I am currently 38w and 1cm dilated, 75% effaced, and have been hearing online that that doesnt really mean anything. Though, my friends and family seem to think that its a good sign my baby will come soon. So, I just wanted to make a poll to see what everyone's previous experiences were as far as how and when labor started for them in a poll to really see what might be more frequent for a first time.

If you've had more than one, lets just go with your first child, unless you think that there were different circumstances and your second makes more sense for this. If you aren't sure if it was slow or sudden, just go with how you feel it started. My thinking is:
Sudden - labor starting naturally with no cervix progression, or very little in the weeks leading up (aka, you stayed the same for a long time and then labor just started). You were more surprised by the onset of labor, than you expecting it.
Slowly - you progressively became more dilated and/or effaced over the weeks leading up. maybe labor started and then stopped right before. You were more expecting labor to happen when it did, than you were surprised.

I know this is vague, but it's just for fun! choose what you think best describes your experience.

I WISH it meant something, lol. I'm 5.5 cm dilated, 90% effaced and I'm not even getting BH contractions.
With my first two I went into preterm labor very suddenly and progressed very quickly.

1st child- completely closed cervix, etc at 39w... back labor began at 39w4d and I had him 28 hours later via emergency c-section.

You're right though about what you read online... those numbers could mean absolutely nothing. ..

I was induced at 39 weeks.

I wish I would have educated myself further and just waited it out.

I was 1 cm and 60 percent effaced for three weeks.

I have said suddenly but thats only.coz my waters broke. I was 40+6 and had no.contractions after they broke until.I insisted they check me 26 hours later. I ended up going half myself but the.second half i had to go on a drip to speed me along. Had him 29 hours after my waters wentx

Quoting T + T = A S G ♥:" I WISH it meant something, lol. I'm 5.5 cm dilated, 90% effaced and I'm not even getting BH contractions. With my first two I went into preterm labor very suddenly and progressed very quickly."

Holy poop... if you move wrong, that baby is gonna fall right out...    

With my first I was completly closed and hard the morning of the day I delivered him, 7.5 hours after I was checked that morning I got up to go get some tea and my water broke, contractions started immediately afterward and he was born less than 3 hours later, I think that qualifies as sudden, lol

<blockquote><b>Quoting tinana +2:</b>" Holy poop... if you move wrong, that baby is gonna fall right out...    "</blockquote>


Hahahha just got a mental image then!  

With my first I had no BH, was not dilated at all, only about 50% effaced, and 10 days overdue when my water broke out of nowhere and I was immediately in labor and had him 7 1/2 hours later.

With my first it was slow. My membrane broke at 3 am and i was ddilated to 3, then they had to break my water at 9 am and she still wasn't born until after 11 pm.

Quoting PHEONYX:" With my first it was slow. My membrane broke at 3 am and i was ddilated to 3, then they had to break my water at 9 am and she still wasn't born until after 11 pm."

your memebranes ARE your waters, how does it break at 3 and then again at 9?

<blockquote><b>Quoting tinana +2:</b>" Holy poop... if you move wrong, that baby is gonna fall right out...    "</blockquote>




Right?! I have two toddlers to attend to, too, lol. Smurf everything.

<blockquote><b>Quoting A, E & W's mommy:</b>" your memebranes ARE your waters, how does it break at 3 and then again at 9?"</blockquote>


Her back waters may have gone? Ive heard of one that happening oftenx

Quoting Pinkpenguin88:" <blockquote><b>Quoting A, E & W's mommy:</b>" your memebranes ARE your waters, how ... [snip!] ... it break at 3 and then again at 9?"</blockquote> Her back waters may have gone? Ive heard of one that happening oftenx"

hind waters is a theory only believed in by some practitioners, other doctors say that it's just that your water ruptures on the side or top and then the weight of the baby on the sac effectively plug the hole at the cervix causing a secondary bulge. But I could see if the pressure resealed it and then it was nicked at the bottom to release the pressure. It just seems odd to me that you wouldn't know enough about pregnancy to know that the membrane is what hold the water in.

I dont know honestly. I had a huge gush at 3 went to tthe hospital and didn't have anymore leaking or anything and they told me it was my membrane. Then my doc came in at 9 and told me they had to break my water and then up he went with the hook.