
Trying for a baby	Pregnant	Birth & labour	Baby	Toddler

Signs that labour is close

Just before your baby is due, you’ll probably start to notice signs that your body is getting ready for labour. If you experience any of them it does not mean you will be holding your baby by nightfall, but it is an indication that labour is imminent.

Engagement is one of the physical signs that labour is on its way. In order for your baby’s journey through the birth canal to begin, he will move himself deeper into your pelvis. If this is your first baby, the baby will move down roughly two to three weeks before labour starts, but with subsequent pregnancies, your uterine muscles will have stretched so that the baby doesn’t have to move so far down. If you feel your baby has 'dropped' further down, you have got your breath back slightly and are able to eat slightly more without getting heartburn your baby has probably engaged.

The show is one of the more obvious signs that labour is on its way. The show is a plug of mucus that seals your cervix and protects it from any infection. If your cervix dilates wide enough, the mucus plug may become dislodged, and will appear as a sticky, brown/pink substance. Even though labour itself may be hours, or even days away you must inform the hospital if you have a show because once the mucus plug is gone, the baby is vulnerable to infections.

A nesting instinct is when pregnant women feel an uncontrollable urge to clean their house and everything around them. Females in the animal kingdom exhibit the same behaviour just before their offspring arrive. You may want to clean everything you see, or throw out anything old and grubby, or you may retreat into familiar company and the comfort of your own home. The nesting instinct can appear around the fifth month, but if you are close to being 40 weeks pregnant, it may indicate the onset of labour.

Braxton Hicks contractions are when your uterus practises for the stronger contractions of labour with weaker irregular contractions, and are named after the man who first identified them. They are normally painless but uncomfortable, and can become frequent, intense and painful. They start with a tightening feeling in your uterus and spread downwards before relaxing. They can last from 15-20 seconds but some women experience them for much longer. If you find them painful, it may be a good idea to keep active, change positions or lie down when you are having them. See Braxton Hicks for more help.

Vaginal discharge Some women notice increased vaginal discharge as their cervix softens. It can often look like egg white, but can also have a pinkish appearance. It can be easy to confuse this with changes in vaginal discharge that happen in pregnancy anyway, so it does not always mean labour is on its way.

Membrane rupture, or waters breaking is when the amniotic sac which contains your baby ruptures, and the amniotic fluid leaks out. Most women go into labour 24 hours after their waters break, because the rupture signals the release of prostaglandins, which stimulate contractions. Once your waters break, be careful not to put anything into your vagina, and have showers rather than baths, as your baby is now vulnerable to infections. Once your waters have broken, call your midwife or maternity unit to let them know. They will probably ask how much fluid leaked out and what the consistency was like so make a note of this. They will advise you whether to wait at home, or come in to the hospital.

See articles Am I in labour? or When to go to the hospital if you think you have experienced any of the above.