3 signs that tell you “it’s time”.

Are you really familiar with the symptoms of going into labour? You may share some common information with most women; some are true, some are not. You’d better be very careful, as not everything happening at the end of your pregnancy means your baby is about to join this world. There are some certain inimitable signs that tell you the happy event is about to happen.

What are the signs of approaching labor?

  1 Expelling the cervical mucus plug

• Are you familiar with the cervical mucus plug? As your pregnancy months pass, your cervical secretions accumulate to create a plug that shuts its opening and protects the fetus from germs.
• When the cervix expels this plug, this means it’s time for birth, which may happen in the following hours, days or weeks. So it’s better to seek your doctor’s advice.

2 Contractions

• Painful uterine contractions create a pressure from the top to the bottom of the uterus, causing a gradual dilation of the cervix to enable the baby to exit the uterus.
• Many women also feel a prickling in the abdomen. This prickling increases with time and reminds you of period cramps.
• When this happens, place your hand on your abdomen, and if it feels hard, it means that your uterus is undergoing real contractions.
• Contractions that signal the approach of delivery happen once every 10 minutes, and increase in duration with time.
• If this is your first baby, you should go to the hospital as soon as the contractions become persistent and regular.

3 Rupture of membrane

• With these contractions, the fetus moves down the pelvis. With time, the cervix is dilated.
• At this time, part of the tissue surrounding the uterus is torn, announcing the approach of your baby’s delivery. This rupture, though, is not painful.
• This part, along with the amniotic fluids form the membranes.
• If you notice any colorless hot fluids gushing, this means you need to go to the hospital.
• The membrane may dissolve instead of break, causing a slight running. In this case, don’t hesitate to run to the hospital to undergo the necessary tests. Whether the membranes break or just dissolve, they no longer protect your fetus from germs.