How can you tell if you are going into labor?

[A home for their hearts]

I've never actually gone into labor by myself.  I've been induced for all my dc.  It actually amazes me that women go into labor by themselves!

 

I have been having menstrual like cramps for a few weeks now.  This past week I have noticed that the cramping is stronger, so strong sometimes that I wish I could take something to relieve them.  They are sporadic, some lasting longer than others.  Sometimes my upper thighs hurt when I'm having them.

 

I'm beginning to wonder that I may actually go into labor.  Since this is so new to me, can those with more experience tell me what you think?  I do get a little concerned because my doctor told me that if I go into labor after 35 weeks that they wouldn't stop my labor, she said they consider the babies to be 'cooked' by 35 weeks.  I'm a few days past 35 weeks and worry that if I go into labor now the baby would have trouble breathing on his own.

[indigomama]

For my last three, I had contractions like you are describing for the last month and a half at least. It is common. It's a sign that your body is preparing for the real deal, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's imminent. 

[JFSinIL]

It is probably those pesky Braxton-Hicks, but if you wonder enough to post here, give your doc or midwife a call. 

 

My initial smart ass response was "A baby comes out" ;-)     but I can't talk - all my kids were c-sections.

[snickerplum]

Someone told me "if you're still happy and excited about going to the hospital and having the baby, you're not in labor yet. When it's "time" you'll move past excited into anxiety at some level." :)
Our son was born at 35 weeks - like you said they told me if I went into labor around that time (plus I was on meds to stop labor, but still had regular BH contractions for weeks) they wouldn't stop it. He did just fine.
Good luck! And a random thought - stay away from fresh pineapple.

[dbmamaz]

I was induced for my first, and apparently got it wrong the next two times.  My first one i was in on-and-off labor for 2.5 days . . . i kept calling the midwife and she didnt believe me, and when she finally came my contractions slowed down to 20 minutes AGAIN, and i slept for a few hours, and then . .. ah, yeah, then there was no mistaking it.

 

Both times i had the runs right as it started, and the second time i had the contractions you are supposed to feel, lower, at the very bottom of your belly.  

 

You arent supposed to go to the hospital until they are 5 minutes apart, right?  so no matter how many braxton hix you have, be patient.  

[texasmama]

I was induced once, had my water break twice and with the fourth baby I knew I was in labor when the constant BH turned into painful can't walk or talk through them contractions. Had to bend over a piece of furniture when they hit. He was born about 3 hours later.

[LMD]

When the uncomfortable cramps turned into literally knock me off my feet painful. A good vomit was generally a clear sign of it being the real deal too. The midwives like to talk to the actual labouring woman on the phone, because if they struggle to speak through a contraction then it's probably the real thing. You'll know!

 

Good luck, I'm 35 weeks at the moment too!

[Amy in NH]

TMI.

 

You'll lose your mucus plug, often in small pieces with "bloody show".  The contractions won't stop when you change position.

 

You might want to google signs of labor to get more details.

[Flowing Brook]

When a mother is having contractions like you are describing I always recommend she take a good protein supplement and a good calcium magnesium supplement.  If it is not true labor it takes the bx away.  If it is true labor it usually continues. 

As far as being in labor when the contractions get close together and regular it is probably a good sign that a baby is on his or her way. The contractions will get steadily harder to breathe through.

 

Of course not knowing your full medical history or have talked to you . I would expect you to consult your healthcare practitioner before trying any of my ideas.

[Jean in Newcastle]

When I was doubled over and  holding on to something and couldn't talk or move through it.  

[happypamama]

Braxton Hicks, to me, feel squeezy and maybe a little uncomfortable but not painful. They're usually up high and in the front. Labor contractions, for me, are lower and more all-over but especially toward my back, bottom, and cervix. And they increase in intensity until I have to breathe through them. Then I can't talk through them, and then I pace, and then I yell through them, and then my water breaks, and then very shortly, we have a baby in our arms. That's how the last three labors went, although the time varied -- eight hours, four hours, and one and a quarter hours.

