I'm a ftm, but I know that once you have bloody show, it can indicate that the baby will come anywhere between that day or a week or so after. If the baby has been wiggling into position, that's probably a pretty good indicator too. I'm gonna be 37 weeks tomorrow and my breasts have gotten larger, I get the occasional cramp (not really a contraction, it feels like a menstrual cramp), and for the last couple weeks, my baby has been going lower and lower into my pelvis. I also get this weird vibrating sensation on my cervix. No idea what that is, but vibrating is the closest way I can describe it.
some people just know. others haven't a clue. as for me... this is my third pregnancy and thank goodness that my waters broke at the beginning of labor (or at least I think they did) because I am terrible at predicting when i am in labor. with my daughter i had a random thought that i should eat because it would suck if i went into labor then and i was starving- what do u know i get up to get something to eat and POP.....psshhhhhtttt. water everywhere! lol with my second i had a random thought of *i think i just had a contraction? hmmmm. maybe. wouldn't that be nice if i went into labor?* and surprise surprise! POP- went my water!
All I know is ....besides what @bettymomma said.... you never really know until water breaks or contractions. The best predictions are loss of mucous plug/bloody show. With my 1st I was working on my feet 8 hrs a day. I felt great besides the footpain & occasional backache. So I worked a full shift fri 7am-3pm. Came home went to bed around 10-11pm. Woke to pee & rolled over...Bam water broke! 37w4d. So I never knew when. It just happened for me.
i have heard that if the first time around your water breaks, it is more likely to break again. how much of that is true, i dont know- but it was sure with me!!! I am counting on my water breaking- with my second i was having intense contractions 2 days before (i had NST's 3 times a week....and I was 4cm for a month before labor) and I had NO clue. the nurse told me and I just said "uhm, really?" the nurse looked like she had seen a ghost, telling me that shes never seen someone so oblivious to contractions before. lol. that's just me.
Your water does NOT always break on its own!!! With my first everything literally happened overnight...I didn't lose my plug and my water did not break! I knew I was in labor because I was having regular contractions that got down to 2-3 minutes apart and headed to the hospital. No one believed I was in labor until they checked and I was dialated 7 cm! They broke my water and a few hours and a few pushes later my son was born! You'll just know when its time!
I had 12 hours of irregular contractions, and lost my plug. Hospital were not convinced I was in labour but I decided to go in and get checked anyway... I was 6cm already still with irregular contractions. They never got regular, went from 2mins to 10mins the whole way through lol I dont know how but i.just knew it was the real thing regardless of what the midwives were saying... I was 40+5...
I'm not sure what to expect so I'm a little afraid I'll accidentally have a home birth! I have no idea what a contraction is supposed to feel like or how dialated I am (dr never checked and my next appointment is on the 30th). I've lost a teeny bit of my plug and I've been nesting and resting a lot lately.
Lol dont stress im sure bubs will come when ready. As you know I went 5 days overdue and it sucked, but I had a natural labour and delivery and it was a positive experience all round and im hoping for the same again this time, goodluck
Comments
with my daughter i had a random thought that i should eat because it would suck if i went into labor then and i was starving- what do u know i get up to get something to eat and POP.....psshhhhhtttt. water everywhere! lol
with my second i had a random thought of *i think i just had a contraction? hmmmm. maybe. wouldn't that be nice if i went into labor?* and surprise surprise! POP- went my water!