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Any lady “in position” (especially primiparous) wants to know: what are the signs of the onset of labor? With an increase in the gestational age, the expectant mother is more and more attentive to all the changes taking place in her body in order to understand in time that the birth has already begun and it was time to get ready for the hospital.
Not so frequent cases in obstetric practice, when labor activity begins to develop suddenly. Basically, a pregnant woman one way or another notices the occurrence of some signs that signal the imminent approach of childbirth.
10 Back pain
Periodic pain in the lumbar region is a traditional sign of the onset of the birth process. Usually, this symptom indicates the onset of contractions, the pain of which may radiate to the back. Many women note that they experienced similar pain at the beginning of the menstrual cycle. This symptom may appear a couple of days before the onset of active labor.
It should also be noted that aching pain in the lumbar spine may indicate that the child has taken the wrong position.
9. Outflow of waters
The discharge of amniotic fluid is one of the most obvious signs of the onset of active labor. After the rupture of the fetal bladder, childbirth will begin no later than a day later. Amniotic fluid can pour out at once, or it can leak in small portions throughout the first stage of labor.
One way or another, when the water is poured out, you need to immediately go to the hospital, because now labor cannot be stopped.
If the amniotic fluid comes out gradually, then the woman in labor has a few more hours at her disposal, but it must be borne in mind that normally the so-called anhydrous period should not last more than 12 hours. Otherwise, there will be a threat of birth complications in the child and infection of the birth canal .
8. Change in fetal activity
Each attentive expectant mother, by the final stage of pregnancy, already has time to more or less study the nature of the movements of the fetus. Therefore, when a woman who is “on demolition” notices some change in the behavior of her baby, it usually means that her body is preparing for childbirth.
7. Contractions
Contractions are periodic contractions of the muscular wall of the uterus, which are aimed at opening the cervix. This happens in order to ensure the smooth passage of the fetus through the birth canal. This is the meaning of the first stage of labor – normally, it should end with a full opening of the cervix, which is 10 cm.
True contractions are periodic in nature, accompanied by strong pulling pain in the abdomen. The frequency of their appearance depends on the degree of opening of the neck. The farther, the stronger and longer they become, and the less the pauses between them become.
6. Removal of the mucous plug
The cervical canal is a cavity inside the cervix that connects the uterus and vagina. When pregnancy occurs, it is filled with the so-called mucous plug, the purpose of which is to protect the fetus from infections penetrating there along the ascending path.
A mucous plug can stand out 2-3 days before the onset of labor or already during contractions: this season, the expectant mother will see abundant discharge on her underwear of an unusually viscous consistency of a transparent, whitish or pale pinkish color with small bloody streaks.
5. Nesting syndrome and unexpected mood swings
This sign of the imminent onset of labor is considered conditional rather than objective. It is considered one of the earliest harbingers of childbirth, as it develops a few weeks before “day X”.
A similar syndrome is manifested by the fact that a pregnant woman begins to feel a craving for arranging her family nest: she buys things for the future baby with the passion of a shopaholic, cleans the house around the clock, rearranges, etc.
At the same time, the expectant mother herself and her loved ones will be able to notice the appearance of sharp mood swings – from euphoria to a depressed and depressed state of mind. The cause of such reactions are various kinds of hormonal changes characteristic of the body of a pregnant woman.
4. Frequent urination and bowel movements
First of all, frequent diuresis and bowel movements in the last weeks of pregnancy are associated with increased pressure on the bladder and intestines of a woman. In addition, shortly before delivery, a special type of hormones, prostaglandins, begins to be actively produced in her body, the action of which is aimed at relaxing the cervix and increasing intestinal motility. Because of this, expectant mothers may think that they are poisoned by something and their frequent stools are nothing more than diarrhea.
This harbinger usually appears a few days before the onset of active labor.
3. Abdominal prolapse
A couple of weeks before the birth, the mother-to-be may notice that her belly has sagged. This is due to the fact that the fetus most “comfortably” tries to settle down relative to the entrance to the small pelvis. Thanks to this, the expectant mother may notice that her breathing is easier, heartburn attacks have disappeared or have decreased.
However, the prolapse of the abdomen causes an increase in pressure on the bladder. Because of this, there is an increased diuresis, in addition, it becomes more difficult for a pregnant woman to walk.
2. Change in appetite and weight loss
Most women complain that with the onset of pregnancy, they periodically have some kind of problem with eating. In the early stages of gestation, this may be due to toxicosis, and then the woman may feel disgusted with the very process of eating due to constant bouts of nausea.
There is a reverse situation – when the expectant mother discovers in herself an unprecedented appetite, due to which she begins to gain weight very quickly.
However, a decrease in interest in food in the last weeks of pregnancy is a harbinger of approaching childbirth. Also, a woman can lose a couple of kilograms – this is due to increased removal of fluid from the body and a decrease in edema (this is how preparation for labor occurs).
1. soft neck
This sign of an imminent onset of childbirth can only be determined by an obstetrician-gynecologist during an intravaginal examination. A similar change in the structure of the uterus occurs due to an increase in the concentration of estrogens and prostaglandins in the blood of a pregnant woman, which leads to a softening of the cervix.