I’m past the half-way mark and still a long ways away but I’ve been thinking about something lately that I wanted to ask you….
What were your first signs of labor? When did you know that it was TIME! In case you weren’t around when I had Brooke, that was QUITE the adventure. She was my first and I really had no idea what to expect. I was cleared one morning to fly on an airplane by my doctors (I think about 2 weeks before my due date) from Utah to California because I was moving there. Everything I had for Brooke was packed in a POD and I didn’t have an apartment so I was staying with people I had never met before ha. When I was on the airplane I felt really off and a few contractions but it wasn’t until the next day when I lost my mucus plug that I REALLY realized that Brooke was coming early and she did! My water broke when I was in a store buying a car seat. I met my doctor for the first time as I was pushing her out ha.
With Skye I started with contractions, took a shower and got ready and we lived about 5 minutes away from the hospital so we just headed on over…
With both girls I do remember hitting an unusual amount of fatigue before contractions started… like lifting up my head was exhausting. With both they didn’t drop until right before they were born so it will be interesting to see what happens this time!
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Just a few things from this last week!
*I am really feeling the baby move around a lot now and I love it!
*I had my first Braxton Hicks contractions this week which really surprised me because I forgot all about those happening!
*Red meat has been sounding really good this week along with all of the paninis, eggs and pancakes with freezer jam on top.
*We had our full ultrasound scan the other day and the baby is doing really well. We were SO tempted in the moment to find out the sex but stuck to our plan of waiting until he/she is born.
*On Sunday morning when I first saw Brooke she said, ‘your belly grew so big over night!’ My appetite is also noticing the growth spurt lately because I am hungry all of the time right now.
*I’m still feeling pretty nauseated at night again but I just remind myself that it’s not all day anymore so I can handle a few hours each day of feeling sick.
*Remember how I was going on and on about how I feel so much more emotionally stable this time around? Well, this last week I felt like an emotional pressure cooker.
*Running is feeling better than it has since March! I hit 47 miles last week and the cooler temperatures were probably a big reason why running felt so so good.
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What were your first signs of labor? How long were you in labor for?
44 comments
Dee
With my first i lost the mucus plug the day before her due date and started getting contraction that were more like back pain later that night. It was a long labour – she was born 26 hours later, but still on her due date ? with my son the first sign was my waters breaking about 5 days before he was due. They’d never broken with my first so that was new. That was at 2pm and he arrived at 5am the next day. And thank goodness he was early because he was big enough! It’s fascinating how different it is for everyone, and every baby. My mum and sister both had much quicker labours and smaller babies – guess I got the short straw. Amazing work on keeping the running up and parenting the others too – it’s not easy!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Still on her due date… she is punctual! That is so interesting about the back pain and I wonder why some people have more back pain/labor than others. So glad your little guy came early! Thank you so much Dee, I hope you are doing well and having a beautiful day!
Abby
I was induced with my daughter as she was past her due date. With my son, my water broke so headed into hospital pretty immediately after, but for the week before I was feeling like he was getting ready – more tired, some contractions off and on, losing my mucus plug, increase in nausea and heart burn – glad he made a decision to come a few day before his due date as I wasn’t feeling fantastic and he was big!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh I am so glad your little guy decided to come early too. Our bodies are sure amazing with this all and preparing us! I hope you guys are all doing well and have a great night Abby!
Pam
My labour started with the smallest contractions about 10 minutes after a manicure/pedicure (40 weeks 3 days pregnant). It was about 2.5 hours before I realized that my ‘cramps’ were happening regularly. I ended up going to my OB apt the next day and she suggested doing a sweep to ‘get things going’… but she mistakenly broke my water, then I stood up and lost my mucus plug, so it was off the hospital for 9 hours of labour before an emergency c section. (31 hours from the spa to the birth). This time around I’ll likely just schedule the section (an option where I live after you have had one). It is a hard recovery but I can’t imagine rolling trying for a VBAC after how dramatic the first birth turned out!
