Signs of Labor

Six Signs that Labor is Within a Few Weeks or Days:

1. Lightening: You can breathe again! This is an indication that the baby has dropped, settling deeper into your pelvis and relieving some of the pressure on your diaphragm helping you to not be so short of breath. You may feel increased pressure on your bladder, meaning more trips to the bathroom. People may comment on your changed appearance even though you might not recognize the changes. The process of your baby settling or lowering into your pelvis just before labor is called lightening. Lightening can occur a few weeks or a few hours before labor. Because the uterus rests on the bladder more after lightening, you may feel the need to urinate more frequently.

2. Bloody show: Loss of mucus plug. During pregnancy, a thick plug of mucus protects the cervical opening from bacteria entering the uterus. When your cervix begins to thin and relax, this plug is expelled. Some women think the plug will look solid like a cork, but it is actually stringy mucus or discharge. It can be clear, pink or blood tinged and can appear minutes, hours or even days before the onset of labor. Not all women notice this sign. The mucus plug accumulates at the cervix during pregnancy. When the cervix begins to open wider, the mucus is discharged into the vagina and may be clear, pink, or slightly bloody. Labor may begin soon after the mucus plug is discharged or one to two weeks later.

3. Rupture of membranes: Your water breaks! Only 1 in 10 woman experience a dramatic gush of amniotic fluid. This event usually happens at home, often when you are in bed. Sometimes the amniotic sac breaks or leaks prior to labor and because your uterus is resting directly on top of your bladder, it can cause you to leak urine. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish the urine from amniotic fluid. If your membranes have ruptured and you are leaking amniotic fluid, it will be an odorless fluid. The discharge can be a sudden gush or a constant trickle. If you notice fluid leaking, you should try to determine if it smells like urine or if it is

odorless. If it does not seem to be urine, you should contact your health care provider. Until you see your physician or midwife do not use tampons, have sexual intercourse or do anything that would introduce bacteria into your vagina. Let your health care provider know if the fluid is anything other than clear and odorless, especially if it is green in color or foul smelling which can indicate the presence of infection.

4. Nesting: Spurt of energy. For most of your pregnancy you have probably been fighting the urge to take a nap, so you should easily recognize this symptom. A day will come when you will wake up feeling full of energy! You will be motivated to make lists of things to do, things to clean, things to buy, etc., and you will feel a sense of urgency about everything youve put off doing. Despite these urges, remem ber that Labor Day may be just around the corner, so try to conserve your energy.

5. Effacement: Thinning of the cervix. In the last month of pregnancy the cervix will begin to stretch and thin. This is an indication that the lower portion of the uterus is getting prepared for delivery because a thin cervix will allow the cervix to dilate more easily. During labor, your cervix gets shorter and thins out in order to stretch and open around your baby's head. The shortening and thinning of the cervix is called effacement. Your health care provider will be able to tell you if there are changes to the cervix during a pelvic exam. Effacement is measured in percentages from 0% to 100%. If there are no changes to the cervix, it is described as 0% effaced. When the cervix is half the normal thickness, it is 50% effaced. When the cervix is completely thinned out, it is 100% effaced.The stretching and opening of your cervix is called dilation and is measured in centimeters, with complete dilation being at 10 centimeters.Effacement and dilation are a direct result of effective uterine contractions. Progress in labor is measured by how much the cervix has opened and thinned to allow your baby to pass through the vagina.

6. Dilation: Opening of the cervix. Dilation is the process of the cervix opening in preparation for childbirth. Dilation is measured in centimeters or, less accurately, in fingers during an internal (manual) pelvic exam. Fully dilated means youre at 10 centimeters and are ready to give birth. Your health care provider can tell you how many centimeters your cervix has dilated.

Contraction Characteristics How often do the contractions occur?

False Labor Contractions are often irregular and do not get closer together.

True Labor Contractions come at regular intervals and last about 30-70 seconds. As time progresses, they get closer together. Contractions continue despite movement or changing positions.

Do they change with movement? How strong are they?

Contractions may stop when you walk or rest, or may even stop if you change positions.

Contractions are usually weak and Contractions steadily increase in do not get much stronger. Or they strength. may be strong at first and then get weaker. Contractions are usually only felt in Contractions usually start in the the front of the abdomen or pelvic lower back and move to the front of region. the abdomen.

Where do you feel the pain?