Do You Remember How You Felt Right Before Going into Labor?

Updated on February 11, 2013
C.D. asks from Pflugerville, TX
15 answers

37 weeks with my fourth, you'd think I'd be an expert by now. But I still like to hear other women's stories of right before labor...did you know you were about to go? Did you nest? Weird funny feeling? I started getting bursts of energy a week ago, cleaned out my pantry and fridge, the kids' closet, the entire minivan...weird I know. I'm feeling a TON of lower pressure including in my thighs and back. I know I'm not in true labor yet...but the anticipation is KILLING ME! Share your "right before labor" stories please! :)

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J.G.

answers from Chicago on

I had false labor three times within a week. I also hand washed all the floors in the house almost everyday.

And the week before I had terrible diarrhea.

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H.G.

answers from Lancaster on

I was 37 weeks when I went into labor (although I actually went into labor at 26 weeks and took meds to hold it off). I had been taken off the meds just a few days before so my body could take a month to go into labor - yeah, right. I knew as soon as the meds wore off, I'd go into labor.

We had gone out 2 dinner with some friends and I came home with the worst diarrhea. When I got undressed that night, I noticed my breast was leaking - that hadn't happened ever. The next morning at around 6, I felt a big kick and my water broke. DD was born at about 8 pm that night. Best of luck to you. PS - I nested so much that I cooked and froze enough food so that I didn't have to cook dinner for the first 3 months after my daughter was born - seriously.

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M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

All my babies are in their thirties now, but I still remember much of how it felt. For one thing, I felt like a beached whale. I felt as if I were going to be pregnant forever. I was sure I was never, ever going to see my toes again. But I also had those nesting urges. I started craft projects, or drew up plans to remodel the kitchen, or wanted to weed the flower beds (but couldn't because I couldn't bend that far), or picked paint colors for bedrooms *again*. I'd get all involved with these (because I was going to be pregnant forever), and, when contractions started, I would think, "Huh? Oh, yes...." I still maintain that starting a big project is a sure-fire trigger for labor....

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~.~.

answers from Tulsa on

I didn't feel any different. I went to work, got home about 5PM, cooked dinner, watched some TV, did some cleaning, just a normal day really. I was sitting on the couch about 11PM when I thought I might be having contractions. They didn't feel like what I thought contractions should feel like, so I googled Braxton Hicks. Contractions kept coming, so I finally went to the hospital about 3AM. I had my son at 12:56PM the next day. I'm just glad my water didn't break while I was at work! That is what I worried about the most during my pregnancy!

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D.B.

answers from Fargo on

My first 2 were induced, so i felt nothing "different". My 3rd, I was fully expecting to go past my due date and be induced. I woke up on a Monday with what felt like period cramps....i thought i did too much with kids the day before. The cramps didnt come and go like contractions, so i called dr just to make sure all was well. Dr checked me and said she didn't know if was labor but that i should go home and rest, so i went to work. By noon, the cramps got worse but started coming and going-nothing timeable. I realized if this waa real, i needed groceries, so i hit the grocery store at 4(contractions were all of a sudden 5 mins apart) i left store at 430....drove 30 mins home. My husband got home at 530....we went to hospital at 6 pm, baby born at 715.

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Blurry.

I couldn't think straight, feel straight, even WALK straight (kept starting to do something, then 2 steps in changed my mind).

-------

For the few weeks prior, I could NLT imagine how I could feel anymore "done". Until the next day when I was even more miserable.

It should have been a clue that they day before I went into labor I was sort of "floaty". Not happy, and still miserable, just not angry / vexed about being miserable.

LOL, being high risk, I was in at my OB & midwife's office (same appt., I was tag teamed) twice a week for the last 4 weeks. I threw a FIT in the office a little less than a week before. My entire pregnancy I was very 'natural birth as a goal', etc. but that week I asked for a csect consult. Because I was done. I'd been feeling that way for weeks, but to a Italy SAY it, and to throw a bit of a tantrum on 2 women I adored, actually got them laughing.

Come to find the "Im DONE!" Tantrum* is a sign of pre labor in most women. It generally means 3-4 days before contractions. Its a one off. Only lasts a day.

