Start of labor.?

im gonna be 36 weeks on friday...i was in the hospital this past sunday for contractions and they were monitoring me ..i started again with the menstrual cramps in the lower part of my stomach this afternoon.and then the tightness everytime the cramping comes..i know its not braxton hicks just due to the fact when they hooked me to the monitor she told me they were real contractions...my cervix wasnt open at the time she examined me ..but after she did i lost my mucus plug..and told me it could be the begining of labor and might take be another week or two till i go into full labor....are there any other signs i should look for ..other than the cramping..and i know the water breaking..>my husband is afraid to have intercourse b.c of me might be going into labor..b.c of the ob nurse told us the white males dont do good in the nicu..so we are kinda paranoid..thanks for reading my long question.. ;)

the baby is also not as active as he normally is..

You might be in early labor. You'll know you are in active labor when the contractions get to the point that if you were crossing the street, you'd have to stop because of the pain. If you can talk through them and carry on with what you are doing, then you're probably not in active labor. But it sounds like it will be soon. Don't be surprised if they stop and start for a while. Just keep timing them. Also, you might want to avoid intercourse as semen can help to ripen your cervix and since you aren't full term yet I would wait until you're 37wks. "Sexual intercourse helps ripen the cervix as prostaglandin-rich semen bathes the cervix, thereby breaking down cervix collagen. In addition, orgasm causes uterine contractions."(http://www.childbirthsolu... Try to relax and not get too stressed out. If you are going into labor soon just trust your body and you will know when it is getting close. Hope this helps!

I just had the exzact samething happen to me yesturday and i am also 37 weeks :),, it was hard to tell even after 2 of my older children being natural that i was in labor, i thought i had gas. They told me after stopping labor and sending me home to watch for red pink blood , water breaking or the same discomfort and contractions as i had just had. As far as the sex i myself would be nervous to if Doc told me the same thing., but if you want to induce labor then try it LOL. Good luck on baby!

its sounds like it wont be long. usually when the baby slows(along w/all the rest goin on) he/she is in position. Good luck and may God bless you and your family with a healthy baby! (and easy labor鈽?

If you haven't already, go to the hospital now. It certainly sounds like you are in labour. Time your contractions and see if they are close together. The nurse sounds like she was sorta crazy!!!

this same thing happend to me at 36 weeks of pregnancy. they monitored me and i was sent home i was not dilated or anything either. i got the same cramps and tightnings. the doctor told me that they were braxton hicks bcuz they are very similar to contractions. i lost my mucous plug around this time too and was waiting for the final sign. By my 37th week, i woke up wet, not knowing if it was pee or my water broke, i went to the bathroom and there was what they call "bloody show" where theres a little bit of blood and also the water wouldnt stop coming so then i knew i was going into labor. The day before this happend I had gone out with friends to eat lunch, and that whole day I felt extremely exhausted as well as really sick from my stomach. I went to sleep with lower back pain similar to period back pain, and a bad stomach ache which i thought was because of something i ate. Little did we know our baby was ready to come out! You should also know that having intercourse past this 36th week can induce your labor which means it can make it come faster, it happend to me. You & your hubby will do fine and when the time does come you will know! However, dont be embarrassed if its a false alarm, I was sent home 2 times weeks earlier before she was ready. GOOD LUCK!!!

I went to the doctor the day before and was told I has at least 2 weeks left.....When I was in labor (at home and didnt know it, was my first child)...I thought I had the flu.... since about noon one day.... I was cramping, vomiting and very tired.....Then after about 5 hour of that gradually getting worse I starting to vomiting the bile in your stomach and bleed when I went to bathroom...and then I knew it was time....Checked in the hospital at 6:00pm and my daughter was born at 6:14pm.....We were very luck we made it to the hospital...so dont wait to long......

Most doctors will tell you that your baby will slow down it's movement right before you go into labor. So I wouldn't worry about that. They are at their full weight and size so they have little room to move around.
Also, most OB's consider any pregnancy going over 36 weeks to be pretty much full term. If you are going to be 36 weeks on Friday, then I wouldn't worry too much about your son being in any kind of trouble.
I lost my mucus plug 2 weeks before my son was born and I was even dialated for 8 days before I went into full labor.
Try not to stress out too much because worrying can make your body do strange things like go into labor.
If you husband is worried about having sex because he doesn't want to cause premature labor, then just abstain for a couple weeks. If you can get to 38 weeks, then feel free to do whatever you want to bring on the labor.
Good luck

Real labour starts when the contractions are coming at regular intervals and they are getting closer together over time. Also, you know it's real labour when you can't speak through the contractions - screaming or moaning is the only sound you can make. The midwives at my antenatal classes told me this last year. Trust me - you'll know when it's really happening.