How will I know??

just follow your instincts, i am sure it ill al work out wonderfully,i cant wait to hear your story now... i love the stories where the women get to the hospital to late for pitocin or epidurals, they always seem to be happier in the end and i am guessing that the full flow of oxytocin may have something to do with i, and i am sure the feel that awesome natural drug for weeks after too. my husband wasn't able to make it to my dd's birth,but the whole time he sort of left it up to me anyway, i think you need to go over your birth plans with your hubby and be stern so he will understand how important this is for you; that way he will fearlessly intervene if he has to, and perhaps you should type up your plan on paper and have your dr sign it and make copies for every one in the room too... i mean if you dont trust your dr you should take the extra precautions, and remember this is all about you and your baby every one else comes second.

Best of luck and hope everything goes well. Its one of those... you'll just know moments. Although I have to say with my first I was a little in denial. I was 35 weeks. A few days leading up to it I had lower back pain and really thought I was constipated. Everyone kept telling me I wasn't going to term... yeah right was my thought. My water broke and I thought I peed my pants because I had the sudden urge to go to the bathroom. We had a small couch and hardwood floors back home and DH pushed it out of the way quickly. Mine were gushes. And constant gushes all the way to the hospital. Pains started later. Second one I was prepared at 35. Had the sudden urge to go to the bathroom but this time my water really didn't break, but was bleeding. My placenta had torn away some. Labor pains started a lot earlier that time.

And to be honest I don't have a huge amount of faith in my current doc to support me through a very natural, drug free birth. She is very pro c-section and have a very big niggly feeling she will say I have to have a c-section when its too late for me to get a second opinion(like when I'm already in labour and she says something is wrong, we cant really argue with her at that point). This is why I was asking the question so hopefully I will know when I'm in labour so I can try and stay away from the hospital for as long as possible! Don't let her scare you. Or rather, don't let her scare your husband. We're so strong and yet so vulnerable during labour and I do feel that some "professionals" here prey on this and go on to disregard our choices and steam-roll their own opinions over ours, using "danger" to strike fear into our husbands (if they're present) and get them to agree, because they, bless them, are often beside themselves with worry about what we're going through and only want the best for us. It's hugely unethical, imo. Informing ourselves is the key to remaining in control of our birth experience, and part of that is to have a well-informed birth partner.

I woke in the middle of the night with a period like cramp and the runs, thought nothing of it and went back to sleep. Mentioned it to DH in the morn and said not to worry as we had a doctors appt at 10am. At appt, doc checked me and told me i was starting to dilate but could be days yet. At 11am i had my first contraction, at 2pm couldn't stand up due to very strong contractions every few seconds but not consistent, some lasted a few seconds and others lasting longer. My DD was born not long afterwards. I had no bllody show, waters broke whilst being checked at the hospital. I told my Doctor in front of witnesses that i wanted a natural birth unless either of us was in mortal danger, don't be rail roaded into something you don't want or need. Tell you Dh what your wishes are and inform doc all descions have to go by him first. Good luck, i enjoyed this magical experience and im sure you will too.

birth is so interesting looking back on it, i get the warm fuzzies, even though i didnt feel that way, soo cool HAK, i went back to the states to have a home birth too, i love to hear stories, and meet moms who went through that wonderful experience... I got the warm fuzzies even whilst in labour, but I'm just strange that way. I was just so excited! Novice - never heard anyone explain it that way, but then again, everyone is different - we work differently and experience things differently. I can't really remember the first phase contractions, apart from the fact they were all in my tummy - no back or leg pain, so it was very clear what was happening. I vaguely remember my hips aching too, probably as they were widening, but I'd been suffering from hip pain anyway - labour itself wasn't a patch on that! My waters only broke (naturally) on the second to last push with my son, so most of the pushing literally felt as if I was pushing all my innards out - I got DH to support the bottom on my bump because I was worried it actually would!

I think when you really NEED to know you're in labour, you will just KNOW. I was 5 days overdue (with threat of induction looming), there was a tiny bit of blood and some period like cramps, I went to the hospital for a sweep (requested by me) and was shocked to be told I was 3 cm and contracting and midwife wanted to admit me to hospital as I was in labour! I wasn't convinced and insisted on going home (thank goodness my doctor let me go), an hour later while standing in the mineral water isle in Spinneys I started getting shoots of pain up my bum, managed to get through the checkout with a straight face but just!!! Not what I expected at all but that is how labour felt for me for the next 9 hours, shooting gas-like pain up the bum, ouch! Have never heard anyone else describe it that way, find it a bit embarassing! Wanted to stay home as long as possible (prefer leaning over own sofa and swearing at own DH, rather than white hospital room & needles) and turned up at hospital at 7cm, just knew at that point I couldn't wait at home much longer, baby born just under 2 hours later. Was waiting for water to break but it never happened & had to be broken by the midwife minutes before baby arrived. So, my conclusion is, that there don't seem to be one size fits all criteria to look out for. In fact, only one year on and thinking of having a second baby, I still wonder how you are meant to know you are in early labour? And how to know for sure when it's time to get to hospital (We were timing my contractions but they didn't follow the generally accepted rules...)? Hehe. Worst case scenario, if you really don't know you're in labour, you might just get to hospital a bit later, but that's not such a bad thing, especially if you are hoping for an all natural birth (it was too late for me to get an epidural, which I was grateful for). I think it's actually quite rare for the baby to arrive in a taxi or hotel lobby or something (erm... hope I'm not wrong?) Good luck :)

birth is so interesting looking back on it, i get the warm fuzzies, even though i didnt feel that way, soo cool HAK, i went back to the states to have a home birth too, i love to hear stories, and meet moms who went through that wonderful experience...

NO, I went back to the UK for my home-birth - they're pretty much illegal here, sadly. I had my first sweep at 40+2 (I think) and my second at 40+8... I am absolutely certain that here in Dubai, they would have never let me go overdue and would have been telling me that I was to have a worryingly big baby at 37 weeks!

when my water broke i thought i was peeing in my pants, lol yhen the contractions started easing in i was still able to back to sleep i knew i was in full term labor when i couldnt just fall asleep any more, the contractions were closer together and felt the pain around my waist like a belt, coming and going in waves, then i knew i wasn't in a dream, and for sure those weren't braxton hicks, i couldn't even think straight, everyone told me to try and eat, and the thought of even that confused me. all i wanted to do was put my head against a wall or on the bed.. if the pain is really bad, even for braxton hicks, i suggest getting in the shower and letting the warm water hit your lower back, that was the best part of my labor!

for me, 1st time around, it was when my waters broke and then noticeable waves of contractions happened afterwards. 2nd time around, I felt the drop - very weird! I had just had a sweep and was walking out of the hospital when - oops, yup, not going to walk any further, lest he drop out! Got home and the contractions started (I was having a home birth, hence why I was heading *away* from the hospital!)