Did you KNOW that you were about to go into labor?

[Anonymous]

I was due on a Friday; my last doctor visit before the due date showed 0 dilation, though I was somewhat effaced. Monday morning I had unusually intense contractions every 7 minutes, then every six minutes, then every 5 minutes. I called Kaiser's advice nurses, who advised me to stay home from work and keep tracking the contractions. Which I did... until they stopped. Completely.

I went back to work on Tuesday and all my coworkers made fun of me.

Wednesday morning I woke up at 5:00 a.m. and said, "hey, I wet my pants. Oh wait...." I called Kaiser again and they told me to count my contractions and come in after they'd been at 5 minute intervals for an hour. I checked into the hospital and had the baby the next morning, after 26 hours of labor. Though I waited to call into work again until I knew for certain that the hospital would take me!

[Anonymous]

Induced with first well after my due date - so nope, no signs that time.

With my second, also overdue, scheduled induction on the 7th. Sitting at home working on a memo on foreign tax withholding, feeling perfectly normal and bored. Water broke, baby wearing his brand new security bracelet less than 4 hours later. NO indication labor was about to begin, and even my water breaking seemed like a non-event - didn't really realize it until I stood up to use the bathroom and thought hey...that pantyliner is a bit too damp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Induced with first well after my due date - so nope, no signs that time.

With my second, also overdue, scheduled induction on the 7th. Sitting at home working on a memo on foreign tax withholding, feeling perfectly normal and bored. Water broke, baby wearing his brand new security bracelet less than 4 hours later. NO indication labor was about to begin, and even my water breaking seemed like a non-event - didn't really realize it until I stood up to use the bathroom and thought hey...that pantyliner is a bit too damp.

Oops, meant to say scheduled induction was on the 7th, and the day I was working on the memo and went into labor was the 6th - so even a day before I knew baby would be there, no indication.

[Anonymous]

OP here: just wanted to report back. The night I posted, I had bloody show. The next morning, I woke up with contractions 10 min apart. By 2pm, they were 6 min apart and very intense. Showed up at hospital at 3pm and was 7cm dilated! Had the baby by 6pm that day. It was so fast.

[Anonymous]

congrats OP!!! sounds like everything went really smoothly. and your story offers nice support for the fact that you can feel sure that labor is nowhere near starting and then very soon after be in labor and have your baby

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: just wanted to report back. The night I posted, I had bloody show. The next morning, I woke up with contractions 10 min apart. By 2pm, they were 6 min apart and very intense. Showed up at hospital at 3pm and was 7cm dilated! Had the baby by 6pm that day. It was so fast.

Congratulations!

Were the contractions that were 10 min apart painful? How about by 2 pm? I'm just curious as to how long I have to bear the pain before going to the hospital and getting an epidural. I am currently 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant. No signs of labor.