HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN LABOR HAS STARTED?

This is a common worry for first-time mums, but once labour really gets going you’ll definitely know.
The early signs of labour are:
♦️A show (the mucous plug at your cervix comes away and appears as a pinky-brown jelly-like blob or in pieces.)

♦️You might feel pains that feel like strong period pains (these are the start of contractions)

♦️You might have pain in your lower back that comes in waves.

♦️You may find that your waters break, in which case you know that labour is, or soon will be, under way, or you might start by feeling contractions. These will be different from the practice Braxton Hicks contractions that you may already have had. They feel *stronger, deeper and more painful.* Look out, too, for waves of backache, as some women find that this is where they feel their contractions.

Once labour has started, your contractions will become *more regular and won’t go away!*

When you are having a contraction every five minutes (and last 30-60 seconds), call your midwife, birth centre or hospital labour ward if you are giving birth there or go to the hospital as the case may be.

If this is not your first baby, or you are likely to have a quick labour, your midwife may advise you to call earlier than this.
If you’re still not sure whether you’re in labour, phone the labour ward or your midwife. They are used to dealing with false alerts so don’t worry.

Dr Esther Oluwadeyi
Culled from tommys .org
Published By Dr Babajide Alalade