membranes swept from 37 weeks through 40. Lots of BH contractions. 2 centimeters 80% effaced. Induced at 40 weeks 5 days.

Rylie: Membrane sweep at 39 weeks and lost my plug and threw me into 24 hours of false labor. Lots of BH contractions. 2 centimeters 80% effaced. Induced at 40 weeks 6 days.

Seth: Right now I'm getting contractions, I lost a little of my plug last night, and he's head down and engaged. Lots of cervical pinching.

[CandaceDianne]

Good signs Alice....so exciting!
I honestly was just tired, nothing out of the ordinary. I really wasn't miserable at the end. I took off the week before my scheduled induction strictly because I couldnt take hearing 'You're still here!?' at work one more day. I just tried to stay on top of the chores, such as the laundry, dishes, vaccuming, etc... That way when we returned home there would be nothing to do. Not too much longer girl!

[ANGWife]

My appointments were always on Mondays. So the Mon. before (38 weeks), I was not dilated at all. That weekend I was so nervous about when it would happen, I did a ton to get my mind off it. Sat., DH and I walked the mall a few times and went to a baseball game. Sun., my mom took me for a pedicure then DH and I DTD. Sun. night, we hung the wall letters in his nursery and put finishing touches on the room. Midnight on Mon. morning (39 weeks) I woke up to pee. DH and I had joked that I should probably put a towel under me in case my water broke in bed. I decided to get a towel. As soon as I laid back down, my water actually broke. I was very surprised haha

[**Jenn**]

Liam: At my 37 week appointment I was 1 1/2cm, 75% effaced, and he had "dropped" (not sure what station he was at). I was still working so I was super duper crampy and just in a lot of pelvic pain. Christmas Eve I started losing my plug, that carried over through Christmas day. Braxton Hicks were still going strong but I'd been having them since 21 weeks about. I went to bed Thursday night (the 29th, and 2 days after my appt) very restless, couldn't get comfy, and my water broke at 3am. Frequent bowel movements ensued and about an hour later contractions were 4 minutes apart. We got to the hospital at 4:30am, they didn't admit me til 7am because they said it was inconclusive as to whether my water broke or not (the strip turned blue but not blue enough--apparently it broke up high and then he dropped even more and plugged it up). I was 6cm and 100% then. He was born a couple hours later.

Loch: I had my membranes swept at my 40 week appt (39 weeks 6 days). I had been 2cm 75% effaced the week before and now I was 2 1/2-3cm and 80%. I was pretty crampy, and was losing my plug throughout the day (pink). BH still going strong (had them since 17 weeks). Went to bed and woke up at 1:15 am with my first labor contraction. Again, frequent bowel movements. Got to the birth center at 4am and was 4cm 100% effaced. Water broke at 6:45am and was 5cm. He was born at 7:35am.

Lila: Preterm labor at 30/31 weeks and had been 1cm, 50% effaced since 29 weeks. 38 week appt (38 and 3 days) I was 3cm and 80% effaced. Contractions still constant. 39 week appt (39 weeks 4 days) I was 4cm and 80% effaced. Had a membrane sweep because I was in so much pain. Crampy through the afternoon, contractions stronger, then stopped around dinnertime. Frequent bowel movements started at about 8pm when I lost a huge chunk of my plug. First labor contraction at 10:15pm. Very frequent bowel movements. Water broke at 11:10pm. Got to the birth center at 11:45pm and was 8cm, 100% effaced. She was born at 11:52pm.


I hope he comes out soon for you! I know how impatient you get waiting for them to come, especially when you try so hard to keep them in early on and then they decide they want to stay!

[alicenwonderland]

Thanks for all the detailed stories everyone!!! I just wish i could get this show on the road!

[Angelaosaurus-rex]

I was induced 2 weeks early but my doctor was pretty sure I would have gone into labor on my own in the few days after I was induced anyway so I will share anyways . I was very crampy, had tons of contractions, very nasty poop , and was very swollen all over. My doctor said I was very very close and the baby was right there. I have no clue what he meant by that because of the language barrier but he was very confident my induction would go well.

[*krista*]

I went through just about everything you described just a day or two before I went into labor too. Well, let me thing... the spotting was probably 5 or 6 days before, and I pooed about 6 times the two days before I went into labor.

And I was right at about 38.5 weeks. I think things are going to start happening for you soon!