10 Signs of Labor
So the big day can come anytime and you are wondering what to expect? It’s normal for a pregnant woman near the end of her pregnancy to be constantly plagued by the thoughts of labor. To ease your tension a bit, read these 10 signs of labor which will help you prepare yourself for the final phase of your pregnancy.
1. The baby moves down
You can feel that your baby has shifted down a bit. Your baby is getting ready to enter the outside world.
2. You can breathe easier
Because the baby shifts down, it relieves some pressure off your diaphragm. This helps you in breathing easier. You may find that you are not as short of breath as you were earlier.
3. You feel your bladder bursting!
Your diaphragm may be a bit relieved, but your bladder reaches to a bursting point as the baby puts pressure on your bladder. So you may find yourself rushing to the bathroom a lot more frequently.
4. You experience loss of mucus plug
This is also called bloody show. Basically you lose the mucus plug which was covering your cervix so as to protect harmful bacteria from entering the vagina. Loss of mucus plug is a sign that labor is close by. The mucus plug is soft and stringy discharge looking like mucus. It can be pink or tainted with red spots. It can be clear too.
5. Your water breaks
This sign is often shown in movies to create drama where the pregnant woman suddenly releases a mini-waterfall of sort from her vagina and shrieks “My water has broken!” In reality, it may be a slow but persistent trickle of water too. When this happens, you should immediately contact your doctor.
