What does labour feel like?!

Following cos id like to know too 😩

You just get this sence of knowing that its labour. A lot of women usually get signs like loosing mucus plug, waters breaking, pain that starts in your lower back and comes around to the front bottom of belly and then goes back around to your back again abit like an elastic band. You may feel sick have loose bowel movements. Xx

Hahah people say you will just KNOW when it’s labour and it’s very true. With my daughter, I was in so much pain that I could not stay still, constantly feeling the need to go toilet and when I would, nothing would happen. Felt like I needed to poop constantly, pain was intense, was doing anything (rocking back and forth, squatting, long breathing) and then when I finally got checked and I was 4cm. After that is a blur to me because it all happened so fast, by the time I was in the delivery suite and my husband got called to come in, I was 9.5cm

With my first, I felt immense pain, it was like someone was squeezing my back so strong. I did have a bloody show but that’s usually not a sign for everybody. But also, time wise, consistent pain and every less than 5min, yk it’s real.

I know it's not helpful but honestly you just know when you're in labour, I just felt really off - under the weather, upset stomach, really irritable, not sleeping etc and then my waters broke early at 34 weeks. The midwifes kept saying I wasn't in active labour after my waters went but I knew I was, then they finally agreed to examine me hours later and I was 7cm and hadn't had any pain relief 🫠 x

The pains become regular and slowly build. Everyone’s different but with my first mine started almost like a throbbing/cramping feeling about every 10 mins. Very mild and manageable. About 3 hours later the pain was still regular but it had intensified and got closer together and I was like oh ok 😂

My waters hadn’t broke. But I had lost my mucus plug. Quite a lot of it x

With my first I remember waking up with strong period like pains that would come and go. I didn’t have any of the other symptoms like losing my mucus plug or waters breaking.

Reading this as I also have no idea but can someone tell me between contractions does the pain fully go away or is there a bit of pain that just lingers ? Xx

@Cheyenne Labour contractions feel like waves. The pain starts off mild and slowly builds in intensity, much like a rising tide. It reaches a peak—strong and overwhelming—before quickly subsiding, giving you a brief moment of relief before the next wave begins.

@Orianne thank you that is very helpful xx

I think it’s different for every women but for me it started off as a deep boreing pain in my lower back which then started radiating round to the front and down my legs a bit. As they progressed on I felt them as very strong pressure and squeezing in my back and I just had a feeling things were happening as I was 41+3 by then. Also had my mucus plug and show, didn’t really feel like I wanted to eat anything, felt irritable etc xx

@Cheyenne You’re welcome. Just to say this was my experience and so it may vary from woman to woman btw xx

@Cheyenne the more dilated you are, the less time or break there is between the contractions. And it gives you a moment to breathe or talk.

Mine were like period cramps that would wake me up from deep sleep and wouldn't stop and slowly got more intense. Hope that helps abit

@Cheyenne Pain can and does linger but I found it really helpful to fully let go of each contraction between them. At the sharp end though there really is no let up but you can tell when they die down (ie. give yourself a break to breathe before the next pushing session). I found being really focused on the job pushing helped