Is this labour?

I wasn’t sure as I had early labour, was much like yours sounds, but no pattern to it. I did get checked out in my normal midwife appt, I had early labour for 3 days 🙃 then it intensified and yes then I knew it was time!

I had to have my water manually broke all three pregnancies. They never broke on their own. I basically went to the hospital when my contractions were closer together. I was pretty confident I was in labor. But I do get how it’s kind of confusing because a lot of people just go once their water breaks.

I was ten days late and it started like a small ripple down my back which moved to my front. My youngest was born en caul so my waters didn’t break.

My water didn’t break with my second until just before I was pushing him out. I had Braxton hicks every day 4 weeks prior and lightning crotch for the last 2 weeks so I was ready to get him out 😂 my contractions started the day before but stopped and then came back the next day but carried on, I timed how often they were coming. Once they got regular and more intense I rang the midwives

I knew with my first 2 with no waters broken BUT I was induced. With my second, after they put they foley thing in I laboured at home all night. It truly started when the foley thing fell out so I knew I was 4 cms then. But was just having irregular cramps that came and went like you say. I slept for an hour and a half then woke up in labour. I knew quickly it was true labour because the contractions were steady every couple mins and would last a few mins and felt intense. I had to stand up and move through them. That’s how you know. When you can’t sit still through it.

I wasn't sure, mine started as lower back ache that later moved round to my front in intense waves every couple of minutes. I was in hospital already being induced when it started and I was using my contraction timer which was telling me I was definitely in established labour but I didn't want to bother the nurses just in case I wasn't 😂😂 when I finally did and they came to check me I was 8cm dilated 😂😂

My waters didn't break. The pain was so bad I could only sit in one spot so I knew it was labour. I also used a contraction timer x

My water didn’t break but I had awful back ache and thought it was my office chair until my colleague said his wife was the same and I was in labour 🤣 went for a check and turns out I was well and truly in labour. I did the night before get a bad belly but thought that’s a week 38 thing.

I had a high risk pregnancy so I was very closely monitored by the end of the pregnancy. I experienced Braxton Hicks many times but the week before my induction I was having small contractions all week and felt nothing. So you could be in labor and not even know it for a while!

That being said, when active labor hits, you will definitely know it 😧

I wasn't sure with my first, I just started feeling sick like I was going to throw up but never did. I was 38 w. I was nauseated and feeling tired, so my mom rang the OB who said to go in and check. I wasn't sure what the pain was supposed to feel like and by the time we made it into the hospital I was nearly 4cm dilated. I had only JUST trickled a bit right before we left which is when we knew it wasn't just BH.

With my second I needed an induction because my BP was too high at my 37w checkup with OB so I went to L&D from her office. I had BH contractions starting at about 30/32 w and lost my mucus plug gradually almost 3 weeks prior and steadily leading up to that. Once they started the oxytocin drip my body progressed pretty naturally and I effaced without needing a foley balloon and he was born within 24 hrs.

If you feel 'off' and timing is more consistent with duration and space between (five min between, lasting 1-2 mins per contraction/belly tightness) then it's progressing into active labor 🙏🏼

For my second, I woke up with random cramps starting around 5a, the third time I woke I thought...maybe these are contractions. I started timing them and they didn't really organize into a regular pattern until 11ish. By then we had called the hospital for advice and they said since I didn't want an epi l, if I was in labor, I could come in at any time or wait it out until it they became difficult. We didn't get to the hospital until after 1, I was 6cm dilated and baby was born within an hour. We actually left for the hospital when it was difficult to do anything during a contraction, I was more or less focused on breathing through them. (It was also probably noon when we left but we had drop off our oldest and the hospital is about 45mins from us)

Water was broke at the hospital, just before baby came out.