 

If you feel comfortable, you can check your own cervix with clean hands. Before the contractions are real labor contractions, my cervix feels mushy, mostly closed, and hard to reach. Once the contractions have picked up to real labor intensity, my cervix is easy to find and open, and I'll feel a bulging bag of water and probably some bloody show too. This last time, I had a few hours of contractions that were early labor in intensity but which were going nowhere, until I got up and stayed vertical. Then my cervix went from nothing to a few cm, bulging water, and bloody show in half an hour to baby out in another forty-five minutes.

 

Oh, and if they're just Braxton Hicks or not real labor, for me, they'll go away if I get up, change position, drink water, or use the bathroom. Real labor contractions don't care what I do. :)

[dbmamaz]

my midwife told me to get in the bathtub to see if the contractions slowed down.  they . . didnt  . . . 

[Desert Strawberry]

If they don't stop when you lay down to rest, it's for real. Just don't get in the bath. It'll stall you. 

 

ETA: WIth my last I had 6 hours of regular contractions, worsening in intensity, every other day for TWO AND A HALF WEEKS, starting at 35 weeks. I thought I was going to lose my mind. 

[Jen in PA]

Both times I knew I was in labor because my water broke. I went to the hospital, they found that my cervix was dilated to 9 or 10 centimeters, which confirmed things. My first child was born just past 34 weeks, my second just past 36 weeks. I had contractions before labor with both, but water breaking was the real clue each time.

[HS Mom in NC]

I lost my mucus plug 3 weeks before going into labor with my oldest.

 

I do unmedicated labor at home with a midwife so here it is from that perspective:

 

1) If you think you're going to die, then you're finally in active labor.

2) If you're praying to die, that's transition.

3) If you can talk or think through a contraction, odds are not very good that you're in active labor.

 

With my second I had contractions every few minutes on and off throughout the day for weeks before I finally went into labor with her.

 

I did 44 hours of early labor (contractions 5-7 minutes apart) and got 3 cm dilated.  The contractions were uncomfortable but only mildly painful.  The midwife knew it wasn't active labor because I could talk and think through them.  Then a switch flipped and I was in active labor for 4 hours with very painful, intense, contractions 5 minutes or less apart, then the contractions slowed down to 5-10 minutes apart, I got to 10 cm, pushed for 15 minutes and she was out.

 

Remember that the usual guidelines for labor are based on averages.  Averages only apply to large groups of people-not to individuals.

 

 

[Tap]

When I was wheeled into the surgery room. lol

[Melissa in Australia]

I wouldn't go with the water breaking theory. I almost birthed the whole head before the water broke with my first.

 

 

[Parrothead]

For me my water broke. Contractions started 4 hours later and only with a dose of pit.

[A home for their hearts]

From what I've researched online, BH contraction don't feel like menstrual cramps.  In all my pregnancies I've never felt BH so I have no idea what they feel like.  I do know what contractions feel like.  For me, once I'm induced the first contractions feel like menstrual cramps and then it changes to feel nothing like menstrual cramps and are very painful.  Right now I'm only having menstrual cramps that come and go and are low.  I'm not feeling anything up high.  That is what has me wondering if it's prelabor.  I know it doesn't mean the true labor is close, it's just new for me.

[texasmama]

I'm the queen of BH, and this sounds like pre labor/ early labor to me. My BH were at the top of my abdomen and didn't feel like menstrual cramps. I had them early and frequently through all four pgs. Active labor could still be a ways off, but these don't sound like my BH.

[ErinE]

I'm no help; I had Braxton Hicks from 5 months on. When i was 38 weeks, i had an episode of 2 minute contractions every 5 minutes for 3 hours. Nothing stopped it; I tried drinking water, taking a bath, walking, lying down, changing positions, more water. The hospital doctor's verdict: false labor. They stopped the contractions and sent me home with instructions to stay off my feet for another week.

