Ok, I've done this once already but for some reason, I feel like I'm starting over. Last time, I had no signs of early labor. I was awoken in the middle of the night(1 am) with sharp pains and all of a sudden realized they were contractions. We timed them and I was at the hospital by 3 am and had my baby that morning. I had been laboring all day but had no idea.
My son was born on his due date. Now,I'm pregnant with baby 2 and am at 37 weeks. Last night I had my sudden burst of energy and nesting instinct. I've been organizing and cleaning all day. I've also been extremely thirsty and have been drinking water like there is no tomorrow. Lots of pressure in lower abdomen(over bladder), discharge,diarreah,and lower back pain...but no painful contractions yet. Just Braxton Hicks. I don't feel as prepared this time around...i did not attend lamaze or lactation courses like I did last time. I didnt feel I needed to the 2nd time around but all of a sudden I'm feeling "unprepared"! I don't know if I'm ready for this!! What are some signs of early labor? I am at full term now even though I still have about 2 wks or so til my actual due date. Can someone remind me again when I am supposed to go to the hospital? How far apart should the contractions be? How long???
Ahhhh!
Hi. There are 2 great websites with this info on them! www.babycenter.com & www.babyzone.com. They have a ton of much needed info!
Alexandra,
I have three, and all of them were different. At times I felt unprepared for each one. I do have to say that I still didn't realize with my third if it was the real deal--I had serious pressure for the last three weeks of my pregnancy! Plus one night I thought I was in labor and I guess it was Braxton Hicks. You can also get so nervous that you can slow labor. I did with both my boys. So just relax and let live, and when the time comes I promise you will be ready. I would also like to recommend to you or anyone, the book "Husband Coached Child Birth" by Dr. Bradley. That was an amazing book and it helped have my last two children drug free and the last I have IV free!!!!
I stayed away quit a while from the hospital with my last two preparing and doing my natural stuff, until I no longer could. I am glad I did, because I hated being at the hospital forever. You should be about 3-4 mins in between contractions and that should be a least a hour or so.
Watch that back pain...see if it comes and goes like the abdominal contractions you had with your last baby. Could be back labor. If your water breaks, time to go! Call the nurses station in the L&D department of your hospital, and they will tell you if it's time. You might just have a Christmas baby!
I know that your not full tern until you reach 38 wks but you still can have the baby any time. My water never broke on either pregnancy. I was hospitalized 1 wk before I had my son's on both pregnancies and was induced on the 1st and no contractions that I ever felt until after they induced and had no signs but w/the 2nd I had hard contractions and had the bloody show and they had to break my water like the 1st and had to have an emergency c-section.
Good Luck to you
M.
Each time is so different. My first my water broke and it was just like you read in the books. 2nd time I labored all day and all night but my contractions never got close enough to go the the hospital As a rule of thumb the dr. says don't go to the hospital unless you are having contractions every 5 minutes or less, unless of course your water brakes, then get to the hospital as fast as you can because the contractions are about to get REALLY bad. ;)
Good luck.
I think that we all go through that feeling of being unprepared, each time we have a baby. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I am on baby number three, and still have that feeling. My first baby was induced all they way. My second baby was induced, but I actually did go into labor and just didn't realize it. I just woke up feeling tired and uncomfortable. My water was leaking, not gushing out, and I thought that I was wetting my pants! LOL! I kept changing myself and cleaning myself up, wondering what in the world was wrong with me. If my mother in law had not come to check on me, and had not convinced me to "Let's just go see what the doctor says, anyway.....hummm??" then I would have never made it to the hospital. Basically, we are all different, so just use your mommy instincts, and pay attention to any unsual pains or feelings that you have from this point on. Don't be afraid to call your doctor and hospital to ask when you feel "funny" and aren't sure what's going on.
My baby #2 was the same way...did 4 loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen, etc...had to go online to convince myself I was in labor! Do Not wait...baby #2 was almost named "median" or "shoulder" for where she was almost born! My "planned" c-section turned into a totally natural VBAC...all within 20 minutes of arriving at the hospital.
GO NOW if you haven't already!
Let me know later how it went! You'll do great!
A. S.
My labor for my second was the same way. Nothing really made me stop in my tracks to let me know that I was in real labor. However, once we got to the hospital I barely had time to change before she was born. My third baby I felt cranky the day before, but went to bed that night, and woke up feeling like I had to pee. I had three contractions, and she was born in the car. My guess is that you are in the very early stages of labor, so when the "real" or "hard" labor finally gets started it won't take that long. Did your doctor tell you if you had already started to dilate at your last appointment?
Labor is not supposed to be painful. So, if you're having all of the other signs, I wouldn't rush to the hospital, but go ahead and see your doctor and if you feel like you need to be, have her check you. But if you go to the hospital too soon, they may try to rush you and even end up making your labor take longer. Just relax, and don't let yourself get too worked up. Just relax. Congratulations! : )
