I know, I know...

How the heck am I ever going to know when 'this is it?' All today I have been having the worse cramping in my lower back and this radiating pain from back to the front and from the bottom to the top. I know I should be timing them, but as sad as this sounds, I forget too. Sometimes it also feels like it never really stops either, just a general pain all over....

I was never one to time them either, because its hard to pinpoint when it stops and starts and how long it really lasts

Im just hoping for ANY signs now

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Posted by anna

I was never one to time them either, because its hard to pinpoint when it stops and starts and how long it really lasts

Im just hoping for ANY signs now

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So, how will I know then? Like am I in early labor now????

I had SO many days where I wondered 'Is this it??', but when THE day came, there was NO mistaking that it was IT!

A million people told me 'you'll know when you're in labor' and my response was always 'okay that was so NOT helpful' but it's true.

Jenns right YOU'LL KNOW.

Anything close to labor, you wont even be able to sit still at that computer to type

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Posted by JennRenee

I had SO many days where I wondered 'Is this it??', but when THE day came, there was NO mistaking that it was IT!

A million people told me 'you'll know when you're in labor' and my response was always 'okay that was so NOT helpful' but it's true.

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So So true

I had minor back pain for weeks before I went into labor. When my water broke I was sleeping. I woke up realizing the back pain was a little worse than usual. The answering service asked how far apart the cntxns were. I said I am not having any. They asked about back pain and I said yes. They said to time the pain since it is probably contractions. I said how do you time something that is constant? You may feel silly now, but we all have unsure moments. The only way to know for sure is to wait for it to get worse. Eventually the pain did come in intervals, started spreading to the front, and got more intense so I had to breathe through them. You may feel this soon, or not for weeks (sorry ). Back pain is the only kind of labor than can be irregular and be real so it is tough, but you will know soon enough.

I can't help you because I didn't have contractions first, my water broke. Like JennRenee said -- my dr would ask me if I was leaking and I kept saying 'how would I know' and the answer was always 'you'll know'. Boy was she right!

As for timing the contractions, when I finally started having them (apparently I was having them all along, but I really paid no mind to them), I kept asking Joe how far apart and how long they were, and the wonderful coach that he was had no clue because he didn't know I was having them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What he thought we were in the hospital for, I have no clue!!!

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Posted by bearsbabe_113

I can't help you because I didn't have contractions first, my water broke.

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That happened to me too, and the contractions came right after. They were unmistakable!

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Posted by bearsbabe_113

What he thought we were in the hospital for, I have no clue!!!

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LMAO.

Me too, my water broke and THEN came the fun part !!!!

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Posted by anna

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Posted by bearsbabe_113

What he thought we were in the hospital for, I have no clue!!!

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LMAO.

Me too, my water broke and THEN came the fun part !!!!

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I pray that my water breaks...that way there will be no doubt. Unfortunately, only 10% of pregnancies have their water break!

If your water does break, one word of advice -- overnight MAXI pads!!! I can't tell you how many I went through before I left for the hospital and once I was ready to leave, I put 3 of them on, plus a towel between my legs!!! Joe said I looked like I had diapers on, but I could give a flying fig at that point. I was more worried that it looked like I peed in my pants then how packed my a$$ looked!!!

Debbie-

One of my friends actually brought a change of clothes with her (she lives about 30-45 min from the hospital) and changed in her car before she walked in the hospital! She said she knew it was dumb, but she just didn't want people to see her with wet pants!

It's true!!! I also sat on a towel in the car because I didn't want to get the seat wet!! And then in the hospital, I didn't want to sit down because I was afraid I'd ruin the couch while I waited to check in!! They gave me those wet pad things for under the mattress to sit on!!!

Oh the moritification of what we go through!!! And that's nothing compared to what comes after!!!

I was NEVER so glad to be wearing black cordouroy pants! You couldn't tell at all that I was soaking wet. Well, at least till I sat and left butt prints every where I went.

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Posted by Victoria

I kept a plasticgarbage bag in the car in case my water broke while I was out. I had DH put it over my seat before we left for the hospital. It kept me from ruining the seat.

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That's a great tip!! I can just see DH getting upset I ruined the seat on one of his cars Then again, he'll be too nervous to know or remember!!

I worried so much about hoping I would know when it was really time.

My water actually broke at 10:30pm... slow leak, apparently very slow leak. Because when I went to my doctor's appointment the next morning, my doctor had confirmed my water did break. I was a bit confused because I lost my plug at 5:30am (a couple of hours before my doctor's appointment) so i thought that was just it.

My doctor actually sent me over to the hospital and I was induced so I didn't have to worry about timing them since I was so horrible at it... thank god. I don't wish an induction on anyone... but it was easier for me since I was contracting (apparently quite a bit) for 5 hours and didn't even realize it. Talk about me being a moron!

LOL this thread is so funny bc as a BTDT Mom you know but when you're preparing for your first, you have a million scenarios in your head of mistaking it. We all go through it. I never had an incident which made me wonder if 'this is it' or not. The big one was the only one and yep, it was unmistakable...when the contractions started. My water broke but it was not a gush, it was a trickling thing which is how it happens when the amniotic sac ruptures higher up. I kept wondering if it was really my water that broke. But like I said, once those contractions started, in my case about an hour or so later, there was no question in my mind. Like someone else said (was it Anna?), if you are sitting at your computer or functioning in any other way, that ain't it.

You know what my big fear was: going to the hospital and being told to come back when they were closer or being told it was false labor. I think that would be stressful - the letdown of going home when you think it's time.

Well, the pain has become less radiating and more, how can I describe, pronounced in coming and going...I think it is false labor and haven't even been timing them because I just can't believe this would be it! Good thing someone mentioned about the slow leak because I am already paranoid of that too! Typically, I am not a worrysome person, but I think Elizabeth put it perfectly...it is so hard to know what to expect because everyone is different and you do come up with all of these senarios.

It was definitely hard to be at work today, but I would rather keep myself busy up until 'it is it!' No one can make too many cupcakes or cookies while waiting, right????