BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

Just curious. I was induced last time. I feel like I am going to get my period and am nauseous. Does this mean anything or am I being paranoid?

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

I can't really explain it but when it happens trust me you'll know! I always thought how am I going to know what it feels like & when it happened it was clear as day.

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

That is how it started for me. I remember walking around the park and on the ride home feeling "off." I was having period-type cramps and a queasy feeling. Once I got home I began timing the cramps and they were like 12 mins apart. Around 3 or 4 hours later I was in raging labor!

Good luck no matter what!

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

for me it was like the WORST period cramps EVER. i also thought i just might have to go to the bathroom took me an hour to realize that my water had broken but was trickling out slowly and i was in labor!

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

Like you, I was induced with my first.

When I went into labor with my second (at home), it sounds a lot like what you're feeling. Stomach cramps and very nauseous (threw up several times)...and baby was super-active, even though overnight she rarely kept me up, that night she was kicking all over.

Good luck!

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

That was me, the worst period cramps possible & then felt like I had food poisioning.

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

I started feeling pains throughout the night. They would wake me up here and there but they were so far apart I'd fall asleep before another one would come. For me they did not feel like menstrual cramps but it was unlike any of my typical pregnancy pains. At 5am I woke up and realized I was bleeding. After that the contractions were more intense and were coming 8-9 minutes apart. I had a doctors appointment that morning and she confirmed that I was in labor but by then my contractions were 5 minutes apart and a lot more painful so I already knew that.

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

For me I woke up in the middle of the night with pains.
They weren't like period cramps like everyone had described it to me- more like a tightening of my lower abdomen- but a PAINFUL tightening. Enough to wake me up.
It was very erratic though.
The next day I worked from home because I thought somethign was brewing. Had those same type of pains on and off, but again- very erratic and far apart.
THat night I woke up again in the middle of the night with the same thing and it was more painful this time and coming more often and more regularly.
I got out of bed at 430 am or so and started timing then and by 6 they were really bad so I called the Dr and they had me come in to L&D.
By the time I got checked around 8 am I was already 4-5 cm!

Message edited 4/24/2012 8:32:54 AM.

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

I guess I was one of the few who had no idea. After work I felt off and had to go to the bathroom. On my way home I was cramping on and off...period cramps. I got home finally and went to the bathroom and cleaned myself out if you KWIM. I started timing the cramps but was in denial. My mom was begging me to call the dr. I kept saying I wasn't in labor. I finally made the call when I noticed more bleeding from my bloody show and the cramping was 6 min apart. I left my house thinking I'd be sent home but I was 4-5cm by the time I got there. My water broke about 2 hours later and it immediately got so intense and close together that there was no mistaking. Up to that point though I kept thinking it wasn't bad enough to be labor.

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

Shooting pains in my upper legs/inner thighs, felt off, started feeling cramps, then mild contractions and THEN there is NO mistaking it when the contractions are IT...good luck

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

Wow, thanks ladies! Feeling much better today, but it sounds like I should pack my bags and get ready!

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

My water broke and I had my bloody show. At first I didn't realize that my water had broken, but after the 4th mini gush I figured that I couldn't possibly be peeing myself that much. By the time we got to the hospital there was no doubt that I was having contractions.

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

lost my mucous plug and 12hrs later my water broke i had been sick/nauseous/period cramping since the day/night before and once the plug came out and then the water broke i knew i was in for it.....so i would say nausea and period cramping was definitely a precursor to my labor coming on

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

The day before my water broke I def recall being nauseous and just feeling "off". I didnt eat dinner that nite since I felt so odd. Went to bed and woke up at 5am to my water breaking.

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

My water never broke, and I actually posted on one of the FB groups asking if what i was feeling was labor! For me, it was not like period cramps, and I wasn't nauseous. I had extreme pressure down below, but nothing in the stomach area for about another hour. Then the contractions started with pressure in the belly area--like a rubber band being pulled tighter and tighter.

I, too, was induced with #1, and this time started contractions at 6PM, went to hospital at 8:15PM (wanted to put DS1 to bed first) and had DS2 at 11:05PM! So it def. goes more quickly the second time (for me, at least!).

Good luck!!!!

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

For me, in the very early stages I experienced a lot of cramping. And I felt off. When the first real contraction hit early morning, I knew it was time. They began very irregular for a pretty long time, but they were coming, and they were coming closer. I was also losing pieces of my MP.
Good luck!!

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

Everyone always said when it happens you'll know..and it's so true. I was so scared I wouldnt know.

But I just woke up one morning with contractions. They were clearly contractions because I was able to time them and they had a clear beginning and end...whereas period cramps just come and go..this had a definite start and ending. I timed them and they were coming about 8-10 minutes apart and lasted for 30 seconds or so.

Re: BTDTs - How do you know if you are beginning labor?

#1- woke up with my bloody show. 30 minutes later i began having contractions pretty close together.

#2- woke up with BH's. Then 20 minutes later i began getting the cramping along with it (period cramps). Jumped in the shower and when i got out, i had to hold on to the bathroom vanity to breathe through them. no bloody show. no water breaking.