true labor, pre-labor contractions, round ligament pain, and all sorts of other pains and cramps, you may be wondering if this is the "real" thing.
Below is a list of signs that labor is approaching.
You may not experience all of these symptoms or be aware of them.
Lightening- As you approach your due date, you may notice that your baby has "dropped" lower into your pelvis. You will feel lighter and it will be easier for you to breathe. At the same time you may feel the urge to go to the restroom more since the baby is now adding pressure to your bladder. Lightening can take place a few weeks before delivery or just before.
Effacement - The softening and thinning of your cervix is called effacement. Your cervix is approximately 1 inch thick during pregnancy. You will not notice when this occurs. Your ob/gyn will do an internal exam to determine effacement. If you are 50% effaced, you cervix is half of its original thickness. If you are 100% effaced, your cervix is completely thinned out. You may notice a mucous discharge when you are effacing.
Dilation - This is when the cervix opens to allow for the passage of your baby to be born. Your cervix dilation will be rated on a scale from 1 to 10 centimeters with 1 cm being the starting point and 10 cm being fully dilated. Typically with first pregnancies effacement begins before dilation. With subsequent pregnancies, the opposite can happen.
Bloody Show - There is a thick "plug' of mucous that closes your cervix during pregnancy. It protects bacteria from entering the uterus. As the cervix begins to thin and relax, the mucous plug will become dislodged.
This can happen in a few hours, over a few days, or even weeks. The mucous is thick, stringy, and (excuse the expression) snotty. The mucous can be clear, pink, or blood-tinged. Labor can be imminent or days away. Typically, you will have a light spotting if you are close to going into labor. However, if you start to bleed heavy at anytime, call your caregiver immediately.
Rupture Of Membranes - Sometimes the amniotic sac may break or leak before labor has begun. This results in the amniotic fluid coming out in a trickle or in a gush. This is popularly known as "your water breaking".
In most cases, however, only 10% of women have their water break before labor has begun. Discuss with your caregiver what to do in this instance.
Spurt Of Energy - You may wake up one day and decide to clean everything in site and get the nursery completely set up. This behavior is known as nesting. It is completely normal to act like this. It just means that your instincts have kicked in. Unfortunately, this does not mean that you will go into labor immediately. Though some women claim that they did feel like this the day before they went into labor. It's just a good day to clean out those closets and refrigerator.
Diarreha - Your birth hormones may cause cramping and loose stools. This is nature's way of emptying your bowels to make room for your baby's passage through the birth canal.
Contractions - You may feel your uterus tightening then relaxing in a contraction. Most often they are painless. As you become closer to your due date, these contractions may become more in frequency and even stronger and painful. This is your uterus getting ready for the big day. Listed below is how to tell if these contractions may be false labor contractions, Braxton-Hicks contractions, or the real thing.
Braxton-Hicks - These contractions usually start at the top of your abdomen and continue downward before relaxing. Braxton-Hicks are irregular and may last as long as 30 seconds. As you progress closer to your due date, they can become more intense. These contractions may feel like real labor and it is hard to differentiate between the two. If you are unsure, call your caregiver.
False Labor - Contractions that are irregular or that do not become stronger are false labor contractions. A good tip to try is taking a walk to see if the contractions grow in intensity and come more frequent.
Real Labor - If it's the real thing, the contractions will start at the top of your uterus and work its way down towards your abdomen and radiating to your back. However, not all women will have the pain both in the front of their uterus and in the back. Some only have one or the other. Just time the contractions and make note if they are getting stronger and closer together. Real labor contractions have a regular pattern and become stronger in intensity. A change in activity, whether laying down or becoming more active, will not stop real labor contractions.
Never feel embarrassed to call your caregiver if you have any questions. After all, this is YOUR baby and delivery.