The Hungry Runner Girl
SHE BROKE YOUR WATER! Oh that is crazy and sounds incredibly dramatic. I am so glad you can schedule it and I can’t imagine the recovery. You are one tough mama! Keep me updated on it all. Thanks for sharing Pam!
Joan
With our son, my contractions started rather quickly and labor lasted maybe 2 hours before he was born 20 minutes after getting to the hospital. His sister came along two years later and was in a hurry too. I felt off for several hours before getting a few strong contractions. we headed to the hospital and she was born on the bathroom floor of the labor/delivery room, 5 minutes after we got there! (My advice – try not to do that?.) When the next baby was due, we opted for an induction, ha!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Joan, wow! Your little ones sure came quick! They were just so excited to get to your arms. I will definitely try not to do that! Good call with the induction ha. I hope you have a beautiful day!
Andrea
My labour with Allie was bonkers! At 33 weeks I lost my mucous plug but thought nothing of it (I was always taught that doesn’t really mean labour is coming…) My underwear felt sort of wet for the next day or so … kept telling myself it was just discharge / pee. I guess I was in denial. I finally called my OB and she told me to go straight to hospital. So off I go and it turns out my water had been broken for over 24 hours!!! And I ended up being GBS positive – scary!! So I was admitted to the hospital with what is called PPROM (preterm premature rupture of membranes). Lots of people don’t know it’s possible for your water to break Just a little bit (my doctor described it as a slow leak) and baby can still stay in there for quite a long time before labour starts (weeks or even months!) Anyways, my doctors thought I’d go into labour in the next few hours. I was pumped full of antibiotics and well, 10 days later I was still sitting in the hospital and she hadn’t been born. They finally let me go home. 35 weeks 6 days I went into labour! And a horrible 20 hours later she was born with a vacuum assisted delivery. Giving birth was NOT FUN and I’m not going to lie I didn’t like much about the experience. Maybe that’s why I only have one! ;)
Katie
I also had a slow leak, which was never mentioned to me as a possibility. Luckily I decided to call the hospital triage to ask about it after spending most of the day wondering why my underwear was so wet. They had me come in and while they tested the fluid the monitor was showing contractions that I could barely feel. It was determined my water had broken and I was admitted, but they had to give me Pitocin to speed it all up so she would be born before the 24 hour mark, which we just barely made!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh WOW! Andrea, that is bonkers! 33 weeks and you lost your mucous plug?! I am so glad everything worked out and Allie was okay!
Erica
My daughter was so stubborn, I had to be induced at 41 weeks and 2 days-I was basically miserable those last few weeks. Luckily, things progressed very quickly and I had her about 12 hours after the induction. This pregnancy I am “advanced maternal age” (I’m 35) so my doctor says I will be induced between 39 and 40 weeks…I’m not going to complain about that, the sooner the better for me (as long as baby is healthy and developed enough of course!)
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh I bet those last few weeks were so hard and uncomfortable. I am so glad your doctor has a plan for you and I’ll be 3 months shy of 35 when I have this baby so I wonder if they will want to do something similar?! Thanks for sharing! Have a great day Erica and I hope you are feeling well!
Becky Przy
With my first, I had no clue what to expect with my first–they kept telling me “you will know” Not if you have never been in labor! My water broke at home and then I knew I was in labor after panicking for 4 hours that something was wrong;-).
With my second and third, the symptoms were the same. I had some light pink bleeding so they told me to come in. With my second, my water hadn’t broke so they told me to walk for an hour. My dad and I power walked the hallways at the hospital and my water ended up breaking (but I couldn’t tell) My doctor had seen my dad and I walking in the hall and told me “if everyone walked as fast as you and your dad, we wouldn’t have to send anyone back home for labor to start” ;-). With my third, I had the light pink bleeding so I went in and my water had already broke.
Labors for first and second was about 7 hours. My third was about 5 hours.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Hahaha ‘not if you have never been in labor’!! YES and yes. I LOVE that you have that memory with your dad of power walking the hallways and I bet you guys were cruising. I am hoping my third is about 5 hours too:). Have a beautiful day Becky.
