Towards the end of the third trimester women begin to worry about the labour and when it will happen, some women worry about this throughout their entire pregnancy. Labour is different for all women but there are some general commonalities between all pregnancies that give doctors the knowledge to know what to look for. The one thing that confuses most women is the false labour, which will be discussed briefly below.



All women want to know what the signs of labour are, what do they need to look for and how will it feel when they are ready to deliver the baby. Once again this is different for all women, in that it happens at different rates but all women will experience the same thing when going into labour. In the days before your labour really begins you will notice some changes in your body. It is during this time that women notice that the baby feels lower and some report that they are able to breathe again because the baby is no longer sitting up under their ribs. This stage of the labour is called lightening and engagement and is when the baby begins to descend into the pelvis. The baby is getting into position. It is during these days that women will experience an increase in back pain and even groin pain. There is a thickening of vaginal discharge and there may even be diarrheal.

During the days leading up to the real labour most women report that they started feeling the false labour pains. This is also referred to as Braxton Hicks contractions. The difference between these contractions and the real contractions is that these are not regular and they differ in severity. The contractions are lower in the abdomen rather than in the lower groin. Also, false labour contractions can be eased within the increase of water intake, real contractions cannot.

Real labour pains are characterized by forceful contractions; these contractions get progressively stronger and increase in intensity. It is during the actual labour that women begin to release what is called the loody show? which is really blood streaked mucus from the vagina. It is during this time that you should consult your doctor. Even if you believe that you are not in labour you should consult a doctor to make sure that you are not having the baby. During labour women will find that the back pain and the increase in pressure in your groin will cause you to want to push and this is not a good idea unless you are being observed by a medical professional.

During the labour a number of things can happen. The labour may be quick and short with a few simple pushes or it may drag on for hours. In most cases where the labour drags on for a considerable amount of time the women will opt to take drugs to reduce the amount of pain and discomfort. The doctors and nurses will monitor your contractions, heart rate and the baby's heart rate to ensure that everything is fine. There is a chance that the baby cannot be delivered naturally and a caesarean section must be done. If this case the doctor will talk to you about everything and explain what will happen. No matter how the baby is delivered it is important that the baby be delivered in the safest manner to ensure it is healthy.