‘Nesting’ is the symptom you will notice before your actual
labor begins. This can occur from weeks before to days before, and will
have you getting urges to clean and prepare your home for he new baby, or to
just tackle large projects around the house. The reason why this sign is
so noticeable is that the weeks’
leading up to this, a woman typically feels very exhausted and fatigued,
and these surprise bursts of energy and restlessness will be very different
from what she had been feeling.
Another early sign is called ‘bloody
show’, and this sign means that your mucus plug that has grown around your
cervix during pregnancy has been released. This will present as a stringy
like mucus that will come out of your vagina over time or even all at once, and
may contain a bit of blood, or have red tint to it. However, if you notice more
than just a spot or so of blood then you will need to contact your doctor
immediately.
The next impending signs of labor
would be your cervical dilation. Although this can happen a few weeks before,
it generally only does so a few hours or days before delivery. And your
doctors will be able to measure your dilation in sizes from 1-10. For
example, a woman can be 2-3 centimeters for a week or so before delivery, and
will then experience a quicker dilation process right before labor
begins. However, some women feel this dilation more intensely and
is called Braxton Hicks, and these small contractions are the early dilation
signs, and most often are confused for real labor.
Then you have the more intense labor
signs that will begin very close to deliver, and most often present with
extreme back pain. Although your contractions happen in your uterus and
should be felt in your pelvis, many women experience it in their backs instead,
and are a sure sign that your labor will begin soon. Furthermore, another
sure sign that your time is very near is when your water breaks.
This is when the amniotic bag that
surrounds the baby breaks. When you experience a rush or even trickles of
fluid come from the vaginal area, it is best to contact your doctor right
away. However, for some women, the water will not break on its own and
must be done by their doctor. Full labor will present shortly after the water
has broken and each contraction will last more than 30 seconds becoming closer
together and get stronger as well.
Photo Credit : freeimages.com
