Pre-Labour and LabourMedical definitions of labour divide it into three stages. In the first stage, the cervix opens fully to allow the baby to pass through; in the second stage the baby is born; in the third stage the placenta is delivered. But, as well as these stages, most women experience pre-labour. Your experience of labour will be much more colourful and exciting than the above definition. Pre-Labour*Before the real labour begins, hormones secreted by your uterus and the baby prepare your body for birth in a number of ways. During the last few weeks, you will probably notice a few signs of your impending labour. However, just as each woman’s experience of labour and birth is unique, so these pre-labour symptoms affect each woman in varying degrees of intensity. They provide useful signals that indicate to you that labour is imminent. Engagement*To position himself for the journey through the birth canal, your baby will move lower down so that his presenting part, usually the head, settles into your bony pelvis. This is known as engagement and you will experience it as a feeling of lightening. If this is your first pregnancy, engagement will probably occur about two to three weeks before the onset of labour. If you’ve had previous babies, the baby’s head may remain higher until just before labour starts, as your uterine muscles may have stretched and so will exert less pressure on your baby. You will know when engagement takes place because pressure on your diaphragm will ease and breathing will become easier. On the other hand, you will probably have to pass urine more frequently, as your baby will now be pressing down on your bladder. Braxton Hick’s Contractions*Your uterus practises for the strong contractions needed in labour with weak, irregular contractions. Named after the doctor who first described them, the majority of women feel them during the last few months. If you place your hand on your abdomen, you may feel a hardening and tightening of your uterus, which lasts for approximately 25 seconds. Unlike real labour contractions, these are usually painless, although a few women find them uncomfortable. If you feel any discomfort, sitting down quietly should help to ease them. Runs of Braxton Hicks’ contractions may become more frequent and intense as real labour approaches, helping to prepare the cervix for dilatation, and to increase the circulation of blood to the placenta. When you feel a run of Braxton Hicks’, practise the relaxation techniques you intend to use during labour; the tightening and relaxing of your uterus will give you a good idea of how a contraction feels as it waxes, and then wanes. Some mothers misinterpret Braxton Hicks’ for real labour, arriving at the hospital only to be told to go home again. “Nesting Instinct”*You may feel a surge of energy to make final preparations for the arrival of your baby. If you feel the urge to rush around cleaning or decorating the house, or cooking large meals, try to restrain yourself. You will need all this extra energy for coping with labour and delivery. The Show*An obvious sign that labour is imminent is the appearance of the show – the plug of mucus that seals your cervix in pregnancy, providing protection against infection. Although the show often does not appear until labour is underway, the cervix may widen enough for the mucus plug to be dislodged up to twelve days before labour begins. This sticky substance may be slightly brown, pink, or blood-tinged from the capillaries that attached it to the cervix. The show signals dilatation of the cervix. Premenstrual Feelings*Physical and emotional changes similar to those you experience premenstrually may occur. You may also feel crampy, with pressure in your rectum, and feel the need to empty your bowels and pass urine frequently. Your Baby’s Descent*This is checked with an internal examination, and expressed as “stations”, lines measured in centimetres from -5 to +5 in relation to the level of your baby’s head. When his head first enters your pelvis it is at station -5. When the top of his head is level with your ischial spines it is at station 0 (engaged). The other stations describe the head’s position as it passes via the birth canal to the vaginal opening, station +5. A False Labour*It’s not always easy to distinguish false from real labour if it’s your first pregnancy. As a general rule, if you’re in doubt, you’re not in real labour. Although false labour is only a rehearsal, it is not a reason to be disappointed; false labour heralds real labour, and you won’t have very much longer to wait. There are some simple distinctions between the contractions of false and real labour.
* Dr Miriam Stoppard MD FRCP, Conception, Pregnancy & Birth, Dorling Kindersley, Australia 2002 |
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