what can i expect

[nikkeah]

This may sound silly as this is my third pregnancy but I have never gone into labour by myself having been induced both times and going from no contractions to full blown 2 minute apart contractions very quickly. No natural build up.

So my question is as I'm experiencing alot of strong braxtons in the last few days I'm not sure what to expect when d day comes if I'm lucky enough to have a natural labour this time.

What feelings, pains etc has everyone else felt, or any giveaway that this is happening?

Hubby works away (4 hr drive) and id hate to call him home for no reason.

Feel stupid asking, just starting to doubt myself while home without hubby. Lol

[nikkeah]

Thanks ladies, its very interesting hearing other women's experiences.

[Mom_pt2]

This is my second pregnancy and it has been completely different than my first. I didnt go into labor on my own either so I had no idea what a contraction was. Just last week I was having the same experience as ktowne cramps, pressure, feeling like I had to go the bathroom so I waited at home for like two hrs to see if they stopped. They didn't so I called my Dr and he asked how far apart my contractions were they  were 5-7 mins apart so he said to go in to l&d. I did just that they kept me for 5 hrs and my contractions were real, but never dialated so I was sent home. I was in pain for about 3 more hrs at home and all of a sudden they stopped completely. Next day went to Dr and he said I had experienced false labor that the real deal
would feel 10x worse. So I kind of got the idea now.

[MamaBear0612]

Thanks for asking this question, I need advice on this too. He's a firefighter and could be dealing with an emergency situation when I send him a message that I'm delivering, so I need to be very sure that I actually am...it might take him awhile to get to the hospital if he's at work, but I don't want him to start the process if I'm just in false labor. Since she's my first, I'm worrying abot crying wolf too.

[KTowne]

Definitely keeping my fingers crossed for you!

[sorenr]

I felt like I was getting my period, within half an hour I knew it was def labour, the contractions were getting more painful and closer together. For me, it was very different to the regular braxton hicks I had been having for the week or so prior. I called my mother in law, my ex husband and my midwife telling everyone not to rush, but 3hrs later my daughter was born! We were only in the hospital 20mins before she arrived! This time I'm staying at home, too scared of delivering a baby in the car in a layby! Good luck to you, my first was induced and I hated it in comparison to my second speedy delivery, its a different kind of pain, and if I could be guaranteed births like that I would have 10 kids!

[nikkeah]

Thanks, I'm sure I will know it when it happens but always worth hearing other experiences.
Feeling quite useless and nervous as hubby has always been here before. But now he's so far away working I don't want to make that call and bring him home just because I'm having a random giggling pain. Ha ha  
Fingers.crossed for me.  

[KTowne]

My experience was about 10pm on the night of my due date, I was losing my mucus plug rapidly, I knew that you could lost it and not go into labor too, so I just went to bed, 3am I woke up 4-5 times because it felt like I had to have a bowel movement, and it was actually contractions! So much pressure that went from my stomach around to my back, that would come and go about every 30 minutes, then after like 5 times of doing this I realized I was in labor, and they got more frequent but I could still sleep through them, I woke up again at about 7am, to really bad contractions that I couldn't sleep through, so I walked through them, and went to the hospital at about 2pm, and was 3-4cms! My contractions were never regular though, they would go from 3 to 5 to 9 to 4! My tell-tale I'm in labor was trying to sleep through them and couldn't, if it's that bad, it's probably labor! Good luck!