In the days and weeks before delivery, changes in the connective tissue of your cervix make it soften and lead to dilation and effacement when your cervix thins and opens. If you've given birth before, your cervix is more likely to dilate a centimeter or more before labor starts. Still, that's no guarantee that labor is imminent.
When you're at or near your due date, your doctor or midwife may do a vaginal exam during a prenatal visit to see whether your cervix has started the process of effacement and dilation. Whether you have this exam is up to you. Cervical exams can be uncomfortable, and they can't predict future labor timing. But exams can be helpful for planning an upcoming induction or for estimating how much time you'll have to get to the hospital if you have a history of fast labors. You may have experienced Braxton Hicks contractions throughout your pregnancy.
If you're having a Braxton Hicks contraction, you'll feel a tightening or squeezing of your uterus, lower abdominal area, or groin. Then it will relax. Unlike true labor contractions, Braxton Hicks contractions are irregular and usually not painful. More frequent and intense Braxton Hicks contractions can signal that real contractions are coming soon — but not always.
Labor usually occurs sometime between 38 and 41 weeks. While early signs that labor may be approaching aren't at all clear or dependable, these are reliable signs that you're in real labor:. When your uterus contracts, your abdomen feels tight or hard, and you have a sensation of cramping. When the uterus relaxes between contractions, the sensation dissipates.
Labor contractions will grow stronger, longer, and more frequent as they cause your cervix to dilate. True labor contractions are too painful to talk through, and they may bring tears to your eyes.
Find out more about what contractions feel like according to moms. You'll want to start timing your contractions — how far apart they are and how long they last. Time contractions starting from the beginning of one until the beginning of the next.
Your doctor or midwife probably gave you directions about when to come in based on the timing of the contractions. If not, give them a call and ask. These videos explain more about how contractions feel and how to time contractions.
If you're having lower back pain along with contractions, it may be a signal that you're having back labor. The pain from back labor continues between contractions, though it may get stronger during contractions. Back pain usually means that your baby's head is pressing against your lower back, though one theory suggests that the pain may be "referred" from your uterus to your lower back. When the fluid-filled amniotic sac surrounding your baby ruptures, fluid leaks from your vagina.
It may come out in a large gush or a small trickle, or anything in between. If you're not sure whether your water broke, call your doctor or midwife to discuss your symptoms. Labor usually follows soon after your water breaks — regular contractions often start before this, but in some cases, the water breaks first. If your water breaks when you're full term but you're not in labor not having contractions , it's called premature rupture of membranes PROM.
If you don't start having contractions on your own within six to 24 hours of your water breaking, your provider will most likely recommend that labor be induced. That's because your baby is more likely to get an infection without the amniotic sac's protection against germs.
Most providers will offer you an immediate induction but give you the option to postpone if you want to give labor a chance to start on its own. If you're leaking amniotic fluid before 37 weeks, it's called preterm premature rupture of membranes PPROM , and it may mean your baby will be delivered prematurely due to the increased risk of infection. Whenever your water breaks, call your doctor or midwife. Call them even if you think your water broke but aren't sure. Regardless of contractions, if you're group B strep positive you'll need to start on antibiotics as soon as your water breaks to prevent an infection in your baby.
Labor usually starts between week 37 and week 42 of pregnancy. If you start having regular contractions that cause your cervix to begin to open before you reach 37 weeks of pregnancy, you're in preterm labor.
It's also known as premature labor. It can be difficult to tell whether you're having preterm labor or not, because some of the symptoms like Braxton Hicks and low back pain may be things you've experienced throughout your pregnancy. Still, call your doctor or midwife right away if you're having any of the following symptoms before 37 weeks:.
If you are — or might be — in preterm labor, your doctor or midwife may give you medications to help your baby's lungs mature, and to protect their brain. You may also receive medicine to stop or slow early contractions.
Getting these medications early can improve outcomes for your baby, so be sure to call if you think you may be in preterm labor. It can be hard to tell at first. But the frequency, length, intensity, and location of your contractions can help you figure out whether you're in true labor or are having Braxton Hicks contractions.