Becki McMahon
With my first, my water broke while I was giving a math test to my first graders! Fortunately a slow leak so they didn’t know but it will always be memorable. With my second, I woke up at 4 am in pain and she was born 7 hours later. Both of mine were early (2 weeks with first and 1 week with second- identical to my moms experience! )The babies are in charge, that’s for sure! Best wishes!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Ummm yes, that is DEFINITELY memorable. Hahah! That is exactly how I was… 2 weeks early and then 1 week early with Skye. Interesting and you are so right, they know what they want. Hope you have a great day Becki and thanks for sharing.
Melissa
My first was 10 days early. My water broke at home and then intense contractions started right away. I think I was dehydrated because my contractions were a minute apart but I was only like 1 or 2 cm dilated. My water broke at 9pm and I had my son at 6am! I am now a week away from my due date with baby number two and I hope that it starts off slower this time!!
The Hungry Runner Girl
A MINUTE apart… oh that must have been exhausting! I really hope that things go a bit smoother this time around and slower! Hope you are having a beautiful day and I am so excited for you!
Claire
My first was born 10 days early – she was small and I had had no signs of labour so it was a surprise. Labour started in the middle of the night with back pain which Quickly escalated into pretty strong regular contractions That were close together for 19 hours ? my water broke about 5 hours before she was born, but then when things were slow to progress they realized my amniotic sac was still intact and I must have had a double layered sac – so they broke my water again. And then things went fast!
With my second, he was born 4 days early – first sign of Labour was my water breaking at midnight and by 3:00 am he was in my arms – born in the hospital reception because as I arrived his head was there! I went from what I thought was mangeable labour to oh my gosh this baby is coming in a matter of minutes. Both unmedicated deliveries!
The Hungry Runner Girl
NINETEEN HOURS… Your first wanted to come early but just really take her time with you being in labor ha. I had no idea that you could have a double layered sac! Your second one… AHHHHH that is crazy! I am so nervous about having that happen to me but you handled it so well!
Sara
With my second I had contractions EVERY NIGHT for a week! The day she was born I knew it was different but everyone kept asking “are you sure?”. My dr made me come see her to make sure it was actually time to go to the hospital. Saw my dr at 1. Had her at 4:05. So thanks everyone I was right!
I can’t believe it’s cool there! We’re on a never ending span of high 80s to 90s and humidity city here. I think we always have the opposite weather of where you are (Ohio here).
The Hungry Runner Girl
Every. Night. For. A. Week. Okay, that was just rude! You were definitely right! Come visit Utah for a bit ha… these morning runs feel so good. I hope you have a great day Sara!
Maureen
I’m not currently nor have I ever been pregnant and this has nothing to do with labor lol. BUT yesterday I was at the farmer’s market and saw some homemade jam. I bought some and I thought “Janae would approve” since I know you’re a big jelly/jam person. Why is the small batch or homemade ones so much better than storebought?! Like they aren’t even in the same league!
The Hungry Runner Girl
This makes me SO SO happy. I definitely approve:). Enjoy every bite… it’s better than candy! Have a great day Maureen.
Kayse
My two were total opposites. With my son I was 11 days overdue and feeling nothing and my water randomly broke one night when I got up to pee. Active labor didn’t start so I spent the whole next day doing whatever we could to get contractions going. From start to finish it was 40 hours and it was tough! I walked miles and used a breast pump to make contractions. My second baby was very different. I woke up feeling kinda crampy at 4 days overdue and within a half hour I was in full blown contractions and she was born within 4 hours. It was fast and furious! Neither kid did I have much signs before. I was overdue so I was looking for every sign I could find for some hope! My kids didn’t drop much either but we’re always in a head down position very early so each time I hoped I would go early.
