My story: the labor signs I ignored

In honor of my sons 2nd birthday this week I thought I would write a little bit about his crazy birth story, specifically the signs of labor with him. When I was in labor I was in complete denial. I didn’t want to be in labor. It was a day before his due date, and we were hoping he would be born late so my mom would be there. I really didn’t want it to be true but in the back of my mind, I knew it was true because of all the signs I was having. I want to walk you through the signs of labor I went through that you might overlook or may not even know those are the signs of labor progressing.

If you haven’t read Maddox’s birth story, I have it linked here. 

I started feeling pressure like contractions the morning of February 25th. It was really inconsistent so I brushed it off thinking it was Braxton Hicks contractions. It’s normal for that to happen and it can even last days. But one of the biggest signs I noticed was when I took a warm bath and the pressure didn’t lessen or slow down.

It’s a known fact that a warm bath during early labor can slow down labor. That’s why if you are planning on giving birth in a birthing tub your healthcare provider will tell you not to get in too early. Instead, they encourage you to take a warm shower. So when I noticed the bath wasn’t making a difference I knew that I was passed early labor. Still, I brushed it off.

Another sign of labor that I ignored was that I constantly needed to use the bathroom. Throughout the day I sipped on a fruit protein shake. I lost my appetite but knew I needed something in my system to keep up my strength just in case Maddox came early. Because protein is pretty heavy and my body was getting ready to push a baby out, my body was trying to get everything else out. Right before my water broke I went to the bathroom every few minutes. This is completely normal if you have been eating something heavy. When I noticed this sign I knew Maddox would be here soon. Still, I tried to stay positive and I convinced myself that I still had time.

The last sign that I completely ignored was how much my contractions were progressing. The contractions I had were very inconsistent the whole time. I would have a 3-second contraction, then 10 minutes later have a 10-second contraction. Then I would wait 15 minutes for the next one and it would last 5 seconds. But the pressure I was feeling got more and more intense. My body was transitioning into active labor and I was so focused on the timing I ignored the intensity.

I could have avoided giving birth in the car if I listened to my body and wasn’t so determined to have Maddox in March. Haha! If I had told my doula EVERYTHING I was feeling, Maddox would not have been born in the back seat of our car. I definitely learned my lesson. Learn from my mistake. Listen to your body and CALL your doula so they can walk you through everything. Don’t give birth in the car. It’s a cool birth story to tell but trust me it’s not ideal to actually live it!