Signs Of Labour

Pre-Labour or the Latent State of Labour
As the cervix gets softer you will experience milder contractions. Mild contractions for the majority of women is very painful and for some other women this less so. Contractions can be accurately described as being a sudden cramp and release feeling and is comparable to menstrual cramps in sensation. In the beginning, they last about half a minute and you would be able to carry on, as you were in what you were currently doing, would even be able to continue a normal conversation without any hindrance. You should start a habit of noting down the duration and the period between contractions as this information can be very useful in determining how close you are to established labour. As the period between the contractions becomes shorter the closer you are getting to the point of established labour.
You may start to notice that your is being prepared for the actual labour process and the signs usually begin a month before the actual day.
When you know or have been told that your baby is in the engagement position you should this as a good sign that you are close to labour this happens about 6 to 8 weeks before your labour.  The engagement position is when your baby has positioned himself so that he will emerge head first (under side down). If this if your first pregnancy then the baby will usually travel further down into your pelvis and any subsequent pregnancies the baby does not have to be as far down the pelvis.
From about your twentieth to the fortieth week, you will experience a natural instinct to make way for your new arrival in your home by earring out a thorough clean and out with the old and in with the new products etc. This natural instinct is called ‘nesting’ and not only does it affect women but also females of the animal kingdom too. Your sudden urge to 'nest' is also a sign of labour on its way.

Braxton Hicks
Braxton Hicks identified that your body, specifically your uterus, prepares for the stronger contractions with a set of irregular contractions they normally start off being not that painful and less frequent then eventually become more frequent and levels of pain gradually increasing. Braxton Hicks contractions are like the normal contractions in that your uterus will contract then there is a release, and the cycle lasts about 20 seconds but for some women it can be longer.

The Show
The Show is the event were the mucus like plug that seals your cervix, protecting you and importantly, your baby from infection, gets dislodged from your cervix and leaves your body as a vaginal discharge as you have dilated significantly enough. The Show will appear as a sticky mixture of pink to brown (shades of blood) in an egg white like substance. If you have a Show then you should inform your midwife or the hospital so that they can help you by giving you advice on how to avoid unnecessary infection, for example, to take showers instead of baths. When you have your Show, then this is a good indication that you are hours to a couple of days away from labour.

Water Breaking
When the membrane of the amniotic sac (the sac that contains your baby) ruptures, amniotic fluid will be released and leaks out via your vagina, this is commonly known as your 'water breaking'. When your water breaks you usually will have upto 24 hours to go to labour. It also signifies that your body has released prostaglandins into your blood and this is a hormone that stimulates your body to give you contractions. You must inform your midwife or the hospital that you believe that your water has broken and they will ask you what sort of quantity of quid has been released. They will tell you if its necessary for you to go to hospital or wait at home. Again, to avoid infection you should not insert anything into your vagina.

Established Labour
Established labour is when your contractions are regular in that they are always a set time apart and getting shorter gradually. Established contractions are also stronger and you would not be able to speak or be able to remain calm when a contraction of this sort is in progress. You should not confuse this with earlier irregular contractions were they are, say, every 3 minutes for a while then are 5 to 7 minutes apart then switch back to being every 3 minutes. It is important that if you are not sure about any aspect of pregnancy then you see you GP or midwife of speak to someone at hospital. Most women will know straight away that there in established labour, and when you are in established labour it vital that you call the hospital or midwife as soon as you can.