1) Bloody Show
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.
2) Mucous Plug
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.
3) Loose Stools
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.
4) Contractions
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.
5) Back Ache
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
|