How changing positions, walking, and rest affect your contractions provide more clues. Additionally, if you notice any bloody show with your contractions, they're probably true labor contractions. No matter how well informed you are about the signs of labor, it's normal to have a false alarm. Don't be embarrassed about calling your doctor — or showing up at the hospital — because you think you're in labor when you're not. If you're assessed at the hospital and sent home because you're not in labor yet, your care team will give you specific instructions about changes to look for in the next few days or weeks and when to call or come back.
Toward the end of your pregnancy, your doctor or midwife will most likely give you clear guidelines about when to let them know that you're having contractions, and when you should grab your hospital bag and head to the hospital or birth center. Some women don't feel any kind of contraction until delivery day, and that is completely normal. You don't need to worry if you haven't felt any warm-up contractions. Many women, however, do feel their Braxton Hicks contractions, usually any time after the week marker of pregnancy.
While some women feel them this early, others may not experience any until the later weeks of pregnancy. In second and third pregnancies, some mothers say they're Braxton Hicks contractions start earlier. Braxton Hicks contractions often begin very mildly, feeling like a tightening sensation across the uterus. They may become stronger in the later weeks of pregnancy. Their strength and recurrence is how expecting mothers confuse them with true labor contractions.
The job of a true labor contraction is to dilate the cervix. Braxton Hicks contractions, you may remember, work only to tone the uterus and do not cause the cervix to dilate. Of course, you can't tell if your cervix is dilated unless you go in and have your obstetrician or midwife check you, but Braxton Hicks contractions have other distinct characteristics like:.
While they may occur without reason, there are some known life factors that cause women to have Braxton Hicks contractions:. If you're having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, don't stop your normal activities, but do make sure that you stay well hydrated and take some time to get off your feet during the day.
A warm bath or a cup of tea can also help to relieve your contractions. If you are getting close to your due date and are experiencing contractions, you should be aware of the signs of early labor that accompany true labor contractions:.
If you experience any of these signs along with regularly occurring contractions, you are probably in labor. Your doctor will likely choose between natural and medicated approaches. Pelvic rest—which means no sex, no vaginal exams, and nothing put into your vagina—is often a must if you're experiencing preterm contractions.
In some cases, your doctor may suggest sewing your cervix shut cervical cerclage to help avoid a premature birth, or even resting with your head below the level of your body to further reduce stress on the cervix.
You may also be put on bed rest , at least temporarily, to avoid having gravity put pressure on your cervix. To try to halt your contractions, your doctor will ask you to rest on your left side this position increases blood flow to the uterus , and if you seem dehydrated, she will give you intravenous fluids. These steps help stop contractions in about 50 percent of women.
If your contractions stop and your cervix doesn't dilate during several hours of observation, you will probably be able to go home. Your obstetrician may decide that postponing the birth through medication is the appropriate course of action. While there is no established "right" time to start treatment with medication, many doctors recommend beginning once your cervix becomes two to three centimeters dilated.
These drugs don't usually don't postpone labor for long often not more than a couple of days , but sometimes even a short delay can make a lifesaving difference to your baby. For example, your doctor can begin treatment with corticosteroid drugs between 24 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, which are aimed at preventing or lessening complications in preterm newborns. Corticosteroids speed maturation of fetal organs, reducing infant deaths by about 30 percent and cutting the incidence of the two most serious complications of preterm birth : respiratory distress syndrome and bleeding in the brain.
They are given by injection and are most effective when administered at least 24 hours before delivery. Other medication options include magnesium sulfate which might reduce the risk of cerebral palsy and tocolytics which temporarily slow contractions. It's important to note, though, that preterm labor medications aren't completely harmless. Putterman says. Your contractions are unlikely to stop on their own if your cervix is dilating.
As long as you're between 34 and 37 weeks and the baby already is at least 5 pounds, 8 ounces, the doctor may decide not to delay labor. These babies are very likely to do well even if they're born early. If you have concerns about preterm contractions, speak with your doctor who can recommend strategies to help you safely get to 40 weeks.
By Richard Schwarz, M. Updated July 20, Save Pin FB More.
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