5 Signs That Show You are Approaching Labor

Labor involves the process of childbirth, beginning with the mother's uterine contractions and ending with the baby's delivery. Around 92% of childbirths in India occur in hospitals. That is, at least 9 out of every 10 expectant mothers deliver a baby in the hospital and thus, opt for better healthcare facilities. So, if approaching labor, look up beforehand a reputed hospital that offers premium birthing in Delhi. If you can have a safe delivery in the most compassionate and comfortable environment, your labor experience will become a prized memory. First, you need to know how near you are to labor. So, here are the 5 main signs to let you know that you'll undergo labor soon.

5 Signs That Tell You that Labor is Close

1.   "Lightening" and "Engagement"

The baby drops into your pelvis weeks or hours before labor happens. Since he/she no more presses against your diaphragm, you can usually breathe more easily with a "lightening" feeling. You may alongside feel the urge of urinating more often. The baby usually rotates to a head-down position to drop below. When he/she has settled in your pelvis, it's called "engagement".

2.   The "Bloody Show"

Within the 2 weeks before labor, you can usually see a thick, blood-streaked, brownish, or pinkish discharge called the "bloody show". This is the release of your mucus plug which otherwise shuts the cervix during pregnancy. However, the sign is not always noticeable.

3.   Water Breaking

This is one of the closest signs of labor. Your water may break within a day before childbirth or later during active labor. This is caused by the rupturing of your amniotic sac to release its fluid. You may not feel a gush of water streaming down but only a trickle. This happens as the baby's head obstructs the leakage of too much fluid.

4.   Extreme Back Pain

Like most pregnant women, you may have rising backache over months approaching labor. As your baby develops in your womb, his/her increasing weight is supported against your back. However, when the pain becomes excruciating, this may indicate that you're undergoing "back labor". Your baby usually moves down the birth canal with the face pressed against your spine. However, sometimes he/she descends with the skull hitting your spine. This often leads to continuous pain, essentially concentrated in your back and radiating to your abdomen. Irrespective of having true back labor, this kind of pain means labor is knocking at the door.

5.   Early Contractions

This is the closest sign of the beginning of your labor. You'll experience uterine contractions like period cramps every 20-30 minutes. This is how the uterus tightens itself to prepare to push out your baby. The contractions are initially mild and irregular and slowly become more intense and more frequent. When they occur every 3-5 minutes, it implies that you're approaching active labor. This is the time to move to a hospital providing premium birthing in Delhi to take care of both your cramps and delivery.

When you start feeling highly fatigued and stop gaining weight or rather shed pounds days before labor, discuss in advance with the top gynecologist in Delhi how to prep for childbirth.