Signs of birth: Here we go! Or is it not?

Recently, a heavily pregnant woman said to me: "I feel like a stranded whale by now...". As your due date approaches or perhaps even passes, you're probably asking yourself the same question: When will it finally start? Of course, you can hardly wait to finally meet your baby and embrace him or her. However, this anticipation is often mixed with uncertainty, especially for first-time mothers: will I even realise that it's actually happening now - and how will I know?

Here I would like to give you an overview of the three reliable birth signs that will tell you: Your child will be on its way now or very soon!

A common sign of labour: the mucous plug loosens

As you approach your due date, you may suddenly discover liquid or viscous mucus in your panties or on a pad. It may be clear or slightly bloody. This is how you recognise that the so-called mucus plug has now dissolved. This process is also known as "drawing" or "drawing bleeding".

During pregnancy, the mucous plug has an important function: it seals your cervix so that no pathogens can enter your uterus. During labour, however, it should loosen and eventually detach. This is helped by the Hormone prostaglandinthat your body forms at the end of the pregnancy. Even contractions or training contractions, which some pregnant women hardly notice, loosen the cervix. This allows the Removing the mucous plug.

During this process, tiny blood vessels on the cervix sometimes rupture, causing the mucus to be slightly pink, reddish or brownish in colour. This is nothing to worry about. However, if you discover bleeding that corresponds to a period or is even heavier, this is a serious warning sign. It indicates that something is wrong. In this case, call your midwife immediately or go straight to hospital.

However, if the mucous plug has dissolved as described, there is no acute need for action. This is because it may well take a few days, sometimes even a few weeks, until the Actual start of birth. Nevertheless, you should report your observations to your midwife or doctor at your next follow-up appointment. However, it is also possible that your mucus plug is loosening without you noticing this "drawing". This process can also take place during a visit to the toilet or if you are already having a slight contraction that causes the cervix to change slightly. Not every mum notices these training contractions.

The contractions are clearly noticeable

Labour pains should first open the cervix. When they start, labour begins. In the vast majority of cases, labour is not something that happens from 0 to 100, but is an evolving process. The contractions slowly intensify. You start with the latency phase. And it lasts for several hours and days during which you and your baby prepare for the actual labour. During the latency phase, the cervix will stretch and the Cervix up to 5 cm wide open. Many pregnant women fear beforehand that they will not be able to differentiate this latency phase well. However, this distinction is important. Because in this phase, the birth goes best when the pregnant woman is in the comfort of her own home, unless there are particular risks for the birth.

To be sure whether you are having contractions with which you can still stay at home or whether you are already having "real labour pains", i.e. are already in the active opening phase, you should prepare yourself well for the birth with your partner. In my Online birth preparation course I told the Latency phase an entire chapter dedicated to this. Because it is often during this phase that the Further course of the birth.

How do you distinguish between the latency phase and prolapse labour?

However, it is often difficult for pregnant women to tell the difference: Are these already real Labour pains - or is it still a training labour or the latency phase? For a better assessment, a Warm bath help. This does not alleviate true opening labour pains, they often even intensify. Pure training or lowering contractions, on the other hand, usually become weaker. The following also applies outside the bath: real labour pains do not want to be influenced by movement, rest or a change of position.

As time progresses, the Intensity of labour pains to. Many women feel the pain in the lower abdomen and back, but it can also radiate to the upper abdomen, the lumbar region or the thighs. In the beginning, the contractions will still be irregular, sometimes every five minutes, then again every 20 minutes. Gradually the Intervals, however, more even and follow each other at increasingly shorter intervals.

If you have regular contractions that are approximately 3 - 5 minutes apart, last one minute and do not diminish in the bathtub, you are in labour. You will clearly feel the contractions of the active opening phase. You will feel that your baby is dilating your cervix. Once you have completed the latency phase, you will have the feeling that you need continuous midwife support. Because in this phase you will have to actively deal with the contractions. Then it is Time in the clinic or birth centre or - if you are planning a home birth - you can use the Midwife at your home comes.

However, how early or late you ultimately set off also depends on how long you will be travelling there - and how many children you are expecting. It's best to discuss a "rule of thumb" with your midwife in good time before your due date. If you are unsure, it is better to set off earlier. The midwives will give you reassurance and, if you are still in the latency phase, will let you drive home again with peace of mind. I explain how you can organise the latency phase well together with your partner in my Online birth preparation course.

Amniotic fluid leaks

At the end of the pregnancy, your baby is surrounded by around one litre of amniotic fluid. It comes out either in small quantities or as a regular gush when the amniotic sac breaks. You should then contact your midwife or the delivery room at your chosen clinic.

If the rupture of the membranes occurs before the onset of labour, your baby's head was on the cervix and you are already in the normal labour period, there is no need to rush in the event of rupture of the membranes.

Within the next few hours, labour pains usually start "as planned". If this is not the case, labour is usually induced.

Feel your belly and notice your baby's movements. If your baby moves less, you should tell the midwives when you call. They will then examine your baby promptly.

If you have a premature rupture of membranes after the beginning of the 38th week of pregnancy, you do not need to be transported horizontally to the hospital or birthing centre. You can go once you have felt your baby's movements, to the hospital or birth centre in peace and quiet by car drive.

A prolapsed umbilical cord is so rare that the old recommendation of transporting the baby lying down after rupture of the membranes is no longer given.

Some pregnant women are also unsure whether the leaking fluid is actually amniotic fluid or perhaps just urine. You can differentiate between the two using these comparisons:

• You can't stop amniotic fluid, but you can stop urine.
• Amniotic fluid is transparent and has a neutral odour. Urine is yellowish and usually has an inherent odour.
• Amniotic fluid often comes as a gush, urine always in a stream.

If in doubt, don't hesitate to ask your midwife for advice!

Further birth signs

In addition, various other signs may indicate that it will not be long before the birth. These include the lowering of the abdomen. This happens when the contractions have pushed your baby into its birth position on the pelvis. This often happens in the 36th week of pregnancy. This makes it easier for pregnant women to breathe again, but the baby is now exerting more pressure on the bladder and bowel. You may feel the urge to go to the toilet more often as a result.

Ultimately, however, it is of Different from woman to womanhow she or her body reacts to the fact that the birth is imminent. Some may lose their appetite, others may develop a real ravenous appetite. Sometimes the nausea of early pregnancy comes back. You may also feel that you are suddenly gripped by a general restlessness. However, it is just as possible that you will be completely relaxed about the impending birth of your baby. Your nest-building instinct may also become more pronounced now.

All these and other signs may or may not occur. Some heavily pregnant women don't notice any change at all. So don't worry if you just feel 'normal'. You will definitely not to be missed, when it really gets going.

If you have any worries or even fears about the birth at the end of your pregnancy, it is important that you take them seriously and seek clarification. After all, the birth process needs you to be calm and happy about this special event. The hormones that trigger labour are released by Stress and anxiety suppressed.

There are still many things you can do to prepare for the birth. In a birth preparation course, you and your partner will learn how to experience the miracle of birth together. If you haven't found a place in a local antenatal class or your partner doesn't have time, you can book our online antenatal class.