Labor Questions

Happy holidays to all out there. This is my first post as I just found this site today and wish I had found it earlier on in my pregnancy. I love reading other moms' questions and answers because it reminds me there are many of us out there in the exact same boat!

My question tonight is about labor. I am 35 weeks, 2 days with twins (a boy and a girl!) and this is my first pregnancy. Basically here's the deal - I'm 1 cm dilated (for the last 8 weeks) and the babies are breech. My bh contractions have really picked up the last few days. I happened to have one while the doctor was in the room today and she said real contractions will make my stomach tighter/harder. I've had the lower abdominal cramping from time to time as well. My fear is that even though I've researched, read and discussed at length with my doctor what to look for or feel, I'm going to somehow miss the first signs of labor and wait too long or head to the hospital prematurely. I've been on modified bed rest for the last 8 weeks and I am so thankful for having made it this far but I guess my anxiety is getting the best of me...waiting is hard! Especially when you don't know exactly what it is you're waiting to feel. I am ready to meet my babies.

Sorry this is so long, but any experiences or thoughts anyone would like to share would be greatly appreciated! Hope everyone out there is doing well tonight.

 

Hiya!
I'm actually really glad you asked this, as I was going to make a similar post tonight-now I'll just Bogart yours! . I'm 32w2d with mono/di girls, and I'm wondering all those same things. It's not my first pregnancy, but I was induced with my first son due to pre-e, and I never did experience those cute little beginning contractions. I went straight into the the "0h-my-god-in-heaven-I'm-going-to-split-in-half" contractions without passing go. I have been having loads of BH tonight too, and alot of perineal pressure lately. I don't know what the heck I'm waiting to feel either, and since they don't do cervical checks here unless they believe you to be in labor or there is a problem, I don't know if I'm dilated at all! I'll be anxious to see the responses as well-thanks for asking this!

 

Welcome and congrats!

I had the same fear...I had so many contractions all along that I didn't think I'd know the real thing. I probably wouldn't have if my water hadn't broke. I have to say the contractions had always been in my belly and the day I went into labor I felt it in my back. I spent most of the day in bed, which even though I had been on bedrest for 14 weeks, was unusual for me. Usually my bedrest was spent on the couch where I could at least interact with people, but that day I was extra tired and just a little more uncomfortable. I actually took at warm bath to try to sooth the back pain. I felt better after the bath so I went downstairs and sat on the couch...and then felt a little pluck...thought someone kicked my bladder so I ran to the bathroom and saw my mucous plug (sorry if TMI). The water started flowing out and I got this wave of energy. My labor progressed quickly and I think I was actually in the first stage all day...just didn't realize it. When I started dilating, it felt WAY different than the BH - I couldn't even sit down. I just paced the hospital floor until I threw up...they checked me and I was 8 cm...threw up again and was fully dilated, all within 4 hours of arriving at the hospital.

Everyone is different so I would just go with your gut. If you feel like something had changed and the contractions are stronger or in my case different, it never hurts to go or at least call the dr. For singletons they like them to wait it out at home longer than multiples I think. No one would blame you for being cautious! I hope you get more stories to help ease your mind!

 

Congrats on your twins and welcome to twinstuff! That's a great question and I'm sure you'll get lots of good advice. I have never actually had that moment of oh my gosh I'm in labor because my first born was induced and with my boys I just happened to be at my ob's when they discovered I was dialating and contracting. My suggestion would be to call your dr any time you think you might be in labor. Let them decide if you are or not. That's what they're there for. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

With my 2nd pregnancy I never saw a show or had my waters break- but I knew I had to go to hospital because it hurt so much - much stronger than Braxton Hicks. You will know. You will not be able to walk or talk through contractions. They will be coming with regularity. You'll be thinking 'I need some pain killers'. I know everyone is different and has different pain tolerances but for most women they will be strong enough that there will be no doubt in your mind. Very few first time mums would be giving birth at home because they 'weren't sure'.
Good luck and can't wait to hear your birth story!

 

Real contractions definitely feel different, IMO, than Braxton-Hicks. They also don't go away when you drink water, lay down, take a shower, etc. When I went into labor I tried all of the tricks--I laid on my left side, I took a hot shower, I drank water, I tried to rest, nothing worked and they became more and more consistent. I started at 10:00 am and didn't head to the hospital until 4:00 because they weren't close enough together. Ask your OB how far apart they need to be before you take off to the hospital--that way at least you'll have something to gauge your contractions with.

I didn't go into labor with my first son, so the twins were the first real labor pains I had felt naturally. I think your instincts will just tell you something is different--or at least mine did!!

 

Congratulations on your twin pregnancy. I hope you will get the information you are looking for....you've come to the right place for answers!!! :mellow:

 

Thank you for all of the helpful information! My mom repeatedly tells me she wishes she could give me guidance in the labor and delivery department but she never went into labor, dropped, dilated, etc. with me or my brothers and had 3 c-sections. I guess now it's time to trust my instincts and wait until our little ones decide they are ready to meet us. Now if I could just get some sleep during these last few weeks...that would be great! Thanks again all.

