Dumb Question About Labor

My labor with my 2nd child started as just a low constant backache. I actually thought it was muscular. I laid around all day and when I got up to get a shower my contractions started full force (back labor).

Best of luck with a quick, safe delivery.

With my first, I had just a dull ache and was really icky feeling, like I had to be sick/have a bowel movement. Within a few hours after this ickiness started, I could time contractions, but honestly I wasn't even sure they were contractions, just odd feelings. And they were two minutes apart so I figured there is NO way they were "real". By the time I made it to the hospital I was 9 cm and in severe pain. I would call the doc!

Could be the start of something, but then again unless you are one incredibly lucky person, things WILL escalate to something undeniable eventually. At which point you will know to call the doctor.

It could be some mild early contractions, the baby dropping more, more pressure on your bladder, etc. I'd suggest since things are close to rest as much as possible. If the cramping continues to get worse after a good nap, you'll know you are progressing towards delivery.

With my 2nd, I had my membranes stripped around noon. Started some mild cramping around 4 that day. Attended a halloween party at DD's daycare from 5-8 pm, as the cramping grew worse. Got home, put DD to bed, and by 10 pm the cramping had shifted to good old contractions. DS was born 6 hours later. What. A. Long. Night. I wish now I'd been smart enough to go straight home and take a long nap before spending the night in labor!

call the dr.. might get that checked out some babies come quickly the second time areound!!

why not call your gyn and ask them? Talk to doc on call. If it is nothing you can relax. If it is something then..... good to know!

With my first my labor started out like that, not dull, but like strong menstrual pain. It started at 5 a.m. and my water broke at 9:45 a.m. so that's how I knew I was in labor. Good luck!

Just call your Doctor about it.

With my firstborn, I had it like that. And she came 1 week early.
Lost my mucus plug the same day that I started laboring.

With our second, it also was just a dull icky feeling. It took a while before I felt like I could time anything. It can definitely be different second time around. You should reach a point, though, where you can time things.

That's how I felt with my second...and I went into labor that night. I think she had finally moved down far enough to really be uncomfortable. It was crazy...my water broke around midnight, immediately began having intense contractions about two minutes apart, and by the time I made it to the hospital 45 minutes later I was fully dilated and ready to go (which wasn't good, because baby was breech and I was scheduled for a c-section the following week!)

Congratulations...I know you just can't wait!! I'm always so excited for mommies who are right at that point...yay!!!

I think that means the baby has engaged. The head will constantly be on you so there is a constant dull ache.. what do they call it? Dropping? Something like that. Gosh, I forgot about that feeling....

yes, this is the first sign of labor starting, but dont bother to call your obgyn just yet, you might be as much as two days away from going into full bore, god i just want this over LABOR..
K. h

You might be headed for baby!

Last nite was a full moon - very big! And this one is called a Pink Moon - tho not quite sure why, first time I'd heard it!

When I was in my 9th month, I started having a similar ache. I had it for a couple of weeks before my son was born. When I went for my checkups, I stayed at 2 cm dilation, so I knew it wasn't labor. Turns out it was my son's head pressing on my pubic bone. When I finally was in labor, he was stuck on that bone for 12 of the 13 hours of labor. Once we got his head to start sliding through, I was only pushing for about 45 minutes.

Good luck!