does labour ever happen with no "signs"?

I'm 40 weeks tomorrow and have absolutely no signs of baby coming. I have had the odd cramp in the last few weeks but nothing to write home about. No show, no loose bowel motions, no nothing.

Just wondering if anyone here has gone into labour without any pre labour signs (clutching at straws here as going slightly mad).

My mum had no signs - that she noticed, my dad just noticed she was slightly quieter than usual and realised she must be in labour (has 4 other babies to another woman) and by the time she got to hospital she was almost fully dilated, her waters broke there and it was time to push after 20 mins.

But she didn't notice contractions or anything. Though we both have high pain thresholds!

But agree with Hippy, depends what you classify signs as...

I didn't have any signs labour was about to start until my waters broke at 9 and then it was all on, although 4 hours before I had some thick snot but thought it was just like all the other discharge - nothing!

I didnt really have any signs of going into labour, with my first the first thing i knew i was in labour was my waters broke, had a huge show and contractions started within 30mins and were around 2.5mins apart, had her 3 hrs later.

With my second, again no prelabour, just started getting contractions around 2mins apart quite tame ones, went to hospital and was 4cm then was holding her 8mins later, all up an hour from that first weak contraction.

by signs I mean a show, cramps, loose bowel movements etc, the things they tell you to expect prior to going into labour.

With my second child I had none of the usual signs at all.
I was feeling tired and heavy the night before but that is not unusual at 39 weeks pregnant!
I had DS #1 the next night.

frankie wrote: by signs I mean a show, cramps, loose bowel movements etc, the things they tell you to expect prior to going into labour.

With my first, nope nothing,slight sore back but not anything unusual from all the way through pregnancy, then at lunchtime the day before she was born all of a sudden out of nowhere contractions hit

I had the following:

Loss of Mucous plug (10 days before I went into labour), loose bowel movements and the odd bit of cramping but nothing to make me think this was it, just the usual cramping you get during pregnancy.

Then at 38 weeks my waters broke spontaneously and contractions started 40 minutes later. Had my bloody show when I needed to start pushing. I only know because I saw it when I had the first urge to push as I was up walking to the shower.

I had nothing either, went to bed at around midnight, lay down and got a whopping big contraction, and then they just kept coming, didnt have a show till about an hour before T arrived, and waters didnt break until just before he came out (7 hours after that first contraction - so u might be lucky and get a quick labour )

I had no signs at all either, I had people asking when I was due one day and I was telling them in a couple of days but I didnt think he was any where near coming and I went into labour (contractions just started no show or waters breaking) at 2am the next morning ans had him at 2pm that day

bowie wrote: I have heard of people who get a checkup at a regular appointment and are revealed to be 4 or 5cm dialated already so i guess so!

I was actually one of those people -- I hadn't felt anything - went in for a check-up at 40+2, was already 3cm dilated. I got strapped to the machine and was apparently having contractions every 20 minutes, none of which I felt!

Labour "proper" started 4 days later, and only took 3 1/2 hours until transition, then an hour pushing.

I guess all the unfelt contractions had been working away for days!

Has your LMC hooked you up to one of those machines to see what's going on?