Dropping/Lightening

The baby is settling deeper into your pelvis and notice less pressure just below your ribcage thus making it easier to breathe.

Bloody show: Loss of Mucus Plug

As you gets closer to labor, the mucus plug discharges as cervix begins to dilate. The plug may come out as a plug, a lump, or simply as increased vaginal discharge over several days. The mucus may be tinged with brown, pink, or red blood, which is why it is sometimes referred to as ‘bloody show’.

Water Breaking

You may feel like a large gush or a small trickle of fluid leaks from your vagina. If this happens, you should call you doctor or midwife right away. When your water breaks, labor usually comes later. Most doctors will induce labor if the water has broken and labor does not begun on its own within 24 hours to prevent possible infections.

Nesting: Spurt of Energy

You might wake up one morning feeling energetic, raring to attack dust bunnies under the couch, set up the crib and arrange your baby’s outfits according to color. This urge to clean and organize is commonly known as nesting.

Effacement: Thinning of the Cervix

Usually in the last month the cervix begins to stretch and thin. This process means the lower segment of the uterus is getting ready for delivery. A thin cervix will also allow the cervix to dilate more easily.

Your health care provider may check for effacement in the final 2 months of pregnancy.

Dilation: Opening of the Cervix

Dilation is the process of the cervix opening in preparation for childbirth.

In the same way that your health care provider may be checking for effacement in the last 2 months, your health care provider may also tell you how many centimeters your cervix has dilated.

Consistent Contractions

When you begin to experience regular uterine contractions, this is the strongest indication that you are in labor. These contractions may feel like menstrual cramps or a lower backache that comes and goes, and during early labor they may be as far apart as 20 to 30 minutes. Over the course of several hours your contractions will typically begin occurring at shorter intervals; and you may notice they start happening every 10-15 minutes or less. When your contractions are consistently 5 minutes apart, it is time to call your health care provider.

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