Signs of labor and delivery are different in every woman, some feel very distinct signs and others do not.
These are few of the signs:
- Lightening – A few weeks or just a few hours before labor, the baby is lowering into the woman’s pelvis and because the uterus rests on the bladder, a woman needs to urinate more frequently.
- Passing of the mucus plug – It has a purpose of sealing the cervix during pregnancy to prevent enter of bacteria in the uterus and it is clear, but at the end of a pregnancy the cervix starts to open and the mucus can be pink or slightly bloody.
- Contractions – Muscles of woman’s uterus start to contract and relax and each woman feels contractions different: some women feel them strong like usual menstrual cramps and some women even stronger. There are two kinds of contractions: true and false also called Braxton Hicks contraction.
The difference is:
- True contracts come at regular intervals and with time they get closer and stronger, they start in the lower back and move to the front of the abdomen, and they continue despite moving or changing position
- False contracts are not irregular, sometimes at first they are strong but they are getting weaker, usually are felt in the pelvic region and they can stop is woman walk, rest or change position
When woman think she is in true labor, she must start to write down the time of each contraction. At first, contractions, will last 60 to 90 seconds and they will be 15 to 20 minutes apart but later the interval between contracts will be only 3 to 4 minutes. Women should not immediately go to the hospital. She can try to relax at home by walking, taking a warm shower or just relaxing and storing energy for active labor. If the amniotic membrane with the fluid that was surrounding the baby during pregnancy ruptures, women will feel a sudden gush of fluid. She must also write down the exact time as this occurs and call her health care provider. Also, she must immediately call if she is bleeding, if she feels that baby is moving less than normal and when the contractions become very uncomfortable.
Women should not immediately go to the hospital. She can try to relax at home by walking, taking a warm shower or just relaxing and storing energy for active labor. If the amniotic membrane with the fluid that was surrounding the baby during pregnancy ruptures, women will feel a sudden gush of fluid. She must also write down the exact time as this occurs and call her health care provider. Also, she must immediately call if she is bleeding, if she feels that baby is moving less than normal and when the contractions become very uncomfortable.
She must also write down the exact time as this occurs and call her health care provider. Also, she must immediately call if she is bleeding, if she feels that baby is moving less than normal and when the contractions become very uncomfortable.
During contractions, the cervix will be more short and thin and this is called effacement and it is measured in percentages from 0% to 100% when the cervix is completely thinned out. Also, the cervix is stretching and opening. This is called dilation, it is measured in centimeters and it is completed when dilation is 10 centimeters so a delivery can begin.
Also, the cervix is stretching and opening. This is called dilation, it is measured in centimeters and it is completed when dilation is 10 centimeters so a delivery can begin.
