Many women marvel at the fact that I had 3 natural births. I love learning about pregnancy, labour, natural birth and breastfeeding and I love teaching others about it too so that they can learn from the research I have done already, and from mistakes I have made. This post about the signs of labour, is the first of a series of posts aimed at teaching women to tap into the natural ability of their body, to cope with labour and to birth their own baby!

7 signs that labour is approaching soon – in a few weeks

Diahorrea

Diarrhoea that comes and goes. It is caused by the hormone Prostaglandin, which is responsible for the effacement (thinning out) of your cervix. It is your body’s way of detoxing, clearing out and getting ready for birth. This is great as it decreases the chances of the discomfort of full bowels or constipation during labour and it decreases the chances of accidents happening too! In my first pregnancy this occurred a few weeks before real labour, in my second, this was the onset of my real labour!

Backache

A dull backache that keeps coming back. These can be a sign of impending labour or just pain from the increasing weight and pressure of baby, or can, in fact, be contractions, and this is called back labour. In my third pregnancy, I had a sleepless night of back labour the night before I went into real labour. Read about that here.

Period Pain

Nagging period – like pain in the abdomen or lower back.

Regular tightening sensations in the tummy

Tightening sensations in the tummy that come and go. These may or may not be painful, but they show that the uterus is contracting. They are perfectly normal in the second trimester, but most commonly the third trimester of pregnancy, and are just your body’s way of preparing you for the real thing. These are better known as Braxton Hicks or false labour contractions. I experienced these a lot during my 7th month and I teased everyone around me that I was going into labour! But I knew I wasn’t, coz generally, my babies are full-term.

The nesting Instinct

Many women begin clearing up, de-cluttering the house, baby-proofing and rearranging all the baby clothes before the baby comes. You could also have a surge of energy all of a sudden! This was a normal thing for me in all my pregnancies and I definitely had lots of energy in the end of my 3rd pregnancy!

Lightening

The process of the baby “dropping” or settling low into the pelvis is called lightening. This eases the pressure on the diaphragm, making it easier for you to breathe. But, the uterus rests more on the bladder after this, so you may feel extra pressure low down in the pelvis as baby’s head presses against the cervix, and you may feel the need for more frequent urination. This was another crazy feeling I experienced recently in my 3rd pregnancy a few weeks before I went into real labour, when I went to the bathroom, I felt like the baby was ready to jump out!

Pelvic Girdle Pain

Pain in the front and side of the thighs, around the hips and groin area, and sometimes even the pelvic floor area and perineum. During pregnancy, your body releases a hormone called Relaxin, which causes the ligaments to soften, stretch and slightly separate. This is your body’s way of making the pelvis more mobile, so the baby can pass through : )

3 signs that labour may be approaching soon – the classic signs

The bloody show

As the cervix effaces and dilates, the plug of mucous which seals the cervix during pregnancy becomes dislodged. The purpose of the plug is to prevent the transmission of bacteria to the uterus and help protect the baby from infection. The mucous plug can be clear, although it is often slightly streaked with pinkish or bright red blood. This can happen over time or all at once. Want to know what this looks like? Click here to see some real pictures on Mamanatural.com!!

Contractions

Very painful contractions of the uterus that become more intense and painful with time. They might start coming at irregular intervals. You will know that they are true labour contractions when:

they come at regular intervals, most of the time starting at 20 mins apart.

they become longer, stronger and closer together

they become intense even if you change position

they gradually build up to a painful peak, then gradually ease off again

they really get your attention

How to time your contractions

Write down the time the first contraction starts, then write down the time the second contraction starts, then do this for all the subsequent contractions.

Measure the period from the time of the beginning of the first contraction to the beginning of the next contraction.

This period of time from the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of next contraction = How far apart your contractions are and will be able to indicate the duration of the contraction, and the duration of the interval between contractions.

Breaking of the waters

This occurs when the amniotic sac, which covers and protects, ruptures, releasing amniotic fluid. It is painless and may be a slow leak or a sudden gush. Only 1 in 10 women experience their waters breaking before they start having contractions. (No it is not always like they show in the movies, where her waters break in the elevator or restaurant!) If you fear that your waters might rupture spontaneously, I suggest you travel with some linen savers in your bag, on your car seats etc. Most other women experience it well after contractions have started. Once it has ruptured it usually means that labour can happen very soon or baby could even be ready to come out. Mine broke just before I went into active labour, for my first 2 babies, my 3rd baby was born with his sac still intact.

How did you find out you were in labour? Tell us in the comments below : )

Have you got any other labour questions? Pop them in the comments below.

If you found this post helpful, please share it with your expectant mommy friends : )

REFERENCES:

Birth without fear – Dr Grantly Dick – Read

www.givingbirthnaturally.com

unknown source

pregnancy-and-giving-birth.com

www.webmd.boots.com

www.livescience.com

www.mamanatural.com

www.whattoexpect.com

www.parents.com

askdrsears.com

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