how to tell if you are going into labour?

Question

I am a week overdue and having braxton hicks contractions every 10 min with lots of cramping pain in my lower abdomen. i figure when real labour comes i will know, tons of pain and coming across my whole abdomen from my back.
Anybody else have this cramping and is a sign labour might be on its way soon?

Answer 1

labour pain usually feels like pressure in waves (with pain of course) but will come and go, wax and wane with regularity. When these pains come every 2 minutes with regularity (that is, more than 4 or 5 in a row every 2 minutes) you are likely in labour.
of course, if your water breaks, get moving to the hospital (or call your midwife if that's your plan)
Every labour is different - I had back labour with my first, which felt like the above pain plus a horrid pressure on my tailbone - almost nauseating.

Answer 2

Well its different for every woman, normall with braxon hicks, the pain is relatively the same, when you are in REAL labor the cramps will INCREASE in pain and intensity, but normally gradually. Remember the 511 rule, when your contractions are 5 minutes apart, lasting for one minute and have been like that for an hour, your most likey ready to go to the doctors!
Others signs of course is your water breaking. If it breaks, immediately go to the doctors.

Answer 3

If the contractions continue over about a half hour and they are a steady time apart then I would say its realy labor, they will also get stronger as they get closer together. Are you dilated at all? If you are then you will need to monitor the contractions closely because they could be real and you may not have much time to get to the hospitol.

Answer 4

When i went into labor, I couldn't sleep. I tried going to sleep at 9pm and still, at 2:55pm. this whole time i was having weird cramping feeling, and had to get up to pee LITERALLY every 10 minutes, then slowly to 5, to 3, to less than one minute. Finally at exactly 3am I went to pee, and it felt like there was a plug in there. I felt a jerk, and that was my water breaking!!

So, IF YOUR GETTING UP TO PEE, MORE THAN NORMAL PREGANT... LOL THAN UMM... CALL THE DOCTOR!!! and darlin, if theyre regular , they arent braxton hicks!!!


DONT WAIT UNTIL YOU CANT WALK ANYMORE!! I COULD WALK JUST FINE UNTIL I WAS 6 CENTIMETERS!! GO TO THE HOSPITAL!! goodness.. you people... :| lol

Answer 5

Drink a big glass of water and lie down. If the cntx. don't stop in 10-15 minutes it's probably labour. Good luck!

Answer 6

The contractions intensify regardless of what position you're in

Contractions become progressively more frequent and painful

Contractions may feel like gastrointestinal upset and may be accompanied by diarrhea.

But when in doubt call your practitioner

Answer 7

three major signs

blood
water breaking
contractions last for 1 minute or more and come every 5 minutes

one or all three are clear signs to go to the ER

Answer 8

Sounds like early stages of labor to me. You may want to call your doctor. Baby seems to be on the way. Congrats Mommy!

Answer 9

My mom told me that when she was going into labor(she was 2 weeks early with me) it felt like she had to (not to be gross) poo really bad, and she kept trying to go and nothing would come out. finally at around 3:30 am she called her doc and he told her to get to the hospital right away...she had me at 5am! she barley made it there!! my point is, that she didnt know she was going into labor either, she thought she would just "know". but she didnt. so you could be, and you might as well get to the hospital for them to check it out! maybe you are! and yea for you IF you are!!!

Answer 10

You will know they are " real " when you can no longer walk or talk through them. Yes...it could be the beginning of more to come. Good luck and congrats.