I guess I'm dumber than the rest of the moms here because with Baby #2, my water broke, but I didn't know it (thought I peed my pants), and I was in labor for about 12 hours, but didn't know it (my "Braxton Hicks" contractions were regular, frequent and painful, but I thought I was having gas pains
). It wasn't until my weekly checkup (the next morning) that I found out I was in labor because the doctor told me so.
Oh, and quickly had me wheeled to L&D. It was very exciting!!
Nope. Not all the rest.
With my son, I was on bed rest due to a thin cervix and I was leaking fluid. The day before my son was born, I started to leak a bit more than usual but since I had been forcing myself to drink, I didn't think much of it. After all, water breaking was supposed to be obvious right?
That night, I was jazzed up. I couldn't sleep and when I finally did drift off, I woke up 5 hours later with full blown nesting instinct. I did dishes, laundry, cleaned the bathroom, etc. I wanted to vaccum but hubby was still sleeping and I didn't think he would appreciate being woken up at 5AM by a vaccum cleaner. At 7, I started to feel my contractions. I called CMH and they got me in touch with my OB. She asked me to come see her at 9.
When hubby woke up, I told him what was going on and to keep his phone close since when I called, I probably wasn't calling just to say "hi". I then called my mom to see if she could drive me to my appointment since my contractions were 15 minutes apart. By the time she got to my house in Lusby from Huntingtown, they were 10 minutes and no position I could get into was comfortable.
At 9, I was up in Dunkirk and my OB had barely sat to check me out when she asked when my water broke. I looked at her like she was crazy and told her that I didn't know it had. She proceeded to tell me that I was already 4cm dialated and to check into the hospital.
By 10, I was in L&D. The on-call OB came in and checked me out. She said that my lower fluid had not yet broken and when she popped that-yowzaa! It felt like I had slime coming out of me. I definately would have noticed that!
At 2:30, I was instructed to start pushing and my son was born at 3:03.
Dos Gattos, you may not want to hear this but there is no one sure way to know when you are in labor. Not even obvious water breaking is guaranteed. The way I knew was that I just didn't feel like myself. That morning I had as much energy as a hummingbird when typically I had trouble getting out of bed. When the cramping started, I knew my time was close.
I am about to sound like a hippy but it is the best advice I can give. Listen to your body and your baby. They will let you know.
You kind of can't help it and you don't really care either.
and I don't know where you are having it but the nurses at st. mary's were so wonderful..I had one that was so calming and comforting.
