Am I in labour?

Every woman's account of labour is unique. You may truly recognise after your first experience!

Like first love, labour is so magical that you may not know it when labour hits you. But after been through one, the bitter-sweet feeling will make labour most memorable.

Many women remain puzzled about the elusive labour. Different women described labour with varying symptoms. Some said labour pain was similar to back pain, tummy pain, pelvic pressure, mucus plug, gush of watery fluid or even constipation. This feeling varies for different women and interestingly, even for the same woman, she may experience for different children. Labour is typically described as one of the following:

• Painful contractions

• Mucus plug due to cervical dilatation

• Rupture of the fore-waters with leakage of liquor

5 symptoms of early labour

#1 Lower back pain

#2 Feeling of menstrual cramps

#3 Diarrhoea or loose stools

#4 Bloody discharge (called show)

#5 Feeling emotional, restless or even moody

With any of these symptoms, you are almost at the finishing line.

5 warning signs of impending labour

#1 Lightening, when your baby's head is engaged deeper in your pelvis inlet. You will need to pee more frequently, and walking is more difficult

#2 Bloody and mucoid vaginal discharge

#3 More intense Braxton Hicks pains

#4 Emotional mood swings

#5 Sudden insomnia and waking up at early hours. This is a rehearsal for breastfeeding!

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