Common Signs for Labor and Delivery

With labour and delivery fast approaching, you will finally learn first hand whether those horror stories told by friends and family are really true or not. Actually, most of them are exaggerated, told by other mothers feeling smug that they have already gone through labour and delivery themselves. Nevertheless, the more you hear these stories, the less you look forward to the whole labour and delivery process. So we thought that it would be useful to put together a list of the common signs that labour and delivery include.

The first thing to remember is that each labour and delivery is completely different. So no matter what other mothers tell you about their experience, the chances are high that yours will not be the same. It's also impossible to tell exactly when labour will begin, the only real signs are what comes before hand. Again, it is very easy to misread these signs, it is not unusual for women to be sent home from the hospital because they are in very early labour, this usually means they have some time before full labour and delivery. Often this can feel as though you are in a kind of limbo, so if this happens to you the best thing to do is to go home and have a relaxing bath or watch a DVD.

Labour and delivery, common signs

• One of the first signs labour and delivery is about to begin is when the baby drops into the pelvis. In first time mothers this can actually occur two weeks prior to delivery.
  
  
• Physically, your stomach may appear to be more protruding or you sense that it is lower. This symptom alone does not always man labour and delivery are imminent though.
  
  
• More regular bowel movements are often experienced by expectant mothers, this is more common 2 hours before labour and delivery
  
  
• One of the most obvious signs of labour and delivery is the breaking of the water. This is when the amniotic sac breaks causing a leak in water.
  
  
• An increase in contractions. These are called Braxton-Hicks contractions and are often described as practise contractions.

If you are approaching the labour and delivery stages, then it is best to be as prepared as possible. This means that you should have your hospital bag packed and ready for any time, make sure that the bag is left out in the open so that it is not forgotten during the mad rush for the door. It is also important to plan how you will be getting to the hospital. In most cases, it is the responsibility of the patient to make their own way to the hospital, so if you have agreed for your partner to drive you, make sure they have plenty of petrol and their car is reliable. Giving birth at the side of the road is not all that it is cracked up to be!

Remember labour and delivery is rarely as bad as other mothers make out. Sure it will smart for a while and you may shout and scream at your partner, however the upside is the bundle of joy and love that you are left with at the end of labour and delivery. It's effeminately worth the pain.

Read more of our articles on labor and delivery

Labor and Delivery - Where Would You Like to Give Birth?
Labor and Delivery - Last Minute Planning and Organization
Laws on Labor and Giving Birth in the USA