Once you begin active labor, you'll have strong contractions around a minute long and 3-5 minutes apart. It may be hard to talk or move easily. At this point, your cervix will be dilated 3-10 centimeters. (Dilating 1 cm/hr is textbook, but like in early labor, it's different for every woman.)
Here's what you can expect when labor is 24 to 48 hours away:
- Water breaking.
- Losing your mucus plug.
- Weight loss.
- Extreme nesting.
- Low back pain.
- Real contractions.
- Cervical dilation.
- Loosening of joints.
What You Can Expect:
- Ask about your eating habits.
- Ask about your sleeping habits.
- Ask if you've received your cord-blood collection kit, if you're planning to store your baby's cord blood.
- Check your weight and blood pressure.
- Measure the height of your uterus to gauge your baby's growth.
- Check your baby's heart rate.
No two women — no two pregnancies — are the same. Some babies will naturally arrive early, others late, without any major complications. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists categorize deliveries from week 37 to 42 as follows: Early term: 37 weeks through 38 weeks, 6 days.
ACOG and SMFM use these definitions to describe term pregnancies: Early term: Your baby is born between 37 weeks, 0 days and 38 weeks, 6 days. Full term: Your baby is born between 39 weeks, 0 days and 40 weeks, 6 days. Late term: Your baby is born between 41 weeks, 0 days and 41 weeks, 6 days.
10% gave birth by 38 weeks and 5 days after the LMP. 25% gave birth by 39 weeks and 5 days after the LMP. 50% gave birth by 40 weeks and 5 days after the LMP. 75% gave birth by 41 weeks and 2 days after the LMP.
More frequent and intense Braxton Hicks contractions can signal pre-labor, which is when your cervix starts to thin and widen, setting the stage for true labor. (See "What are the signs that labor is about to begin?" below.) Some women experience menstrual-like cramps during this time. Your cervix starts to change.
Baby's movement in utero can also cause a sudden gush, as can a contraction. If your amniotic sac breaks forcefully (for example, during a strong contraction and/or when baby slips into a lower position), the resulting gush can also be forceful.
It's thought that their womb (uterus) contracts so painlessly that they don't feel the contractions in the first stage of labour at all. If this happens to you, the first clue that your baby is on his way may only come as you enter your second stage of labour.
However, if the contractions begin happening at very regular intervals under 5 minutes apart, they last for longer than 1 minute each, and this happens consecutively for over 1 hour, it may be time to call your healthcare provider.
Braxton Hicks contractions shouldn't have any impact on your baby, but your baby does have an impact on your Braxton Hicks contractions! What your baby is up to in there can trigger a false contraction, and you'll usually feel some movement before you feel a Braxton Hicks.
How do contractions work? Contractions help move a baby downward by tightening the top of the uterus and applying pressure on the cervix. This pressure causes the cervix to open, or dilate. Contractions can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes.
If your contractions are 5 minutes apart, lasting for 1 minute, for 1 hour or longer, it's time to head to the hospital. (Another way to remember a general rule: If they're getting “longer, stronger, closer together,†baby's on their way!)
Natural ways to induce labor
- Get moving. Movement may help start labor.
- Have sex. Sex is often recommended for getting labor started.
- Try to relax.
- Eat something spicy.
- Schedule an acupuncture session.
- Ask your doctor to strip your membranes.
If you're carrying a full-term baby and start feeling contractions irregularly, but your water has not broken, you could be experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. As you get closer to delivery, your uterus prepares for labor by mildly contracting from time to time, without causing the cervix to dilate.
Early Signs of Labor that Mean Your Body Is Getting Ready:
- The baby drops.
- You feel the urge to nest.
- No more weight gain.
- Your cervix dilates.
- Fatigue.
- Worsening back pain.
- Diarrhea.
- Loose joints and increased clumsiness.
In general, infants that are born very early are not considered to be viable until after 24 weeks gestation. This means that if you give birth to an infant before they are 24 weeks old, their chance of surviving is usually less than 50 percent. Some infants are born before 24 weeks gestation and do survive.
Most of the time, the bleeding and cramping will resolve on its own. However, if you have heavy bleeding (soaking more than one pad an hour for two or more hours) , let your health care provider know and then go to the emergency room of your nearest hospital.
Once your baby drops, you might notice a lot of increased pressure in your pelvis. This may be a time when you develop a significant pregnancy “waddle†as you adjust. This is probably the same feeling as walking around with what feels like a bowling ball between your legs.
Early contractions may feel like period pain. You may have cramps or backache, or both. Or you may just have aching or heaviness in the lower part of your tummy. You may feel the need to poo or just feel uncomfortable, and not be able to pin down why.
Many say they feel like mild menstrual cramps. Braxton Hicks contractions may be uncomfortable, but they don't cause labor or open your cervix. Unlike true labor, Braxton Hicks contractions: Usually aren't painful.
Sometimes, water breaks while you're sleeping. If you're concerned about flooding the bed, consider protecting your mattress with a waterproof cover.
It's very unlikely that you will suddenly go into labor without warning. Your body will let you know that you're close to the big day, so you can make sure your hospital bag is packed, and be ready to go to the hospital when the time is right.
Your baby moves less: Women often notice that their baby is less active the day before labor begins. No one is sure why. It may be that the baby is saving up energy for the birth.
This fabulous hormone interacts with oxytocin to promote contractions, and melatonin is the hormone that is responsible for encouraging us to go to sleep! So clearly it reaches it's peak during the dark hours, making us more likely to go start contracting in the evening.
At 38 weeks pregnant, signs of labor
may begin.
Some early signs you'll go into labor soon include:
- Mucus plug and/or bloody show. You might have a discharge that's thick like mucus (the mucus plug) and could have a slightly bloody tinge (the bloody show).
- Diarrhea.
- Nausea.
- Contractions.
- Back pain.
- Water breaking.
To determine a due date, doctors use a simple calculation using the first day of a woman's last menstrual period. They then add 280 days to get to what would be considered a “term†baby: 40 weeks of gestation. “This can be confirmed, ideally, by a first trimester ultrasound,†Fogle said.
You can be in labor without your water breaking -- or if your water breaks without contractions. "If it's broken, you'll usually experience a big gush of fluid," Dr. du Triel says. "You definitely need to be evaluated if that happens, even if you don't have contractions."
