If your waters didn't break?

If your waters didn't break, how did you know it was "time"?

Everyone says "oh you will know" but I know of a few examples of close relatives/friends who didn't know they were in labor until they went to their weekly checkup and the Dr said "why aren't you in L&D? this baby is coming soon"..

When my contractions were coming 5-7 minutes apart.
I went to L&D and was 4 cm. I had a doctor appointment the morning of the day I had my son.

I'm no help. My water broke at the grocery store lol. But I've also wondered how you know if they don't break.

regular contractions with both of mine, i went to hospital after 14 hours with my little girl and was 2cm, but quickly progressed from there and they broke my waters at 9cm, with my little boy i went in 6 hours after my contractions started and was 5 cm he was born 2 hours later, cant remember what happened with my waters xx

With my first i just felt different that morning. I told my mom it felt like ds was doing flips or something. I was supposed to go to the dr that afternoon but we called & got seen at 9am instead. I had dilated another cm & was told i was in labor. They sent me to the mall. Lol.

When the baby bungee jumps out.

But seriously, I had contractions. With DD, they got closer together so I went in. With DSs, I had pre-term contractions so I went in.

Oops double post

I guess I'm just so nervous on not knowing! because I've been having regular contractions for weeks now, and just the past two they have been painful and regular, but not 5 mins apart unless I do alot of physical activity. So I REALLY hope my water breaks..

They didn't check for dilation at my last visit, like they normally do?, so I've been dying to know if I've made any change D:

Regular contractions every 5 minutes getting more painful. After 4.5 hours I had enough, went to the hospital, was 3.5cm..got my epidural and the rest is history  

When I realized that my 3 minute apart contractions weren't going anywhere. I tried waking Hubby up when I'd been having them for an hour but that didn't work so I got up and walked around until it started getting really hard to and was finally able to get his butt out of bed!! Lol I was about 2cm when we finally got to the hospital. They broke my water at 5...

I had hard contractions at 3 minutes apart. I didn't lose my bloody mucous plug till I was in the hospital either. It's unmistakeable, you'll know the difference between BH and true contractions

With my son I had lost my mucous plug and barely realized it but i had been having contractions for a few days i was 80% effaced at my doc app a few days before... I mostly stayed home because they kept sending me back because my contractions weren't hard enough to make me dilate but I went to Walmart to do a little baby shopping and with every contraction i cringed.. When I finally went back to the hospital it was because I was walking up and down the stairs and couldn't bear the pain anymore.. When I got to the hospital I was 6cm dilated and 100% effaced about 3 mins later i felt the pop and i was ready to go lol they didn't break my water until I was ready to push!

I didn't know I was in labor and got to the hospital at 8cm dilated and even then they had to break my water.

I have been wondering the exact same thing. Idk how to time contractions. Especially the ones I get in my back that don't really go anywhere.

I was scheduled to go in to be induced the day of my due date. It was less of an "induction" and more of a push, because at my appointment the day prior, my doctor said if you don't go into labor on your own we'll just give you the push. I was 2cm and 90% effaced at the appointment.

330am the next day, I started getting pains coming 7-12 minutes apart. That lasted ALL. DAY. LONG. I was ignorant and never realized they were contractions. I figured they were just pains of my body stretching and getting ready to have a baby...

I get to the hospital and they're like "uh do you realize you've been in labor all day?" Uhhh no? LOL. I was 4.5cm and 100% when I got there   haha. They had to break my water. Honestly, if I didn't know I would already be going to the hospital at 8pm that night, I'd have gone in earlier just because it hurt. Haha