Also I knew gender on both of mine, first was a boy and then a girl. Most wives tails didn’t work but with my daughter I was much more sick and she was sitting higher in my body. I think I was emotional with both, I just remember being so tired with my daughter but I suppose that has more to do with the fact I was chasing a toddler as well
I’m so glad to see you are doing well. How are you holding up with being pregnant during a pandemic? That added stress must be tough!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Kayse, they really were complete opposites! 40 hours after being 11 days overdue… you are TOUGH. I’m glad your second one came sooner and faster! I am thinking the same thing… having other ones to chase definitely makes us more tired. Thank you so much Kayse. It’s really interesting going through this during a pandemic. I really have learned to trust my brother (the doctor) and my OBGYN throughout this because otherwise my anxiety is too high so I have felt calm. Luckily, in Utah we are much more spread out and have had much lower numbers than other areas which helps. In the beginning it was much harder than now! But thank you so much for asking, I hope you have a great day!
Mary
With my first I noticed blood in my underwear when I went to the bathroom and was cramping. Which was actually contractions but I didn’t know what they felt like. I called the dr and went in and I was dilated enough to go to hospital. Then the second time arround, I knew more what the contractions would feel like.
Mrs B
With my first son, my water broke at 36.5 weeks. I was freaking out! We were also in the process of moving too and didn’t have anything “Ready” because I thought I had several more weeks! I had to be induced because my body wouldn’t contract but about 8 hours after Pitocin was started, I pushed for 1 hour (so hard) and there he was!
My second son, ummm… FULL term. Miserable penguin. I was 4cm dilated for a month and he was so low. My doctor was shocked I lasted until 40 weeks. That was the first time to feel contractions. They just felt like bad period cramps, not as bad as I thought they were going to be without pitocin. I got to the hospital with mild contractions at 2am and essentially 2 pushes later, he was born at 7am. I was so blessed with an easy birth and recovery!
The euphoria I felt after having my second son was unreal. Very surreal experience. My first, I had complications after having him so it was a different experience. If you are pregnant and reading this, please please please have your baby in a hospital. It isn’t worth the risk.
Michele at Everyday Snapshot
I love hearing each baby’s story. My friend just had her baby on the way to the hospital ! The ambulance was heading in their direction, to meet them. But the baby couldn’t wait. Her husband pulled over and they delivered it in the car on the side of a very busy highway in front on Panera Bread !!! All ended well for Mom and Baby.
For me, I just couldn’t sleep. My back was hurting. So I went to the couch to sleep, I stood up to go to the bathroom about midnight and my water broke. After it broke, I told my husband, you’ve got plenty of time. We’ve got time, these things take hours! Told my parents, no hurry ! We had an hour drive to hospital…. on the way, we realized you don’t always have hours!! lol Things were moving quickly. Somehow I missed the memo about things moving quicker when your water breaks! I knew the baby was breech, so as soon as we got there, I was prepped for the c-section. I got a little scolding for not hurrying from the nurses.
Erica
I don’t know because I had to be induced. I was in labor for 4 hours ish. When you are induced it comes fast and hard. 0 to 60.
One thing I was not prepared for being pregnant was that little worry that is ALWAYS in the the back of your mind for your babe. I thought I would hit the 12 week mark and that little whisper would disappear. No, and no.
Have a great day, friend.
xoxo
Kathy
i never felt anything… I only have one right now so I can’t compare to others, but she was born 4 days after her due date. 3 days after her due date, my water broke at like 6am, but it was more of a trickle rather than a gush, so all day I just felt like I was peeing myself and went through so many pads… TMI probably… I went on lots of walks but never felt any contractions. Around 7pm we finally decided to go to the hospital to make sure everything was looking good and apparently I was having contractions they were just VERY minimal and not strong and so after a few hours, I started pitocin and then the contractions were on top of themselves, so at 11pm I took my first epidural… and then I took another at 9ish am since I didn’t know how much longer it would be and then I took a nap and when I woke up I couldn’t feel anything in my lower body and of course it was then time to push! Jordyn was born at 12:03 in the afternoon! So it was a long labor, but because of modern medicine, it wasn’t painful. Anyways, so that means that no, I had no early signs that I noticed at least… helpful I know!HA!
