Childbirth

Signs and Symptoms of Labor

Childbirth is a process that is divided into 3 different stages starting from labor and ending with the delivery of the baby near your due date. A pregnant woman who understand these stages and recognized the signs of symptoms of labor is best prepared for a healthy, joyful birthing experience. You can be that woman after reading this.

The first stage is know as labor and transition, where common signs and symptoms begin with rhythmic contractions that make your cervix open to press the baby through the birth canal, it usually starts slowly, speeding up when the dilation of the cervix is about 4 to 5 centimeters.

Full dilation occurs when the opening is 10 centimeters; labor evolves gradually from a few hours to several days so early contractions may be associated to Braxton Hicks contractions or false labor signs. However, there are other subtle signs also alerting that labor is near.

Increasing low backache that may come and go often, causing restlessness and soft bowel movements. The nausea and vomiting of the first trimester may come back accompanied by diarrhea, indigestion and cramping at the beginning of labor.

Some pregnant women experience weight loss as a result of all the changes in their hormone levels. During this stage and in the week immediately previous to labor you may lose 1 to 3 pounds, caused mostly by the loss of fluid that was held in your tissues during pregnancy.

During this stage, increased vaginal discharge is observed, generally clear mucous, but sometimes tinged with brown, pink or reddish, when it becomes the bloody show preceding labor. Discharge may appear at the same time as the contractions, but often some days before they occur.

Your baby begins to move in your pelvis into the so-called “baby-dropping" or lightening, which is the preparation of the baby for birth. Lightening may happen from a few weeks in advance to just a few hours before labor.

If you are suffering heartburn, it may be lessened at this stage and breathing is easier. However, the pressure of your baby's head on the bladder may cause you to urinate more frequently. Rupture of the amniotic membranes also occurs several hours before labor begins.

When contractions become longer, stronger, and dilating the cervix on an average of one minute long and five minutes apart, there is no doubt your labor is near. Some are very fast, lasting only a few hours, but do not worry if your labor last a day or two. The average length of labor is around 15 to 16 hours for your first pregnancy.

Subsequent pregnancies will normally reduce labor to around 7 to 8 hours on average. After the first signs of labor, the second-stage involves pushing and birth, and then the last is expelling the placenta after childbirth.