10 signs of an imminent birth – how to know when to give birth?

Any woman expecting a baby knows that the last weeks before the upcoming birth drag on long enough. A special feeling of anxiety is inherent in expectant mothers, who will have to give birth for the first time.

See also: Stomach hurts during pregnancy – when to sound the alarm?

The article will talk about ancestral harbingers – this information will be useful both for women expecting the birth of their first child and for women who have already given birth.

The content of the article:

10 most sure signs of a close birth

1. Belly sank
   About fourteen days before labor begins, abdominal ptosis may be noticed in primiparous women. This happens because the baby, preparing for birth, is pressed against the exit, dropping into the pelvic area. In women who are not expecting the birth of their first child, the belly may sink a couple of days before giving birth.
   After lowering the abdomen, a woman may experience ease of breathing, as well as discomfort associated with swelling and frequent urination. However, you should not be afraid of this. Swelling and frequent urination will serve as a key sign of approaching labor – that is, very soon your little one will be born.
2. Incomprehensible weight loss
   The entire period of waiting for the baby, the woman is gaining weight, but before the onset of childbirth, she can dramatically lose weight by several kilograms. This indicates that soon you will meet with your baby. Weight loss occurs due to the absorption of fetal water and should not cause anxiety in the expectant mother. Weight loss is approximately one to two kilograms. In this case, the puffiness disappears.
3. Mood swings
   Psychological metamorphosis occurs in the female body, along with physiological changes. One – two weeks before the appearance of the baby, the woman feels the approach of this meeting and prepares for it. The strength for doing household chores appears. I want to do everything at once.
   The mood and character of the future mother becomes so changeable that she either laughs or cries. This is not very noticeable throughout the pregnancy, but it is perfectly visible before childbirth. Do not neglect this sign.
4. Goodbye heartburn!
   In the last days before childbirth, the pressure from the diaphragm and stomach is eliminated, there is a feeling that it becomes much easier to breathe. The shortness of breath and heartburn that haunted the woman throughout the pregnancy disappear. At the same time, some difficulties appear – it becomes more difficult to sit and walk, it is difficult to find a comfortable posture, difficulties with sleep appear.
5. Unstable appetite
   For those who had a good appetite throughout the pregnancy, and suddenly noticed a decrease in it, this sign will be a signal to prepare for childbirth. An increased appetite for those who previously ate poorly at all will also testify to the approach of childbirth.
6. Loose stools and frequent urination
   All nine months, the woman managed to run into the toilet. However, things are happening differently now. The urge to urinate becomes more frequent. The intestines first begin to cleanse – and here’s diarrhea. The hormones that relax the cervix begin to affect the intestines, resulting in loose stools. These symptoms usually appear two to seven days before delivery. Some women may even confuse the onset of labor with some kind of poisoning.
7. Nesting instinct
   Some time before giving birth, a woman has a desire to withdraw into herself, retiring from everyone. If you want to curl up in a ball or hide in a secluded place, you cannot see your relatives – congratulations, childbirth is just around the corner, and, perhaps, the countdown has started. The female body will feel this, and requires a break for the future woman in labor, so that she attuned herself to the appearance of the child psychologically.
8. Fading baby
   The movements of the baby in the womb change significantly before the onset of labor. The baby grows up, and there is not enough space for him in the uterus. That is why he can not kick or push for a long time. The CTG device will show mommy that the child’s activity and heartbeat are normal, there is no reason to worry. In the last four weeks before childbirth, CTG is recommended to be done at least twice a week, or better – every day.
9. Drawing pain in the pubic bone
   Immediately before the baby is born, a woman begins to feel a pulling pain in the pubic bone. This is due to the fact that for childbirth, softening of the bones is necessary to facilitate the process of having a baby. A dull aching pain accompanies the process. These symptoms are not scary at all, you can prepare things for the hospital.
10. Exit of the mucous plug
    Every woman has undoubtedly heard that the mucous plug protects the baby from various infections throughout pregnancy. In the process of opening the cervix, the plug comes out. Remember, during the first birth, the uterus opens rather slowly, and much faster in subsequent births.

Read also: Braxton Hicks training contractions – how to distinguish them from labor pains?

All these are indirect signs of the onset of labor. And only an obstetrician-gynecologist during the examination can tell about the actual onset of labor – he judges by the opening of the cervix.

Two signs of the onset of labor

1. Outpouring of amniotic fluid
   The discharge of water from each woman in labor can take place in different ways. For some women, the water can still drain at home, for some it leaks, and there are also cases when the water leaves after a puncture of the fetal bladder in the delivery chair.
2. The appearance of regular contractions
   Contractions are a sure sign of an imminent birth. It is impossible not to notice them. Contractions are like wave pains, starting in the lower back and going down to the lower abdomen. Pains appear with a certain period, sensitivity increases over time.

Symptoms of the onset of preterm labor

• Premature birth is comparable to the threat of termination of pregnancy. The beginning of the process – discharge of amniotic fluid at a gestational age that is still far from the planned due date.
• Harbingers of premature birth can be uterine contractions, pulling back pain, some tension in the abdomen… At the same time, the discharge intensifies, streaks of blood appear.

Noticing such signs in herself, a woman should immediately seek medical help in order to prevent premature birth. If the cervix begins to open, nothing can be done, you will have to give birth.

The Colady.ru website warns: an incorrect assessment of your condition during pregnancy can harm your health and become dangerous for your baby! If you find signs of an imminent birth or any discomfort during pregnancy, be sure to consult a doctor!