Erika
With my first I obviously didn’t really know what to expect. I had lost my plug a few days before and that morning I was having cramps but didn’t realize they were actual ‘you’re-going-to-give-birth-today’ contractions. He was a week early and long story short my placenta abrupted… so with my second they didn’t want me to go into labor which I really kinda missed experiencing but it was for the safety of the baby and myself.
Pregnancy and birth is such an experience and I find it facinating how we can all go through it and it’s all the ‘same’ yet it’s so different for each of us.
Remember too when people would comment on how I’d pop overnight and look bigger :)
~ R
Kid#1 in my mid-20s –> woke up at 6am with random contractions; ate breakfast, went for a walk, contractions 5 mins apart and 1 min long by 10am, called hospital, they said come in; 2 hrs later they said I was progressing too slowly and sent me home (we lived 25 min w/out traffic from our hospital); so I labored home until midnight while my husband simultaneously studied for finals, finished semester projects, and graphed my contractions to prove we could go back to the hospital; checked in around 1am, kiddo came at 7am (25 hrs of labor, 21 of them of 5 min or less between contractions, and 1 min or more long).
Kid#2 in my late 20s –> I woke up about 5am feeling weird/crampy, water broke around 6am and contractions started at the same time, headed to the hospital about 7am, and he showed up 10am (no pushing, just crawled on out). That whole pregnancy was a mess with pre-term labor, 7-1/2 weeks of bed rest, the risky delivery…gah. But he was healthy and 8lbs even though he was 2 weeks early (meaning I think he didn’t need to stay in any longer).
Kid#3 in my very, very late 30s –> I started in CO where I was considered “high risk” due to “advanced maternal age”; moved to CA at 26 weeks where they laughed, said I was young to start a family and took off that designation (so that varies by state, I guess); at 39 weeks, hard contractions woke me up a little before 2am, we left for the hospital at 2:30am (unfortunately diverted from my regular, higher ranked hospital because they were full!), checked in around 3am, big argument with the anesthesiologist and kicked him out around 4am, kiddo shot out like a rocket right just before 7am (again, no pushing). (In general, I felt like my CO maternity care for Kid 1, 2, and the first half of 3 was much better and consistent that my CA maternity care.)
I had a ton of Braxton Hicks with all my kids so I really didn’t know labor had started until I had the hard contractions.
Andrea
Just had my first 3 weeks ago and he showed up 1.5 weeks early which surprised us all. Right as I was heading out the door for work I got what felt like a gas pain. Then these pains started feeling like period cramps but didn’t seem to be happening too regularly. However when I noticed some blood in the toilet a couple times I called my doctor who wanted me to come in and get checked. Got to the hospital at 1pm and had my little guy 4.5 hours later. Husband made it with an hour and a half to spare!!
Torrie
With my first – water broke around 6pm at night when I was 37.5 weeks, contractions started up right away but I didn’t have her until 10:30 the next morning so about 16 hours of labor total (and 2.5 hours pushing which was SO MUCH WORK lol). With my second – contractions started at 5am when I was 39 weeks and he was born 13 hours later at 6pm with only a few minutes of pushing! I much prefer laboring through the day vs through the night but I loved both my labors and deliveries, they were the best days of my life!!
Erin
With my first, I felt kind of off and sick to my stomach in the morning. Contractions started around noon, 5 minutes apart, and after an hour I called the doctor’s office. They told me to labor at home “for a few hours until they are around 2 minutes apart.” As soon as I hung up, they started coming 2 minutes apart so off we went! Baby was born that night after about 10 hours of labor. He was 4 days early.
With my second, I felt so big and uncomfortable and was hoping he’d come early, but nope. I went for a checkup on my due date and failed both the nonstress test and biophysical profile (given routinely there on/after the due date). They told me baby seemed ok but suggested I stay and be induced that day just to be on the safe side. My contractions started almost immediately after the pitocin started. Three hours and ten minutes later, I had a baby in my arms! I was GBS positive and didn’t even finish the antibiotics during the short labor, but baby was fine.
