Signs of Labor & Preparing For Birth

Once you reach the third trimester, you should talk to your doctor or midwife about labor and delivery. Learn your options for pain relief. Find out how to reach her if you go into labor. And ask her at what point in labor should you call.

Before you reach the last few weeks of pregnancy, you and your partner should visit the hospital or birthing center. Make sure you know how to get there, where to park and where to check-in. Find out if you can pre-register so that your insurance information is already in the computer when you arrive.

Signs of Labor

Many women, especially with their first babies, think they are in labor when they’re not. This is called false labor. So don’t feel embarrassed if you go to the hospital thinking you’re in labor, only to be sent home!

If you think labor has begun, you should call your doctor or midwife. They can decide if it’s time to go to the hospital or if you should be seen at the office first. Learn the signs of labor so you will know when the time has come.

Call your doctor if you experience any of the following signs of labor:

• Contractions that come at regular and increasingly shorter intervals. Contractions should also become stronger over time.
• You have lower back pain that doesn’t go away. You might also feel premenstrual and crampy.
• Your water breaks (can be a large gush or a continuous trickle).
• You have a bloody (brownish or red-tinged) mucous discharge. This is probably the mucous plug that blocks the cervix. Losing your mucous plug usually means your cervix is dilating (opening up) and becoming thinner and softer (effacing). Labor could start right away or may still be days away.