By the time the ninth month of pregnancy finally arrives, most women are more than ready for pregnancy to be over. Every twinge, cramp and odd sensation bring the hopeful question "Is this it?" Early labor has several signs; some are subtle and others impossible to miss. All are eagerly anticipated.
Bloody Show
The mucus plug fills the space between the cervix and the uterus, keeping bacteria out of the uterus. During pregnancy, the cervix is long and thick, but as labor approaches, it begins to thin out, or efface and dilate. Thinning and dilation push the mucus plug out of the cervix. Effacement is expressed in percentages, the American Pregnancy Association explains; 100 percent effacement is a cervix that's as thin as a piece of paper.
Thinning and dilation may occur over a period of days, so that increased discharge appears a little each day. Or it may occur in a day, so that the mucus plug, often tinged with blood from broken blood vessels as the cervix opens, or dilates, arrives in a glob. While increased bloody show doesn't mean you'll be delivering any minute, it does mean that labor will most likely start soon, so get those baby clothes washed and ready.
Contractions Increasing in Frequency and Intensity
Many women have contractions off and on throughout the last part of pregnancy; these contractions, called Braxton-Hicks contractions, usually aren't painful and don't dilate or thin the cervix. True labor contractions often start in the back and circle around to the front, and they normally increase in frequency and intensity. Contractions may start every 15 minutes, then increase to 10 minutes within an hour. Some women have irregular contractions all through labor, so don't wait at home until your contractions are exactly five minutes apart, or you may deliver in the car. When you can't walk or talk through contractions, you're in labor; it's time to go to the hospital.
Diarrhea
As labor approaches, substances called prostaglandins are released. Prostaglandins can cause loose stools or diarrhea, so a change in bowel symptoms can mean labor is about to start, Family Resource explains.
Ruptured Membranes
A fetus grows within a protective fluid-filled membrane called the amniotic sac or bag of waters. Water can break with a huge gush or a slow trickle; any fluid leakage should be reported promptly to your medical practitioner, since the membranes protect the baby from outside bacteria. Once the water breaks, the barrier is breached, and infection can occur. Only one in 10 women experiences a huge gush of fluid, the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) states, so if this is one of your worse fears, rest assured it probably won't happen. Ruptured membranes are a definite sign that you're going to have a baby, probably within the next 12 to 24 hours. According to the UMMC, contractions start in nine out of 10 women within 24 hours of membrane rupture.
Nestinng
Nesting, a sudden flurry of activity to get the house and room ready for the imminent delivery, is a nonscientific method of determining that labor's about to start, but many women swear by it, and the Mayo Clinic calls it a possible sign of impending labor. Even if it's not, getting the house clean will certainly help pass the time and give you a much needed sense of accomplishment in the last few days of pregnancy.
Engagement
First babies normally drop, or sink deeper into the pelvis, before labor begins, a process called engagement. Later babies may not drop until labor starts. Once the baby drops, it's easier to breathe but harder to walk.