* Even a sign in histrionic moms who tantrum their entire pregnancy... It rises in intensity past their normal tantrums. Also usually present in "I love being pregnant" moms. They're I characteristically snappy/eye rolling (and refuse to admit it in most cases... Like its not even happening. I have a friend who surrogates every other year. Her husband finally got her on tape. HILARIOUS. She BANGED the oven shut, then turned with wide eyes "What are you talking about? Im not slamming anything." And 5 minutes later is just snapping at him and rolling her eyes, and then denies that as well. She loves this video and breaks it out at parties.

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

I don't remember noticing anything in the week or so beforehand. Really. I'm not saying I didn't nest or anything, but I wasn't "aware" of it.

The day I went into labor with my 2nd, I felt a lot of pressure. That's about it.

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R.L.

answers from Houston on

With my first son I went in labor at about 3AM, so I didn't really have any feelings other than being tired lol. Of course it took a whole day for my labor to actually progress into active labor, but that was when the contractions started anyway.

With my second son I just had this funny feeling that I was going to have him soon. Then again I had been having contractions for a few days. They started on Thursday, not regular not particularly painful. Start and stop, I worked Thurs and Fri but told my boss I would probably not be in the next week lol. I finally had him Monday after an extremely frustrating weekend of starting and stopping. Sunday we did all the tricks, bumpy car ride, spicy food, I vacuumed, walked anything we could think of. Finally Monday morning my contractions were close enough to call the doc and go to the hospital. It was still hours before he made his appearance, but at least I was at the hospital!

Good luck I hope your little angel comes sooner rather than later! Get some rest now if you can ;)

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J.S.

answers from Austin on

It felt like the worst pms cramping times 10 and came on repeatedly rather than going away. I didn't take anything for it (as per my doctor's instructions) because I wanted to feel what was going on. My doctor didn't think I was in labor because I was only a centimeter diliated a few days before. However I knew what it was because of how bad it felt and it was located around my groin, around my lower back area, and like I said, it came in patterns. My water never broke, I didn't have any other signs but it did keep me up most of the night and the next morning we went in and sure enough I was in labor.

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S.R.

answers from El Paso on

The day before I went into labor I just started timing my contractions... Just kind of had this feeling I should... Nothing startling, something like 20 minutes apart. Next morning @ 5:30, woke up (I assume b/c of a contraction/back pain, but don't really remember) and started timing and boy if they weren't at a darn decent 5-6 minutes apart.

So I guess I just kind of had a feeling something was going on. :)

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J.K.

answers from Kalamazoo on

I was induced both times, so I was having lots of contractions from the pitocin before I went into actual labor.

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A.M.

answers from New York on

I felt very crampy...and soon after my water broke at home!

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M.P.

answers from Green Bay on

I didn't really have any "right before labor" symptoms. My water broke at 5:30 am and then NOTHING happened! No contractions - NOTHING!!! I held out waiting for 8 hours before I let them start pitocin. I hope my next one happens a little more naturally so I can experience some of these other things :-)

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K.S.

answers from Miami on

I remember I could not sleep in the bed anymore. I had to sleep on the couch for back support. Woke up one morning to my water breaking. Then it was off to the hospital.

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N.J.

answers from Los Angeles on

With my 3rd (most recent) I felt HORRIBLE...I wanted the kid out right then, but I was totally anxious because all the grandparents were out of town. I had mild braxton hicks, and unlike my other pregnancies I had a 'show'. I was in 'prodrominal' labor for 4 days leading up to the day I actually had him.

On that day the contractions didn't stop like they normally did. They weren't really consistent or painful really. Only thing that made me go to the hospital was the fact that it never really 'stopped'.. checked in at a 6cm waters bulging had the kiddo 1 hr later....My husband was positive they were just going to send me home that he took his sweet time dropping the older boys off at the sitters. I finally got a hold of him and just screamed he's coming you probably have 10 minutes, and hung up. he missed it by 3 minutes :( 37 wks 4 days. I knew he was coming early by 34 weeks...just knew it. I had my first at 37 weeks and that pregnancy felt exactly the same, don't really know how to explain it tho' just the same :)

Ha I even told my OB at my 37 week check up, i wasn't going to make it to 38 weeks. She just looked at me and said it was still early and only 37 weeks 'we still would like you to hang in there another week' --she then had me do a UA just to make sure it wasn't a bladder infection causing the irregular contractions....

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