Labor pregnancy signs are really confusing especially for first-time mothers. Any suspected condition can make pregnant women to mistakenly consider as a labor sign, especially when they are in the third trimester.
Here are the top labor pregnancy signs that women may experience. It is not necessary that a woman should have all these signs, but you might have one or two or all of them.
Loss of mucus plug:
Generally, during pregnancy, a thick mucus plug protects the opening of the cervix from harmful bacteria entering into the uterus. Once the uterus starts thinning and relaxing, the mucus plug is expelled. It is a fibrous mucus or discharge, pink, clear, or blood tinged. You will notice mucus discharge few minutes, few hours or even few days prior to the inception of labor. This labor sign cannot be noticed by all the women.
Lightening:
This labor sign is an indication that the baby has dropped, settle deeper into the pelvis and relieve pressure on your diaphragm and help you breath easily. Also, the increased pressure on your bladder can cause more frequent bathroom visits.
Rupturing of the membranes:
When there is rupturing of the membranes, your water breaks. One in every 10 women may experience this kind of situation. Usually, this happens when you lie-down on the bed. The leakage of amniotic sac happens prior to your labor. Sometimes, it will be hard to differentiate the urine from amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid is an odorless fluid and this expulsion can be a sudden flow of a constant drip. You should immediately contact your healthcare provider if the fluid is clear and odorless. If the fluid is in green color with bad odor, then it is an indication of an infection.
Dilation:
It is the process of opening of the cervix in preparation for the child birth. Usually, the measurement of dilation is in centimeters or sometimes in fingers during an internal pelvic exam. If the cervix is fully dilated, then you are just 10 centimeters away from the vagina and ready to give the birth.
Cervical thinning:
This condition is also called as effacement. During pregnancy month 9, your cervix will start to stretch and become thin. It is a sign that lower part of the uterus is getting ready for child birth as thinning of the cervix allows cervical dilation more easily.
Consistent contraction:
It is one of the strong indications of labor pregnancy signs. They are similar to menstrual cramps or like lower back pain that comes and goes. You will experience these contractions within the duration of 10-15 minutes and even 5 minutes apart. When you have this condition, you should call your doctor.
