Signs of Labor
Talk to your physician for a more comprehensive list

Posted Sunday, November 13, 2005

Remember the signs of true labor, so that you will know when you are having the "real thing:"

1. Contractions at regular and increasingly shorter intervals that also become stronger in intensity.
2. Lower back pain that doesn't go away. You might also feel premenstrual and crampy.
3. Your water breaks (can be a large gush or a continuous trickle) and is accompanied by contractions.
4. 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.
5. 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.