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How to Know You Are Really in Labor! |
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by EmmaBella  (August 2006) (rank 500+) |
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Possible Signs (labor may still be days or weeks away):
- persistant nagging backache
- abdominal cramps
- nesting urge
- soft bowel movements
Preliminary Signs (labor may be hours or a couple days away):
- loss of mucus plug
- leaking of fluid from the vagina
- irregular contractions
- effacement & softening of the cervix determined by a vaginal exam
Positive Signs (labor has most likely begun):
- gush of fluid from the vagina
- bloody show (continued mucus, but in larger amounts and with more blood)
- contractions that are progressively LONGER, STRONGER, CLOSER TOGETHER
- dilation of cervix determined by a vaginal exam
What are real labor contractions like?
- Come in a regular pattern. They don’t need to be “to the second” but they should be very consistant, such as: 10min apart, 11min, 10min, 9min, etc
- Are progressively longer. They should be at least 45 seconds long each and getting longer.
- Stay the same or get stronger with activity. So if you go for a walk and they get more intense that is a good sign. If you watch a movie and they slow down, that means you’re probably still in the “warm up” stage.
- Get progressively stronger. The pain/pressure should get more intense as you go along. At some point you will not be able to walk or talk during a contraction and that is a VERY good sign!
- The pain of progressing contractions usually starts high in your abdomen and radiates down your belly and around to your lower back. Non-progressing contractions are usually concentrated in just your lower back or groin.
Adapted from “Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn” by Simkin et al.
