How will I know if I am in labor

[liscamdave]

I know this may seem odd, but with my first my water just broke and I wasn't having contractions. I went to the hospital and they gave me that petosum or whatever it is called to speed up my contractions then I after they started and were strong, I got my epidural. Anyway, how will I know this time when its time to go to the hospital? I have been a nervous wreck. I don't know what to look for. Can anyone help? Lol...I don't want to keep going to the hosp for nothing. I am only 23 weeks, but just wanted to know for the future...

[liscamdave]

Thanks so much. I am thinking this time i will go early and want to know what to look for..thanks again.

[SoCalTricia]

I know it sounds weird...but you will just "know". With my first, I was pretty clueless...21 years old and no exposure to this baby business. One morning I woke up and kept getting shooting pains from my lower back down into my legs. It was ten days before my due date, so I didn't really think anything of it. After a couple of these sharp pains, I glanced at the clock. I soon realized that these back pains were coming every nine minutes. How weird. LOL. Then it was like "aha" moment! Oh wow...this is labor! Felt nothing like I was prepared for...but somehow you just *know* it's happening. I waiting until the pains were about six minutes apart, then called my mom and went to the hospital. I ended up having back labor the whole time - apparently because the baby was "sunny side up."

So...I said all that to say, don't worry! You will know when it's happening. It's like that maternal instinct or something.

Tricia

P.S. My second was just like your first...water broke and I was induced.