 

Congrats on your twin pg and welcome to TS!

I totally understand where you´re coming from as I posted a similar question to yours!

I was 2cm dilated (at 37w1d) when I went for my check up 2 days before my induction (I had a VB). I wasn´t that surprised as I´d had period crampings all weekend. As a PP has mentioned, you will know when you are in labour as the contractions are very intense. The night before my induction, I lost my mucous plug too so I knew I was on my way.

When I was 31-32 weeks along I got strong BHs and it turned out I had a UTI and it was triggering labour, which they managed to stop. I was spotting blood too which is why I went to the hospital.

My advice is: if you have any doubts or niggles, dont hesitate to call your OB or go to the hospital. GL!

 

I'm sure that contractions (real ones that is, not the BH's) are the same for single or multiples...

PURE HELL!!!
OMG, you will know when they are the "real ones" With my son I had shooting pains in my inner thighs that seem like they were on fire and going to fall off from the hip. Not to mention the pain around my stomach...the best way for me to describe that is that they would start off what I say is a volcano getting ready to erupt from around the side and work, with intensity, towards my naval. I tried very hard to get off the table and go home :rotflmbo: I just thought that if I went home they would go away...yeah, I blamed the hospital, the staff, my ex, my mother for leaving me there and I blamed the monster that was tearing me from the inside....but if I just made it home, it would be good

But yeah, you will know...with my 1st I called the doc all day everyday thinking I was in labor and was like, man this is easy, I can do this! NOT!

Good luck
:hug:

 

Welcome to TS! Congrats!

I think that everyone's experience is different. Having said that, I would look for other (than pain or contractions) signs of labor. I read of some of them in my what to expect book after I had the boys and a light bulb came on. I didn't know it at the time, but I was experiencing other signs of labor, bot just contractions.

Good luck and hang in there!

 

I went into labor 2 times with my twins. Once at 33 weeks, and the last time at 36.5 weeks. I think you might mistake early labor, for Braxton Hicks, but I don't think there is any way to mistake it, once it really gets going. At 33 weeks when I had the bout of pre-term labor, I had no idea that is what was going on. My stomach just HURT, it was like one, unending cramp...it wasn't like a contraction, time it, and take a breather, I was just hurting. I knew something wasn't right, but I was shocked when I went to the Dr. it and was regular contractions, and I was dialated. Either way, it was like obvious I needed medical attention...ha! It hurt dude.

The second and final time, it was more like a timeable thing. Since pre-term labor, to when they were born 3 weeks later, I had regular, timed braxton hicks like every 10-15 min all day. It was all the time, and I worried, like you, that I wouldn't know when it was the real thing. There were a couple of things though, one was, there were some other signs that accompanied the contractions when it was the real thing, like mucous plug and finally bloody show. These things certainly helped me know it was the real thing, but I was getting wise anyway. That night, I was having contractions, just like always, but throughout the night, it was like they were putting so much pressure on my body, I would run to the bathroom to pee. That was a definate change. They just seemed to be squeezing tighter and tighter. Then by like 4am, they were squeezing me so hard, I couldn't lay anymore, I had was like propped up, miserable...ha! I still thought it might be just my braxton hicks getting worse because the babies were so big. Then by 5am, I had a large amount of bloody show, and headed to the hospital. Now, even if I had not had bloody show, by 6:30 in the morning, the contractions were...well, friggin painful. You would know. There was no question. When they checked right before my c-section at 9:30am, I was like 5 cm, so I KNEW by pain, I was in labor, and I was still in plenty of time for everything. I know it seems scary, but I guess I can almost pretty well assure you, you will know. If you are having a ton, and feel unsure, then go get checked, but I really think you will be able to tell, when you HAVE to go.

 

Congrats and welcome to our group! Unfortunately everyone is different so there is no clear cut answer. With my first pregnancy I had no idea I was in labor. The only reason that I even went to the hospital is because I thought maybe my water had broke. I wasn't sure because I had sat on the toilet and I remember thinking "I don't remembering starting to pee". Then it occurred to me that maybe my water broke but I didn't think so since I was only 36 weeks at the time. I called the hospital to check if they thought it could have been my water breaking and they told me to come in to check just to make sure. When I got to the hospital I was fully effaced, dialated to a 7, and contracting every 3 minutes. I never did feel the contractions with her! This time which is my twin pregnancy I went into pre-term labor and didn't know it. I went in for a routing ultrasound and my cervix was extremely short so they admitted me to the hospital. Once at the hospital I was hooked up to the monitors and found that I was contracting every 2 mintues. I still don't feel the contractions or if I do it just feels like one of the babies moving to me. My doctor said every once in a while there are women who don't notice the contractions due to various reasons. Like other posters have said...if you feel anything different just call your doctor or go to the hospital. You can't be too safe! Good luck!