Help me please!! Labor soon????

Hi ladies,

So just to give you a bit of insight, i'm 40 weeks 1 day today and yesterday i had my membranes stripped, after that came some bright red bleeding which the doc said is normal.  Now today i have been having some darker spotting and a few clumps (which i believe might be my mucus plug)
Last night i had a bit of a scare with my baby not moving so i went to the hospital just to be safe and everything was ok.  They hooked me up to the fetal monitor and the nurse said i was having contractions every 2 minutes but i couldn't really feel them.  I was feeling some cramping and also am still feeling crampy today.
I guess i have a few questions......
1 - since I'm contracting somewhat would this mean i should go in to labor soon?
2 - is it safe to have a bath after you lose your mucus plug?
3 - when i am experiencing actual labor i should know right?  I mean it should hurt me a lot more then cramping right?

[have 2 kids]

My labor was no worse than terrible cramping.   Are you noticing any regular pattern?  Does it go away if you change positions or activity?    No one can say for sure that you are or will go into labor soon.  

[Tanker Chic]

They say once you can't talk through the contractions, you are in real labor.  You are probably experiencing early labor.  That can last quite a while.  

Yes you can take a bath after you have loss you mucus plug.  

[jenstam]

Sounds like early labor to me also. I had my membranes stripped though, and nearly had my daughter at home! It was my second daughter and I had no early labor...well, just some cramping and then WHAM...needed to push! Since this is your first child though, I think you are probably safe waiting it out for the contractions to get a bit stronger. Good luck...sounds to me like you will have your baby in your arms VERY soon (:

[M2B]

Sounds like you are on your way to a positive birth experience! You are definitely in early labour if you have lost your mucous plug. You can bath after you have lost your plug but don't bath if your waters have broken. Try and relax during this time becuase you will need your energy once your contractions speed up as you will need to move around to keep your labour active. Congratulations, you are going to be a  mom really soon!

[deanne11]

Sounds like early labor to me too.  I knew when I was in labor with my first...there was no question.

With my second, I was in early labor for almost 2 weeks before I finally had him.

Consistent contractions every 5 minutes for 2 weeks....but they never got closer.  Then 1 day boom....they became 2 minutes apart....started at 2 am....then I had him pretty quickly.

Never felt the extreme pain as with my first...more cramping than anything.  I was shocked when I got to the hospital...I dilated really really fast and then there was his head....without one push.

Just be careful.  Especially if you are far from the hospital.  Being your first labor may take some time though.

[psyched2BaMom]

Thanks for all the advice ladies....still no baby yet though.
The cramping has subsided but it does keep coming back randomly but nothing consistent yet hopefully it gets more consistent.  I really hope it comes soon!!