Advice

I'm on baby #2 and I'm still terrified I won't know😅

Ohhh you will know! Not to mention they’re rhythmic and don’t go away. Braxton hicks was a little tricky the first time but if you wait it out they subside.

@Nika not always 😅 my mom didn't know she just happened to have the c-section scheduled for the same day. And the first few times I was in labor with my first I thought she was just stretching 😅

@Victoria that’s crazy! Mine were like undeniable

Mine started with my water breaking. That's how I knew.

@Nika i think it had something to do with us having breech babies. I don't have any evidence to support that theory just a guess

I had three kids and only thought I was in labor with my last one I was made to go to the hospital and it was confirmed I was in labor

Trust me u will know they hurt really bad !

Well, the good news is, you don’t need to go to the hospital as soon as you’re in labor. They’ll want you to wait until you’re a ways in anyways, which by then, you will KNOW. My labor started out feeling like GI discomfort so I was very unsure, but my midwife came and checked me out and confirmed that it was actually labor. After that, it became way more of what you expect. Intervals of calm then contract. By the time I was in active labor, there was ZERO denying it.

I just felt cramping every 10 minutes. I started counting them, I did go to work (just left early) lol even though I was 4 days past my due date I was afraid that it was Braxton hicks 😂 but they got stronger and stronger, sooo I just went to get checked and I was 4 centimeters dilated and ones I got there the cramps got more intense

Look into the Miles Circuit. If you think you might be in early labor, start doing that and it will help get things moving and then you will KNOW

Tbh I didn’t think I was in labour the whole time it was happening despite the pain being crazy intense because when I first went to the hospital because the pain was bad the nurse checked me and I was still at 1cm (after having had regular contractions for over 7hours) so I was in total denial that I was in labour, and looking back I’m so happy it went that way (even tho I was a bit stupid to not understand I was actually in labour lol) because it helped me handle the pain a lot better and I managed to have the unmediated birth I wanted! But also you will know, the fact that the pain gets gradually more intense and regular is a very clear sign. I had period like cramps at 8am and painful contractions at 11.30am so the pain will most likely evolve over time!

i didn’t really know. but i called my OBs office and told them what was going on, and they told me to head to Labor&Delivery at the hospital!

@Victoria I wonder if so! Now I’m debating my answer cause I’m pregnant with my third, it’s entirely different than my first two. Maybe labor will be, but I knew for sure with them. I was also 40w and 41w so it was eviction time both times also!

I thought the same thing. I highly recommend some kind of birthing class. I went to one near me & really helped ease the anxiety & unknowns. The best advice I heard is that there is a pattern to the contractions (vs just Braxton hicks). I (and tell your partner) was told to get a contraction tracking app. This way you can track to hit that 5-1-1 (5 mins apart lasting 1 minute for 1 hour). This helped me understand what to look out for. Like others say, you’ll usually know!

Believe me, you will know. I had this same concern with my first and I knew it. The good thing is that with your first baby labor is usually slow so you don’t have to go to the hospital right away. I was told by my OB the first time that if I feel like contractions but I lay down and they go away, then it’s not labor. So every time I felt pain, I would lay down and check if I was still feeling it. I knew I was in labor when even laying down the pain didn’t go away and also it was literally every couple of minutes. I went to the hospital when the contractions were 4 minutes apart and got there when they were 2 minutes apart. But believe me, you will know. You don’t know it yet but your body knows how to do this 🩷

My OB said if you can talk through the pain you’re good.

my contractions were only 30 seconds long but only a few minutes apart so i was confused since they weren’t lasting 1 minute i didn’t think i was in labor, but i was!