[Sara in AZ]

My first two were induced. When I woke up in labor with number three (4 days late) I was convinced I had the most excruciating gas ever. I spent 45 minutes googling "how to tell if you're in labor" before I finally called the hospital to ask what I should do. They told me just to come in and check it out. Baby was born 2 hours later. So my answer is gas. Labor feels like gas. ;- )

[kiwik]

When you need to go to the toilet after every contraction and it feels like someone is trying to rip your intestines out. In my case the waters breaking and the show were a bit late as I'd worked it out by then. I did have mild contractions 24 hours before but when it actually happened I went from nothing to contractions every 4 mins in less than an hour. You will probably know.

[MissKNG]

Bleeding...I was in real labor when I started bleeding and cramping (turned into contractions).

 

With my big girl, my water broke and I was induced. With my small girl, I started to feel like I was cramping first, then I started bleeding and cramping and the cramps turned into contractions.

[dbmamaz]

Yeah, my water was broken for me the first time, broke just as i hit 10 cm the second time, and was broken for me after i'd been pushing a little for the last.  

 

I had several months of braxton hicks with the second two. I would feel a tightness, it might be hard to breath, and my belly would be tight.  Early labor hurt, but yeah, could still talk.  

 

I think its hard because some women have easier labor than others, but I liked that thing about feeling like you are dying and wishing you would die lol!  Its like nothing else.  Unless you want to hang out in the hospital a few hours and then get induced and massively increase your chance of a c-section, just stay home until you are really, really sure.  

[A home for their hearts]

I know I'm not in labor, I do know what that feels like.  What I don't know is what it feels like to go in labor by yourself, that has never happened for me.  I remember the feeling of wanting to die quite well.  ;)  I know how it feels to be in labor, and what really hard contractions feel like.  What I don't know is how BH feel, if it's just a tightening of the stomach with no pain I have never had those.  What I am having on and off with no regularity is strong menstrual like cramping which has me thinking I might actually go into labor for the first time ever.  But we shall see. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

BH contractions can hurt a lot.  It really depends on the person (and the pregnancy.)  First of all, the doctor is wrong if he says that babies are "cooked" by 35 weeks.  Research doesn't bear this out.  Babies born before 39 weeks have higher risks of lots of health problems.  There are good reasons for keeping the baby in there.  When I was planning a home birth, if I went into labor before 37 weeks, I would have been risked out of a home birth because the likelihood of needing more medical care than what my midwife could bring to me was greatly increased.  So, there are very good reasons to keep the baby in there closer to term.  This doesn't mean that every baby born this early will need lots of intervention, but it does mean that they need to be watched more closely and if we can prevent these things, why wouldn't we?  I think many doctors get cavalier about pre-term labor because, they think if we have the technology to save the 29 week premies, why should we be concerned about a 35 week baby? 

 

Back to your contractions...

With my last baby, I was having a lot of contractions that felt stronger than the BH contractions I had with my previous babies.  My midwife recommended drinking more water, eating more protein and making sure to eat a banana every day for the potassium.  After I was in a car accident at 35 weeks (not serious, but I did have a little discomfort from the seat belt,) I was having more contractions.  My midwife told me to follow this protocol ... drink about a liter of water, have a little calming herbal tea (camomile was what she recommended, but I am allergic, so we just had a fruit flavored tea - some recommend red raspberry leaf tea), lie on my left side with my feet elevated, and if things continued to take a bath.  If I had more than 4 contractions an hour and it wasn't slowed by this protocol after 2 hours from starting this, I was to go to a hospital to get checked for preterm labor. 

 

My sister had days of prodromal labor with both of her kids.  She ended up taking naps in the tub since the contractions were less noticeable in the tub.  This was to give her rest before her body decided to kick in with active labor. 

 

Basically labor contractions get longer, stronger, and closer together.  If you can't talk through them and they take effort to get through them, you might be in active labor.  If you are too cheerful, you might need to stay home a little longer. 

