Hey 
So I’m 40 weeks pregnant on Monday and I’m wondering if anyone can tell me if it feels like anything before you’re about to go into labour? Like does it just come out of no where, poof your water breaks and that’s it you’re in labour? I’ve been getting some Braxton Hicks the last week or so, and this is my first so I don’t know what to expect… but does it feel like anything specific? Will I have warning signs? Or does it just happen 
thank you!
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Everyone’s different. I didn’t even know I was in labour lol. My teacher pointed it out. I had to have my water broke
I only went into labor once on my own but my stomach would get hard/tight if that makes sense. Didn’t hurt just felt really odd. My water broke maybe an hour after that but it was a high break so my undies were barely wet.
I think besides your mucus plug it pretty much just comes out of no where. Water might break or may just have cramping or back pain. Or both. lol
With my first it started in my back like back pain. With my second had no clue I was even in labor.
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I felt off all day. Couldn’t get comfy. I went from having no contractions to feelings like I had to poop but couldn’t. Its kept coming and going for about 2 hours when i realize it was back labor. It got stronger and more painful…went to the hospital when it was every 5 mins. My water never broke, the hospital did it when I arrived.
Everyone is different. Mine came just out of no where, woke up with contractions. My water did not break. Contractions felt like the worst period and poop pains I’ve ever had in my life. Trust me you’ll know the difference between Braxton Hicks and Contractions. I know everyone may say that but you will know
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I had cramping for a whole day that got worse and went into stronger contractions but they had to break my water hours later at the hospital
Diarrhea day before and of
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Everybody’s different but normally, you’ll know.
When you get contractions that can bring you to your knees…start timing them.
Congrats on the munchkin!! 
I had no signs really. Just peeing a lot then my water broke just after midnight. Didn’t start experiencing contractions till the following afternoon.
You will definitely know when you go into labor. It’s a feeling like no other. Sometimes your water doesn’t break so don’t rely just on that. Mine didn’t break beginning of labor with any of my 3. 1 popped while I was pushing and the other two were popped by the doctors
Like they said everyone’s different. With mine I couldn’t get comfortable on the couch and felt like I had to pee. Went to the bathroom couldn’t pee but water broke. 
I had a terrible back ache for two days before my water broke with the first one. Second one I just felt like complete crap
They tell u when u feel like u have to poop. You have to tell them right away so they can see if u can start pushing. My water only broke with 1 of my kids. With the other 2 they had to break my water. Contractions feel like period pains but 1,000 x worse to me. Don’t forget to breathe through the contractions. Don’t be like me and hold your breath. Lol
Water may or may not break…you will have cramps thats normal…when you see blood…get to the er now you’re in labor. Look for the " bloody show" thats what my doctor called it.
Got the feeling like I had to poop then after I went and nothing, I started cramping, began timing the cramps to see if there was consistency and when they were 5 minutes apart lasting for a minute (or more) I went into L&D
With my first one, I swear I heard a pop… I was asleep and i woke up, heard a pop, got up to walk to the bathroom, and poof, water broke… but with my first one is my only “natural” water breaking, I’ve been induced with my other 3
There’s a good chance your water will not break. Cramping that gets worse and closer together. I usually get diarrhea a few days before too. In my opinion, it’s better to go in and get checked even if they send you home than wait to late and the pain gets too intense. If you plan on epidural you have to be really still and if you are too far along that’s nearly impossible. My 3rd was all natural bc it went so quick and was only time my waters broke on their own.
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I had no mucus plug come out before, sure it did but prob at hospital, no bloody show. Nothing dramatic. At 40wks exactly i had minor cramping all day. Nothing unusual for that far along so you may not even notice. Then water started to leak. So kinda out of nowhere but I think it depends on pregnancy, size and position of baby, and the mom.
My water broke with no warning after I went to go pee at 5 am
I’m pregnant with my 5th baby and every single baby has been different! One I had no clue I was in labor and had very swiftly, another I had strong hard contractions for days and didn’t dilate hardly any. 2 my water had to be broken and 2 it broke on its own
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You’ll just know lol , your body will be …like…ok let’s do this …but when you loose your plug you have about a week at most, theres no warning when your water breaks…it could start out as a leak and then it will bust it will feel like you are peeing yourself and cant controll it
With my second, I just didn’t feel good. I just felt crummy most of the day, but soon realized that I was in labor. I was induced with my first, so I really didn’t know what to expect either.
