Could I be in early labor even though my water hasnt broken and my mucus plug hasnt come out?

Question

I am 1cm and a little over 50% effaced. Having really bad contractions that are described to be braxton hicks because they are not close together, but I was told that BH contractions arent painful. This is my first pregnancy. They seem to get worse everyday, and wake me up during the night. I talked to my doctor today and he told me that they we just BH and just to drink water. When I saw him yesterday, he estimated the baby will be here around my due date which is Nov 21? I was told that it might just be early labor? What are the signs/symptoms of early labor if my water hasnt broken and I havent lost my mucus plug? And also what do you think is going on with me?

Answer 1

BH contractions *can* be painful. What you are describing sounds like prodomal labor. It can start happening days or weeks before real labor. It usually comes about the same time every day, and may last a few hours at a time. Normally these contractions are NOT longer than a minute and not more frequent than 7 to 10 minutes apart. Even though this can be a frustrating nuisance, be assured that they are not in vain. Your cervix is slowly softening, and may turn from posterior (towards the back) to anterior (to the front). You can slowly dilate and efface with these contractions as well. It can also help get the baby in the right position. Sometimes if the head is just a bit off center, or turned the wrong direction, labor just won't get going.

What can you do? Use these contractions to practice for the real thing. Find different positions to ease the contraction. Practice your breathing. Take a warm bath (this is a good way to gage prodromal labor from real labor as a nice warm bath will usually stop the fake labor).

As far as your plug or water breaking: You may not loose your plug until late in labor (or you may have lost it already and never even noticed it!). Your water does not always break on it's own, and may not until you are ready to push.

So what do you look for in true labor? The most common thing will be a feeling that this is it.. you will notice the contractions are lasting a minute and you will probably notice a patter of them coming closer together. They might increase in intensity as well. If you have contractions five minutes apart and they last a minute, you are probably going to head to the hospital. Of course, if your water breaks, you go in sooner.

It's not always the case, but it seems to me, that the women who have a lot of prodomal labor, tend to have easier and sometimes faster labors. This is just from my own experiences, so don't quote me on it. ;-)

Happy birthing to you!!!

Answer 2

water breaking before labour is actually quite uncommon (4% only) and you don't have to lose your plug either! As for braxton hicks being painless, mine were excrutiating in my second pregnancy and started at about 32 weeks, every second night at 9-9.30pm like clock work. I kept thinking I was in labour but because they were irregular and not gathering in intensity, I knew it wasn't the real thing.

I think your body is preparing itself for the big arrival by contracting the uterus. These are most likely braxton hicks as they aren't regular. As I said, they can be painful for some women but heat packs and hot showers help a lot to ease the pain.

Try and hang in there. you will know when the real ones come, its a totally different feeling and quite instinctive too. Like all of a sudden a switch is flipped and your like, "right I am definately in labour now"!

Try and get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Go for some gentle walks with hubby and have some gentle sex too! This could encourage things along! Above all though, stop worrying and enjoy these precious moments before your life is forever changed.

best of luck

Answer 3

Ive heard that BH contractions do start to get pretty painful the closer you are to your due date. I guess just start walking as much as you can, because if it is BH that should help relieve some of the pain (or so I've been told)...At least you are effaced! Im 1cm dilated and still thick and long and my due date is in 4 days! I guess Im looking at a late baby and I am miserable as it is....oh well I guess I can't do anything about it. GL sweety

Answer 4

I am getting the same thing and i am over due! and they are painful. I cant remember if i lost my mucus plug or not. right now it is jumping from 5mins to 1 hour. just wait and see what happens. that is what i am doing.

Answer 5

i was walking around for 3 weeks at 3cm.
the day before i gave birth I was in labor and didnt know it. I went to the hospital because i thought my water broke. They told me i was already in labor and i was in the hospital for about 7 hours before they told me my water hadnt broken, they broke it for me. i hadnt lost my mucus plug prior to coming to the hospital either.

Answer 6

all i can say to help is that ur water doesnt have to break and u dont have to lose ur mucus plug to be in labor or maybe u just lost it and didnt kno it.