Signs of Labor
Talk to your physician for a more comprehensive list
Posted : Monday, January 01, 1900
Remember the signs of true labor, so that you will know when you are having the "real thing:"
- Contractions at regular and increasingly shorter intervals that also become stronger in intensity.
- Lower back pain that doesn't go away. You might also feel premenstrual and crampy.
- Your water breaks (can be a large gush or a continuous trickle) and is accompanied by contractions.
- A bloody (brownish or blood-tinged) mucous discharge. This is the mucous plug that blocks the cervix. Labor could be at any time, or days away.
- Your cervix is dilating (opening up) and becoming thinner and softer (also called effacement). During a pelvic exam, your health care provider will be able to tell if these things are happening.