Body cleaned itself out few hours before contractions started and lost the mucus plug. Sounds like your getting there if youre having braxtons.
It’s different for everyone.
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Labor feels like you’re hurting SO much that you can’t take the pain anymore. You’ll WANT to go the hospital.
For me, my doctor striped my membrane out, so my s/o and I went to eat and then the mall after seeing the doctor and all day, I felt like I was cramping/tummy ache. It came and went.
By 9:00p, my lower back was hurting, so I got a heating pad and layer on the couch.
By 10p-11p, I had to poop and this red looking goo came out (mucus plug) and then I went to lay down.
At this point, my back was STILL hurting and the heating pad wasn’t helping and my lower stomach was hurting like HELL. I was crying and asked to be taken to the hospital. My bf was packing and I’m on the couch saying “ow ow ow ow” everytime I felt a contraction (labor pains started in my back but the contractions were in the front).
We’re in the car and at a red light and my bf said that I was officially in labor bc my contractions were literally 3mins apart. So he’s driving 80-100mph on a 65 and it’s a 45min drive. We got to the hospital by midnight and they admitted me. Nurses were preparing me, water broke (the nurse was like “oh your water just broke” I was like, “it did?”) and I got the epidural and I was all good.
I got there right at shift change- so the night nurses couldn’t leave until baby was born, so I had both night and day shifts nurses all handling me and baby. My baby was born at 7:08a. For two days, I literally had the whole entire maternity ward to myself and on the third day, it was time for me to go home and two other moms had scheduled c-sections. One set of twins girls and the other was a girl.
I woke up having contractions 2 days before I had her. My water had to be broken manually after I got my epidural.
My water broke while I was sleeping lol
I felt sick. Then like I needed to poop. Then I started getting contractions.
Sometimes ur water will break with a gush or sometimes it can trickle out slowly. Contractions are really bad stomach cramps and they intensify as u get closer to giving birth as well as closer together. U can time contractions.
U will either not be able to stay still cuz the pressure pain n contractions or u may get nausea n dryheave (in my cases). My waters didnt break w both babies…had to be broken…but the contractions were different w both pregnancies…labor w my 1st was 22hrs including birth process and my 2nd n last one was 11hrs including birth…would’ve been sooner if I didnt budge for epidural that time but I went a day late. U will just feel like u need to poop…u will see mucus plug come out. But once u feel the contractions happening 5mins apart, get ur ass to hospital (as I’m sure u already been told). It’s different for everyone…back pain n pressure pain…severely are a good indicator its g2happen or soon happen
I had no appetite at all the day I went into labor. I all of a sudden got an urge to get my bag and baby’s bag ready for the hospital like something was telling me to do it ASAP! Ended up taking a nap afterwards and woke up around 4pm feeling like I had to poop. Started cramping and my contractions picked up the pace quickly! Water never broke. Arrived at the hospital around 9pm and was 5cm dilated. My son arrived via emergency c-section at 3:22 am.
My LG is 4 weeks old, I woke up at 7am with a pop (waters braking) managed to get down the stairs for my husband to deliver her… start to finish 20mins- no other warnings or signs 3 weeks early:see_no_evil:
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For me, I woke up at 4am thinking I was peeing the bed…it was my water…and it was a slow steady stream…like you’re peeing uncontrollably. Contractions started shortly after, they truly feel like period cramps…mine started off feeling like light period cramping and got worse…a lot worse with every contraction…so basically whether your water breaks or not…if you start feeling like you have period cramping, light or intense, you’re most likely in labor.
1st started feeling contractions (never felt Braxton Hicks with any of my 4). Started about 9-10 PM had her next day 552pm. Back labor so back hurt majority of time. Natural labor. 2nd was up going bathroom all night back would hurt stomach would tighten. Went to hospital 715am had her 828am, natural labor. 3rd had painless contractions during day till about 3pm started picking up some. Went to hospital around 5pm had him via emergency csection 655pm anesthesia only/cord around neck. Water was broke at hospital by Dr with all 3. Last was scheduled csection 5 days before due no labor signs, had tubes taken after he was out. Spinal tap with him due to scheduled.
I didn’t show any signs. I went in to be induced and turned out I was already in labor & didn’t even know it.
My first my mucus plug came out and leaked and finally went in to find out my water broke. Second, Splash…my water broke. Third I had no idea until the contractions started hurting real bad made it to the hospital in 15 mins and within half hour doc broke my water and she was here within minutes.
