6 signs that you are about to give birth

When does the birth start? Are the “real” contractions the first sign of impending labor, or does your body give you a different signal before labor is about to begin? Find out here which birth signs you can look out for and how to interpret them.

How do you feel just before the birth? Are these signs of birth? Especially when it comes to the first child, women are often unsure when the time will really come. After all, they don’t want to trigger a “false alarm” and drive to the hospital for no reason. But don’t worry, even if you are sent home without having achieved anything, you were certainly not the first expectant mother who was wrong about this.

Possible signs of birth

The birth process is set in motion by hormonal changes. If everything went smoothly for you and your baby during pregnancy, the birth will begin when the baby is sufficiently developed and ready.

Many expectant mothers notice a pull in the lower back and/or a pull in the lower abdomen before the birth . Diarrhea or flatulence can also be a sign of childbirth. This is often accompanied by nausea and a general feeling of being unwell shortly before the birth. Some women also report a feeling of illness and a low mood . In addition, there may be muscle tremors and an unusual loss of appetite or cravings .

Clear signs of birth

In addition to these individual physical and psychological indications of the upcoming birth, the following physical signs point to the beginning of labor.

1. Your stomach lowers

Shortly before the calculated due date, your baby will ideally lie with its head down. This position allows him to slide his head deep into your pelvis. Shortly before the birth, the movements of your child also decrease . This usually lowers your stomach a little. You can now breathe a little more freely, but you usually feel increased pressure on your bladder and bowels. The result is a stronger urge to urinate and you may not sleep as well.

2. Departure of the mucus plug

The passage of the mucus plug usually precedes the contractions. However, in some expectant mothers it resolves as early as 14 days before the birth, in others only on the day of the birth just before the onset of labour. This differs from woman to woman. If the mucus plug comes off, you can tell by the increased discharge of a clear liquid. This can be accompanied by a small amount of bleeding, the so-called “drawing bleeding”.

Basically, you don’t have to worry about this bleeding. However, if the bleeding is heavier, it is always better to consult your midwife or gynecologist to rule out other causes of the bleeding. After the mucus plug has passed, make sure to avoid places or activities that expose you to a lot of bacteria. This can be the case, for example, when swimming.

3. Rupture of membranes

When the membranes rupture, the water sac bursts before labor begins. The rupture of membranes is manifested by clear liquid running out of the vagina. When the amniotic sac ruptures, this is usually not a painful process because there are no nerves running in the skin of the amniotic sac. The amount of liquid that escapes is also small when the baby’s head is already securely in the pelvis. Labor begins on average 12-18 hours after membrane rupture. Find out more about premature rupture of membranes and what you can do about it here .

Attention: If the liquid is greenish, your child has already excreted child speph (stool) in the amniotic fluid. This is an indication that the unborn child has already had stress, for example from a lack of oxygen. In such a case, the baby’s heartbeat should be checked and the oxygen supply checked as soon as possible.

4. Are these real contractions?

In about 70 to 80% of pregnant women, the fact that things are about to start “really” is announced by the contractions. You can quickly see that these are not exercise contractions that you noticed a few weeks ago.

  • The intervals between contractions are regular, around 5-10 minutes.
  • The intervals between contractions are getting shorter and shorter. They usually last half a minute to a minute.
  • The intensity of the contractions increases and pulls not only in front between the navel and the pubic bone, but also from the small of the back forward.

5. Widening of the cervical canal

If the amniotic sac does not burst early, as it does when the membranes rupture, it will at the latest when the cervical canal widens. Now nothing stands in the way of the birth.

Can birth signs go away?

Don’t be alarmed if you don’t have any of these symptoms and if in doubt talk to your midwife or gynecologist. Because some women do not notice any changes in themselves until the birth pangs. Pregnancy is a very exciting time and is just different for every woman – as is the birth. Basically, it is important to keep calm and to take the signs just described as a hint: It could possibly start soon.

The date of birth is not a fixed date

The calculated due date is only a statistical expected value. Because according to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, only around four percent of children are actually born on this day. Around two thirds of the children are born in the ten days before and after the calculated date. All other children see the light of day either as premature births (10%), premature births (15%) or more than ten days late (about 5%).

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