You have been anticipating the arrival of your new little one for nine months, and now are starting to feel anxious about the upcoming labor and delivery. If you are like most first-time expectant moms, you are probably wondering what to expect, and if you will recognize when you are truly in labor. Not to fear, there are many hormonal and physical changes that can occur in your body that can predict when, or if, you are in labor.
Lightening
Lightening is when the baby drops or settles into your pelvis before delivery. This can occur anywhere from a few weeks before labor, to within a few hours. As this happens you will start to feel more pressure in your pelvis. You may notice that you are able to breathe a little easier, due to the decrease in pressure that your baby is putting on your diaphragm. Along with these signs of lightening, you may also notice the need to urinate more often, due to the increased pressure your baby is now putting on your bladder.
Mucus Plug
The mucus plug is a protective barrier of mucus that forms around the cervix when you are pregnant. It prevents bacteria from entering the uterus. When your cervix starts to dilate, in anticipation of delivery, the mucus plug will discharge. This can happen all at once, or in smaller pieces over the course of a few days. This also can occur up to two weeks before delivery, or within a few hours of labor.
Dilation and Effacement
At or around 37 weeks of pregnancy, your doctor will begin weekly pelvic exams to monitor how much your cervix is dilating and thinning out, or effacing. The more dilated and effaced your cervix is, the more likely that labor will be short at hand, although this is not a guarantee of exactly when your labor will occur. Once you are dilated 4 centimeters or beyond, you are considered to be in active labor.
Water Breaks
Most women will have been in active labor, having contractions, for quite some time before their water breaks, but for 10 percent of women, this happens before any other sign of labor. If your water has broken, you may feel either a gush of water, or a steady trickle. The flow of this fluid will depend on the position of both you and your baby.
Contractions
Contractions cause the abdomen to tighten and become hard, then release when the contraction is over. Contractions feel different to every woman, but usually start out as feeling like a dull low back ache. To tell the difference between a real contraction and a Braxton Hicks contraction, which are sometimes referred to as practice contractions, change position. If the contraction goes away with a position change, then it is usually a Braxton Hicks contraction and not a true labor contraction. If that does not help, try emptying your bladder, drinking a glass of water, and then lying down. If the contractions subside within 10 minutes, it is a Braxton Hicks. Braxton Hicks contractions are normal during your pregnancy, and are your body's way of preparing itself for the upcoming labor and delivery.
Most contractions move in a wave-like fashion which starts at the top of the uterus and fans down. Most women also say that their contractions felt like intense menstrual cramps, and became more frequent and severe as time progressed. When your contractions remain consistently five minutes apart you should call your doctor.