You will know , back labor ? Maybe
I’ve had contractions in my thighs before and didn’t realize it was labor.
Induced with my 1st. Went into labor on my own with my 2nd. My water never broke on its own both times. With my 2nd I woke up at 2:40 with fairly strong contractions and they we pretty regular. Thats how I knew I was in labor.
You will definitely know when it’s the real thing, trust me. Good luck to you. You’re about to be a mama real soon
My first 2 i never really felt anything, my oldest i was being monitored cause i was dialating and before the contractions started i go an epidural my second my water broke i again got the epidural before contractions really started my 3rd my water broke and contractions started almost immediatly my 4th i was induced and my 5th i thought it was braxton hicks went and layed down with drank some water and they progressively got worse
I felt the same way I didn’t know but I promise when it’s time for mind and body will incur an undeniable pain and it will be time to go.
They say signs can be diarrhea back pain tummy pain ect.
But all that aside when it the pain is what told me to get to stepping
I was literally on my hands and knees in the mall. But worth every second
I went into labor without my water ever breaking on its own and yes it can just come out of nowhere, first one woke me up around 2am, the second I had to go get my water broke to start it cause he was 15 days late, third was in mild labor for nearly a week and Dr stop had to break water the fourth went into labor before water broke and last had to be induced due to preeclampsia.
With my first my water never broke. Hospital did it for me. Labor pains got bad quickly so hubby took me to the hospital. I wasn’t dilated enough to stay so we got sent home. Came back a few hours later because the pains got worse and they checked me again. Got to 5cm so they let me stay. Whole thing took 12 hours. With my second my water broke at home. It was a huge gush. The labor pains were worse with him than my daughter. I was in labor with him for about 8 hours. I had an epidural both times. My body definitely told me when I had to push.
My first was induced but this time around I’m in the same boat, not sure what regular start up contractions feel like. But once my water was broke I went from 4cm to 10cm within 3-4 hrs. Worst contractions ever 
With my first I was just sitting there eating dinner and babe my water broke. With my second contractions and then about 1/2 later my water broke.
With mine I had a good bit of pressure, my water broke at 34 weeks. It was also my first I was in pain I do not know if it was contractions or not but I hurt and there was a lot of pressure
For me I started having to go to the bathroom ALOT, not peeing, bowel movements for both my pregnancies. Then came the cantractions, they were light cramps, kinda like period cramps. I started timing them then when they got to be 10 minutes apart that’s when I went to the hospital. My water didn’t break at home. Every women experiences labor differently though
It can be diffrent for everyone. I got a stretch and sweep. My body reacted by loosing colour in my skin i I felt tired and needed to sleep then i I woke up at 7 am with braxton Braxton nicks contractions wich Wich slowly turned into real labour slowly through out the day
also i I am already 2 cm at 29 weeks and with my first i was 5 cm from 7 months . So some times when it comes to contractions you never know
Your water dose not always break mine never did it got popped from the doctor but labor is like 15 minute contraction then 10 then five each for the contractions when water dose break it’s like Peking a little in your pants not a flood like you would think
You will know lol it feels like braxton hicks but they get worse amd closer together. The only thing that helped was sitting in a warm bath lol my water didnt break until i was at the hospital and it felt like i peed my pants lol
I pooped soooo much the days before and I peed soo much that night and could not sleep. That next morning I peed, but then some more liquid came out. They finished breaking my water in the hospital
I had really bad back pain and nausea where I was puking and that’s how I started out in labor. I was sitting on the toilet holding a trash can to puke in and my mucus plug came out it was just clear with a pink tint to it so I went to the hospital and they said I was in labor. I had felt sick with back pain for 3 days at this point…
Ohhhh girl! With my son, my water broke 8 weeks early while sleeping. I thought I had peed my pants. I stayed in the hospital till 34 weeks when they induced me. With my daughter, my contractions just came on in the middle of the night. I was crying from them, but not enough still to go to the hospital. I ended up going Anyways because my boss wanted me to be okay since I was merchandising for work than. They stopped them & later that night, they came on again & they couldn’t stop it. Both very different, so I think it just varies from pregnancy to pregnancy with everyone. Most of the time, you will know when it’s coming tho!
It just happens. I felt like I was about to get my period a couple times and then I had to keep using the bathroom and had a backache with my boys. Everyone is different though but trust me you will know.
