The signs of labor can be confusing. One of the biggest questions pregnant women have is am I in labor? While you might only have one or two of these or all of them, these are the basics of labor. Here are some of the top signs that labor is either coming soon or starting...
Bloody show is a pink, brown or red tinged mucous that can be found when wiping while going to the bathroom or sometimes on your sanitary pad or underwear. This is a sign that your cervix is changing by dilating, thinning or moving forward in preparation for labor. Don't be fooled! You can also see this after sex or a vaginal exam in late pregnancy - this isn't the same thing. Time to labor? Varies from hours to weeks.
The cervix is "plugged" with a thick piece of mucous that helps protect your baby during pregnancy by blocking the entrance to the uterus. As your cervix changes and dilates, part of the mucous plug can be released. How much you see depends on how quickly these changes occur. You might only notice an increase in discharge or you may find the whole "plug" at once during a trip to the bathroom. Time to labor? Weeks to hours.
Loose stools are nature's way of preparing your body for labor. It helps clean your system out and make room for your baby in the vagina. (Remember the vagina and rectum are only a thin piece of skin apart.) Time to labor? Usually only a matter of a day or hours.
Contractions are what helps the cervix to dilate and open for your baby to be born. Many women will have contractions through out the end of their pregnancy. The difference between labor contractions and prelabor are the strength, frequency and intensity of labor contractions. Labor contractions get stronger, longer and closer together.
A back ache that seems to come and go may be a sign of labor. Usually this is really contractions that you're feeling in your back. If your back ache becomes constant or changes, you may be experiencing back labor, usually caused by the position of your baby.
