Is there a way to predict when the labour will start?
Unfortunately, we still do not know when the labour will actually start. Each body is different and so no exact prediction can be made regarding the onset of labour.
However, what can be known is that body starts preparing for labor and delivery 20-30 days before onset of labour. You may not be aware of these changes that happen in your body but your body is preparing for your due date.
Do I need to be in the hospital before start of labour?
Like mentioned above there is no way to predict exact time of labour, so generally to-be mothers are not in the hospital when the labor pains start. You will most likely be home when the labor starts.
If this is your first baby, you must expect labour to last at least 12 hours before the baby is born. This means that you should have plenty of time to get to the hospital when labour has started. If you have already had one baby, your labour may be shorter the next time and it is advisable to go to the hospital as soon as you think you are in labour. If you are uncertain whether to go in or wait, telephone the labour ward for advice.
What are the signs of labour?
There are several signs that labour is about to start.
1. You baby shall drop.
This does not happen at onset of labor but in fact happens days or weeks before onset of labour. You may notice that your upper abdominal area and chest feel lighter and your breathing is better. These are signs that baby is dropping.
2. Increase in frequency and intensity of Braxton Hicks contractions
If you are having acute and frequent Braxton Hicks contractions then it could be a sign of pre-labor. This is the time when the cervix ripens and your body is prepared for true labor. This can be accompanied by a crampy feeling like you have during menstruation.
Braxton Hicks contractions could signal labor. So you must watch for intensity and frequency of contractions. If contractions occur 25-30 minutes apart and if they are not so intense then it could be a sign of false labour. However, if they are close together at an interval of 5-10 minutes and high in intensity then that could signal that labor has started and you must go to the hospital.
3. Ripening of cervix
Ripening of cervix means thinning and softening of the cervix accompanied by its opening. This ripening happens over the course of Braxton Hicks contractions which help in the ripening of the cervix.
4. Passing of the mucus plug?
Mucus plug can be understood as a plug that forms during pregnancy to seal the cervical canal. This plug is very important because it plugs the cervical canal and prevents amniotic fluid from flowing from the cervix. During labor, the passage of mucus plug means that your body is ready for delivery. With passage of mucus plug, you may notice that ‘water may break.’ However, there are times that you may lose mucus plug days before labor. If this happens, please see your gynecologist immediately so that she can examine you.
5. The water may break.
The sac of amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby often breaks at the beginning, of labour so that a fluid-like water suddenly gushes from the vagina. Even if you do not feel any pain, it is important to go to hospital because the doctor will want to examine you and to take precautions to avoid the baby becoming infected.
6. A show
As the neck of the womb stretches at the beginning of labour, a small amount of bleeding may take place. The few streaks of blood and mucus that you may lose from the vagina are often called "a show." If there is more blood then these few streaks, enough to soak a pad, you must report this to a doctor at once because it could be serious.
7. How to know you are having ‘true’ labour pains
You get a pain when the muscles in the wall of the uterus contract. The contractions of muscles slowly open the neck of the womb and push the baby out. When a pain occurs you will be able to feel the contraction in the uterus, because you will be able to feel the uterus, become hard when you place a hand on your abdomen. You may be able to feel irregular contractions from time to time many weeks before term, but they are painless. When the contractions are regular and accompanied by pain or backache this means that labour is starting.
Often the pains start with an ache in the lower part of the back. The pains, similar to period pains, are then felt in the lower part of abdomen; each becomes more intense and then fades away. When these pains occur regularly, every five or ten minutes, you are in labour and must contact your doctor or go to the hospital.
What to expect in hospital?
When you arrive at the hospital the doctor will examine your abdomen to find out the position of the baby and to see if his head is going down into your pelvis. Your blood pressure will also be taken, your urine examined, and they will check the case notes of your pregnancy so that they fully understand any problems you have. You may have a vaginal examination, because the doctor will want to know if the neck of the uterus, the cervix, has started to open. They will be able to tell how far labour has already progressed by the size of the opening.