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I was in labor for hours before my water broke. Actually it didn’t even break on its own, the doctors had to do it both times because I was 7/8 cms dilated and not progressing.
At one point my oldest was showing signs of distress and they wanted to attach a monitor to the top of his head, so they did that and as the Dr walked away I was like ‘Oh! I think my water just broke!’ and he looked at me weirdly and slowly said ‘How else did you think I was going to get the monitor on his head?’ Slight facepalm moment haha.
There’s a huge difference between BH and real labor contractions. You will definitely know the real thing because they will get harder and last longer with smaller breaks in between. Don’t forget to breathe! Holding your breath is the worst thing you can do for yourself, good luck!
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Your description is bang on exactly what happened to me 
poof water broke and contractions started, 4 hours later I had my son. 
Lol I felt i had to go to the bathroom (#2) and went and tried, walked back into my bedroom and a puddle fell from me onto the floor. I thought I peed at first. I had pain but it didnt start so bad so I wasnt ready to go to the hospital. By the time my man convinced me to at least go in and get checked the pain was unbearable and i was soaked in sweat.
(Yes we made it on time)
Every labour and birth is different! With my first I woke up and my water broke when I stood up, but it was more of a drizzle then a gush (until later). Contractions didn’t start until I got to the hospital an hour or so later. With my second I had prodromal labour for a week prior to birth, then the night I gave birth they got so intense I knew it was time, a couple hours later my water broke in a huge gush and then baby came a couple hours after that.
I started getting leg cramps and i felt like i was hurting bad and then i got up to go pee and my water broke.
I just felt something was off and went to the hospital… ended up having high blood pressure and was kept at the hospital… trust your gut
Both my pregnanies I was SOO tored the day before. Like couldnt keep my eyes open tired, and very irritable
With my son, I stood up one night and my water broke, I had no contractions or anything for the first 8hours into labour,but everyone is different.
My water didn’t break. I lost my mucous plug and a day later was having horrible contractions in my back by the time I got to the hospital I was 7cm dilated
Your contractions will start first; if u have been peeing even more frequently than what is now normal. You could be leaking fluids . The pressure of the contractions is what “breaks” your water bag.
Keep your fluids up, take a nice walk. Relax take a nap.
More than not, our waters don’t break! 
Pooping is a huge thing, mucus plus is an indication (I had lost it twice - really early, and then again a week before my son was born), ‘nesting’ (I went into labor that night ), really bad back pain (pray you don’t have back labor!), My ‘labor pains’ felt like Braxton Hicks (both pregnancies )
Best way to know honestly (if no other complications) is to track your ‘braxton hick’/contractions! n_n 
goodluck and happy healing after
It’s different for everyone I’ve had one that I legit didn’t know or have any pain with until I was pushing her out! I say any time you’re even slightly concerned or worried or anything, call your Dr or go in. I promise you you’re not bugging them or being dumb by being safe, they’d rather you call them all the time vs having an emergency situation.
Most peoples water dont break… Out of 6 mine broke on its own 1 time…sometimes i felt nothing and others i did…
My water broke when I was sleeping. I thought I wet the bed. So washed everything and remade the bed. Had a doctors apt that day and sure enough my water broke. Went into labor at 6:30 and delivered at 7:10. Less than 45 min!! I did not know I was in labor cause pain doesn’t affect me much.
I started having contractions in the morning very slowly and the pain was mild at first. Then kept getting more frequent and stronger.
You’ll know when it happens.
It just happens. All my pregnancies were different. My first I had twins at 32 weeks, my water broke. My second i kept going into early labor i was dialated at a 4 for weeks before i had him. My 3rd was gradual contractions that got stronger
It just kind of happens. I knew it would be soon, but I was in my last week’s/late so that was a given. With my first I was having a horrible time walking because he was so far down that it felt like he was going to just fall out of my vjj at any moment for the last week. Had some nooky and Chinese food and went to bed and then woke up a few hours later in full blown labor with contractions at 3 minutes apart and a bloody show. Water broke at the hospital while I was checking in.
My third I was working the closing shift and I told my employee “man I might not be here tomorrow because these contractions are more intense then usual.” Because they were irregular and I would have them every night but these just gave me a different feeling. I went home at 4am had some nooky thinking it might help it keep going and woke up at 8am in simi-labor. It still wasn’t consistent or close together but it was very painful. By 10am I was on my way to the hospital. Water broke in the waiting room again.