Pregnancy is a beautiful period in every woman’s life, with an even more beautiful finale. Many mothers worry that they will not be aware that labor has started if they have never given birth. Don’t worry – it’s usually hard to miss! The imminent arrival of your little one into the world heralds a few signs that you can pick up on your own.
- Lowering of the belly – a few weeks before delivery, especially in the case of the first pregnancy, the belly drops lower. This is because the baby assumes a more comfortable position that will make it easier for him to come into the world. This has its good and bad side – it is easier for the expectant mother to breathe, but at the same time she may feel much more pressure on the bladder and urinate more often. With subsequent pregnancies, this symptom may disappear, which is why it is primarily attributed to the first birth.
- Expulsion of the mucus plug – this is a kind of plug that closes the cervix. It is removed by expelling it. This sometimes happens only during labour, but it can also happen as early as two weeks before. The mucus plug is a watery or jelly-like consistency and may be dark red, pink or brown in color. Sometimes it goes away in a few days, other times in a day, depending on the organism.
- Breakage of the amniotic fluid – most often the amniotic fluid leaks slowly, not as suddenly and spectacularly as in the movies (although it also happens). They may go away a few hours before birth, and sometimes not at all, and then it is necessary to pierce the amniotic sac. Their color is important: straw or transparent is appropriate, and greenish means danger, so in the latter case you should go to the hospital as soon as possible.
- Change in well-being – depending on the body and psyche, a woman feels nervous, anxious or, on the contrary, extremely relaxed. Mood swings can be a sign that labor is imminent. Sometimes there are also appetite attacks, because the body stores energy in connection with the effort ahead.
- Diarrhea – also diarrhea can mean the birth of a baby. The bowels empty so that the baby can come out more easily.
- Cervical dilation – Many days before delivery, the cervix shortens and gradually dilates. 7-10 cm is considered to be fully dilated for delivery. Each woman’s cervical dilatation rate is different, so it’s not worth comparing yourself to other moms.
- Regular contractions – which is actually a symptom that gives you almost one hundred percent certainty that it’s already there. This happens if they occur every 5-10 minutes and last from 30 to 75 seconds. The problem is that contractions often start a few days before labour, but they are only predictive contractions. Many women mistake them for the moment of delivery, although they are only training the muscles of the uterus. True labor contractions, however, cannot be confused with something else, so with subsequent pregnancies, the right moment will be more obvious.