• How do you know you are in labor?

    Date: 2010.09.02 | Category: Pregnancy | Tags: ,,,,

    Most women who are pregnant for the first time, and some who are pregnant after having given birth before, wonder how they will know they are in labor. The most common answer to this question is simply – “Trust me, you’ll know!”. What if this answer does not satisfy you, and you would prefer to get some more detailed information? What do contractions feel like? How can you distinguish labor contractions from the Braxton Hicks contractions you have been having all pregnancy long? How do you know your water has broken? And how can women who have weeks or prodromal labor tell that they are finally experiencing active labor, and are about to give birth?

    What do contractions feel like?

    They are different for every woman, and even for every labor. One thing that never changes is that contractions are a tightening of the uterus, and that they feel like it. For some laboring women, contractions feel like very heavy menstrual pain, especially at the start. For others, they feel like the kind of pain you have when you have done too much exercise but just keep going. Then, there are those who feel tightening of the uterus, but no pain.

    How can you distinguish labor contractions from the Braxton Hicks contractions?

    As a rule, labor contractions cause more of a sensation (and yes, pain) than Braxton Hicks contractions. The other big indication of labor contraction is that they keep coming, and that there tends to be a pattern to them. Labor contractions start off lasting for a few seconds and coming at irregular intervals, and then developing into longer contractions that come regularly. At first, you might notice contractions every 15 minutes, and then they come closer and closer together. If you are wondering how close together your contractions are coming, Contraction Master is a great tool.

    How do you know your water has broken?

    Of course, most women’s labors do not start with their membranes rupturing. But if your waters break before you ever get any contractions, it can be easy to get confused – did your waters just break, or did you simply pee yourself? At the end of pregnancy, losing control over your bladder is quite common, and knowing whether your waters have broken can be tricky. Amniotic fluid should be clear and tasteless. If you are brave enough, try and smell. If fluid keeps dripping out, you can be pretty confident that your water broke. Most women don’t get lots of fluids gushing out all at once, though it does happen.

    What if you have had weeks of prodromal labor?

    Now, that is a tricky situation. There are many women who have regular contractions for weeks, and are dilated quite a lot (from one centimeter to four centimeters) for a long time before giving birth. In these situations, knowing whether you are in active labor can be very hard. These women have a tendency to give birth rather quickly once they do reach active labor. Contractions that come close together and are starting to be painful are a good cue, and a cervical check should provide more information as well.