 

[Clear Creek]

I know I'm not in labor, I do know what that feels like.  What I don't know is what it feels like to go in labor by yourself, that has never happened for me.  I remember the feeling of wanting to die quite well.  ;)  I know how it feels to be in labor, and what really hard contractions feel like.  What I don't know is how BH feel, if it's just a tightening of the stomach with no pain I have never had those.  What I am having on and off with no regularity is strong menstrual like cramping which has me thinking I might actually go into labor for the first time ever.  But we shall see. 

 

There is no "going into labor" feeling.  You go from the occasional contraction to either water trickling/gushing down your legs or realizing that you are gripping your chair and unable to focus on anything until the contraction subsides so often that you cannot accomplish a simple task for all the interruptions.  There is no clue that you are about to go into labor; it just happens out of the blue.

 

With my oldest I thought I had to go #2 every fifteen minutes for an hour, then my water broke.  With my youngest I noticed contractions more often than normal throughout the day, then my water broke.

[Heather in OK]

 

What I don't know is what it feels like to go in labor by yourself, that has never happened for me.

The cramping type feelings that you have been feeling, those gradually get more intense.  The start lasting longer (duration) and coming more frequently (frequency).  

 

 

 

What I don't know is how BH feel, if it's just a tightening of the stomach with no pain I have never had those.

 

 

 

What I am having on and off with no regularity is strong menstrual like cramping which has me thinking I might actually go into labor for the first time ever.  But we shall see. 

For most women, it's a feeling like your belly is tight like a basketball.  Then it relaxes.  You may have had them and not realized it.  That happens.   However, what you mention there about the cramping...that's very most likely how you feel BH.  ;)  Yes, BH can feel like menstrual cramps.  

 

Your body was created for this work.  Trust your body, trust your baby, trust the process.  I know it's really hard to have faith in your body when you only know inductions but really try to remind yourself, "I was made for this, my body knows what to do."  (((Hug)))

 

I disagree that there is no "going into labor" feeling.  I've felt it.  Most women having a normal, physiological birth feel it.  There is the, "Hmm, something is different." and realizing that your body is gearing up for progressing through the phases of labor.  Many women who have been induced don't have that.  It's just BAM! - contractions and labor!  Hard and unnatural contractions.    

 

It's very likely that you may not really recognize hard labor until you are 6-7cm.  That is very common with women who have had inductions.  Just about every single client I have had with previous inductions will call me saying, "Well, these contractions are getting more intense.  I think maybe something is going on."  When I get to their home they are almost always anywhere between 6-8cm.  :)  I love those clients.  *chuckle*  I love seeing how they restore that faith in their bodies (same goes with VBAC Mamas!!) and realize that a normal, physiological labor isn't the hell that an induced labor can be.  

 

Just make sure you are staying really well hydrated.  Dehydration can aggravate the uterus and cause more cramping/contracting.  

 

You may also have this prodromal labor (that's what this prelabor-ish stuff is called) from now until your EDD.  Feeling this way does not indicate that you will deliver early.  It's very, very normal for some women.  

 

One of my favorite quotes is this one by Ina May Gaskin:

 

“Remember this, for it is as true and true gets: Your body is not a lemon. You are not a machine. The Creator is not a careless mechanic. Human female bodies have the same potential to give birth well as aardvarks, lions, rhinoceri, elephants, moose, and water buffalo. Even if it has not been your habit throughout your life so far, I recommend that you learn to think positively about your body.†

― Ina May Gaskin, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth

 

 

[Paige]

With mine, I knew when my water broke for the first 3 kids. For the other, I was considered already "in labor" when I went in for my induction but I wasn't really feeling any pain. I had known all day that I was contracting regularly, but I had stayed home because it didn't hurt much. I don't think pain is a reliable indicator for some people because by the time it hurts, it may be too late. I would suggest going to the hospital when you feel regular, timeable contractions that don't go away, are close to 5min apart, and show a pattern of increasing in intensity and frequency over a period of several hours- maybe 4-5? Unless, of course, they start very hard and quickly.