Side note – with the first baby, I was excited for the bathtub in the delivery room but once I was actually in labor I wanted nothing to do with it. For the second, I tried it, and the warm water was sooo soothing during contractions. I’m pregnant again now but I’ve moved recently, I hope my new hospital has the tubs!
Skye is 4 months older than my second son and your next baby will be about two months older than my next one. It’s been fun following along with your pregnancies, thanks for sharing with us :)
Shannon
I was a few days overdue with my first baby when I had a dr. appointment, and the dr. did a membrane scrape to help induce labor. I felt super crampy afterwards (which my dr. warned me for), and treated myself to a manicure/pedicure/eyebrow wax after the appointment, because I was hoping it would be my last opportunity to treat myself for awhile! The next morning I woke up still crampy, and wasn’t sure if it was early labor or just side effects from the membrane scrape… well, by lunch I KNEW I was definitely in labor. My dr. told me it was time to go to the hospital when I got to “3-1-1” (contractions are 3 min apart, last for 1 minute, and have been that way for 1 hr), and I couldn’t breathe through the contractions. But I never got to that point! Eventually my husband forced us to go to the hospital around 4pm, since we had to drive in to NYC and figured it was either now or never with rush hour traffic. THANKFULLY my husband won that fight because once we arrived at 5pm, I was already 8cm dilated…and my daughter was born at 9pm! After that experience I’ve sworn if I’m lucky to have more children, I can’t be that far from the hospital!
Shannon G
I love reading all of the labor stories because every one is so different but also similar?! As a FTM who planned a medicated birth from the start, I thought my water would break or contractions would start and I’d be at the hospital like an hour or two later ordering my epidural – NOPE. I started losing my mucus plug eight days before my daughter was actually born. The Wednesday evening before she was born, I started feeling MILD contractions in my back. That night I was able to sleep through the contractions and I figured I was experiencing false labor (this was 10 days before my due date). Contractions continued but moved to my pelvis area. They woke me up on Thursday night and by Friday night, they hurt so bad that I didn’t sleep AT ALL and couldn’t talk or move through them. I kept calling the nurse line to tell them the pain was 10 out of 10, but they said not to go in to L&D until the contractions were 5 mins apart (they were about 11 mins apart on Friday night). Saturday morning, I took a shower and had three contractions while showering! I told my husband to pack the car and we finally arrived at the hospital around 8 am – about 60 hours after feeling the first contraction! I was 4.5 cm and my daughter was born at 4:11 pm on Saturday April 4! For me, labor was MUCH worse than I thought it would be, but luckily my postpartum recovery and caring for my baby have been easier/better than expected! :)
Gillian
Great post! I love birth stories :). I was induced with my first and my third. Unfortunately I was diagnosed with preeclampsia with my third and my BP would sky rocket and I had so much swelling and was seeing spots so yeah not ideal. But my second came 2 weeks early and my signs were contractions (which I thought were false labor ones bc they were irregular) so I got in the tub hoping they would go away and they didn’t and slowly they became stronger until I was almost throwing up from the pain so off to the hospital I went!
My third I was only in labor for 3 hours! I could not believe it (my other two were about 7 hours).
Elly
Those first pictures with your babies gave me chills! So incredible.
Janelle
With my first I was at work when my water broke! 6 hours later she was born. She was two weeks early so it was quite a surprise.
With my second I started with period like cramps that were regularly timed. Then turned into stronger contractions and I realized it was time. She was born in a parking lot about 4 hours after that (I stood up out of the car and my water broke and 5 min later she was out)- oops!
Blaire
Gosh, I have been following you since before you had Brooke! I can’t believe it’s been that long!! So so happy for you Janae :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
Thank you thank you Blaire! I hope you have a beautiful day and keep in touch!