First labour experience & now second pregnancy symptoms. Is labour close?

[cheyenneterry]

With my firstborn i was induced with the propess on my due date at around midday due to previous stillbirth. Nice easy contractions started a few hours later but nothing too painful. Spent the day walking around and bouncing on a birth ball and Partner left the hospital around 9pm. Around midnight i was woken with a sudden pop and gush of warm water. Midwife said that the water was tinged black because baby had passed a bowel movement. After the water brone thats when the contractions really started. I was taken down to a labour room and given gas and air, even though the contractions were strong, painful and in my back the gas and air really helped. I can't remember much about the dilating but I remember the midwife telling me not to push yet but my body was controlling itself and i started to push on contraction not being able to control it. She checked again and said she could see the baby's head telling me to push on the next contraction. After a few failed pushes i was told the cord was wrapped around his body and when i was contracting it was squeezing him, they had to attach clips to the baby's head to monitor his heart rate (ouch, that was painful even with gas and air) i was then told if i don't get him out within 5 minutes i would be taken down for an emergency c-section. 2 more painful pushes and my little boy was here at 4:30am 7lb 9ounces. I had a small tear but no thankfully stitches and through the whole experience this was most painful part. Contractions were bareable compared to the actual pushing. So an unpainful steady 12 hour labour with only 4 hours of active painful labour. I found it a pretty nice experience compared to some.

Now 37+2 weeks with my second little boy i am again being induced on my due date but this time feel extremely nervous in case i don't last that long. I had no noticable labour signs with my first so i think i would have went past my due date if not for the induction. Last week at my midwife appointment she said baby was 3/5ths engaged and for little over a week every morning and sometimes throughout the day i've had a lot of clear watery snot like discharge. The past few days ive had more frequent loose bowel movements, on a rare occasion cramping and braxton hicks which i never experienced before but definately remind me of contractions just a weaker version. I havent got another antenatal appointment until next week so would be great to hear your thoughts. What were your symptoms leading up to your labours and could i be coming close?

[Muminspire1]

I think that you are very close. Emptying your bowels is your body's way of preparing for labour. Anything that stimulates the bowels also stimulated the uterus. It is one of the first signs that labour is eminent. I have had that for all my babies. All the best

[Steffi_27]

Everything you describe is normal for third trimester as your body prepares itself for labour. There is no way of being able to tell how long till labour begins as its common to experience these a few weeks before labour begins or a few hours. Leach woman's experience is different so it's hard to gage.

Also, as its not your first pregnancy babies head may not engage properly until the very end as they are able to bob in and out.

On a positive note, because it's not you're first things can change very quickly

Good luck Hun xx