 

At 35 weeks, the baby may have trouble breathing but will most likely be fine. Interventions to keep the baby in are not without risk either which is why docs usually won't stop a 35 weeker.

[*Michelle*]

Out of our five, my water broke with two and I was induced for one.  For the other two, I went in with one with consistent contractions that were five minutes apart and not letting up.  However, I was barely dilated.  They still kept me because we were 45 minutes away from the hospital and they didn't want to send me home.

 

For our last baby, I really wanted to stay out of the hospital until it was closer to time.  The night before, I was very restless and wound up sleeping on the couch because I just couldn't get comfortable.  All the next morning, my stomach muscles felt disorganized and twitchy.  I had a friend coming to visit, so I ignored it all.  She showed up at 11 and everything coalesced and became true contractions, but I kept ignoring them.  When she left at 1230, we called the sitter for the other kids.  She showed up at 1 and I had a Hollywood-style labor scene in the car on the way to the hospital, breathing through contractions, gripping the door handle as we went over railroad tracks, having to stop and breathe in the hallways of the hospital, etc.  I was already 7 cm when I was admitted, had my water break during the epidural insertion, and delivered about two hours after. :)

[VeganCupcake]

I never had anything but BH before I went into labor with my two. But with both of them, the very earliest contractions felt like a kind of electrical "zing". I knew something different was going on because it was a feeling I had never felt before. I had early labor for about 20-24 hours with both, and then things got more intense and serious.

 

I felt a lot of my most intense contractions in my hip flexors. I now know that my psoas is terribly tight. I'm working on that this time around. :)

[Mom-ninja.]

When contractions go from "crampy" to "OH-MY-GOD-I-HATE-THIS-I-AM-NEVER-HAVING-ANOTHER-BABY-AGAIN-EVER-PLEASE-MAKE-IT-STOP-OKAY-BREATHE-IN-OUT-BREATHE-ALMOST-OVER-BREATHE-DON'T-TOUCH-ME-SLOW-BREATH-OUT" type contractions then you know you are in labor.

[HS Mom in NC]

I wouldn't go with the water breaking theory. I almost birthed the whole head before the water broke with my first.

 

With my oldest, the homebirth midwife broke my water about 15 minutes before my daughter was born.  Pushing with the bag of water in tact is like trying to blow a bowling ball through a drinking straw. Although, the contractions aren't quite so intense as I recall.

[ktgrok]

Generally they have to be consistent, and more than what...5 an hour I think? Also, if they stop when you rest, or stop when you get moving, or stop if he take a shower/relax, or stop when you drink water, it isn't labor. 

 

When this happens drink a big glass of water...dehydration can cause it. Rest. And keep an eye on them. But yeah, I do that EVERY time, for a month before I give birth. I wouldn't worry. If it helps, my last two did this and both came at 41 weeks 5 days. (if you are being induced before 42 weeks it would be common not to go into labor...average length is 41 weeks 1 day. Lost of women are induced before then though.)

[PeterPan]

I went over by 2 weeks with my ds, so I spent weeks having BH and WISHING they were the real deal.  They weren't, and pretty much what the others said was true for me, that if you're smiling and happy and wondering, they aren't.  When my labor finally started, it was this intense switch that came on and I KNEW.  Also, my midwife says your blood pressure usually goes up when you're in labor.  You're actually different.  

 

What's funny is when I went into labor with my dd, same deal, I woke up, knew I was in labor, and that was that.  

 

I've read somewhere vitamin C levels are connected to strength of the sac.  I don't know, but both times the midwife ended up breaking my water.  Apparently it was a very tough sac, go figure.  So not everybody has water breaking as a sign of labor.  For me it was just that intensity, going into lioness mode.

 

Good luck to you!  :)