You have a vague account on when is the exact date your baby is to arrive but you can watch out for different signs of labor for you to be ready.
Becoming a mother is an experience like no other. As the nine months of conceiving your child, you have that mindful thought that your baby will be out in some time. You watch for every sign that might tell you that labor is at hand. You get excited for that day to come that you may see the angel you have been carrying in your stomach for nine months. You have a vague account on when is the exact date your baby is to arrive but you can watch out for different signs of labor for you to be ready.
The intensity and frequency of contractions increases
Contractions are common signs of labor. This commonly happens during the final part of pregnancy. These are called Braxton-Hicks contractions and are not real signs of labor. These are typically not painful and these will does not thin or dilate your cervix.
However, some mistook some common contractions to be a sign of labor. It is a fake labor if the contractions stop in a change in position. You will know that the contractions are heading for a true labor is when the contractions increases its frequency and intensity. Contractions may start with 15 minutes interval then it decreases to ten just in an hour. Do not wait for the contractions to be five minutes apart because you might deliver your baby in the car.
Backache
Backache may come and go and may be a sign that labor is at hand. This is usually due to the contractions you are feeling in your back. You may experience back labor which is mainly caused by your baby’s position. This happens when your backache becomes changing or constant.
Your water breaks
Your baby has been floating in a bag of water called amniotic sac during your pregnancy. The amniotic sac is the one that serves as protection for your baby from the bacteria coming from the outside. When your water breaks, it is definitely a sign that you will undergo labor soon. Most women experiences regular contractions prior to the breaking of the water, however, there are times that the membrane ruptures first.
The water may leak in a slow trickle or it may come with a huge gush. If you have the fear that you may experience that huge gush, there is no need to worry. One out of ten of pregnant women experience that flow. You should begin to feel contractions before or after your water break because if you don’t you will be required to be induced since the baby will be prone to acquire infections from harmful bacteria because there is no more amniotic sac fluid to protect him. Probably, you will start labor within 12 to 24 hours when the amniotic sac breaks.
Your cervix begins to ripen
The contractions may do the initial job of thinning, softening, and opening the cervix a little bit in days and even weeks prior to delivery. If you have given birth before, the cervix may probably dilate a centimeter or two just before labor starts. However, bear in mind that even when you were 40 weeks pregnant with your first child and one centimeter has dilated, there is no assurance that labor will come immediately. Your doctor may perform a vaginal exam during your prenatal visit to see if your cervix began changing when you are at your due date or near it.
Bloody Show
Another thing that protects the baby from bacteria during pregnancy is a mucus plug. This looks like normal mucus from your nose that can be found in your cervix that prevents bacteria from entering the uterus. If you are in your last stage of pregnancy, the mucus plug will be pushed down as a result of the effacing, thinning and dilating of the cervix.
The cervix will dilate and thin over a number of days, thus there is an increase of discharge of mucus little every day. It may also happen in just a day in which the mucus plug comes as a glob, often marked with blood. The mucus discharges may be tinged with pink, brown, or red blood which is where the name bloody show came from. When there is an increased bloody show, this does not mean that you will deliver your baby any minute but it is a sign that you will labor soon. Nevertheless, a vaginal exam or having sex may as well disturb the mucus plug that causes some blood-tinged discharges. This can be a false sign of labor if labor is still not to start in days. Call your doctor immediately if you are experiencing heavy bleeding.
Diarrhea
One of the signs of labor is when you experience diarrhea or loose stools. This is primarily caused by the release of prostaglandins as labor approaches. Expect labor in hours or in a day.
Engagement
A few weeks before labor starts, you may feel what is called as lightening. This occurs when the baby drops or sinks into your pelvis which is called engagement. When this happens, you may find some heaviness in your pelvis and detect lesser pressure just under your ribcage that makes you easier to breathe but hard to walk.