Babies Tale

The changes taking place in your body, placenta, and baby during the last three months of pregnancy accelerate at the end, culminating in labor. As the placenta ages and gradually loses its ability to maintain the pregnancy, the baby becomes strong and capable enough to survive outside the mother’s body; the uterus begins to let go and expel the baby; and the mother becomes ready to give birth and to feed and nurture her baby. Labor consists of rhythmic uterine contractions, which open the cervix and press the baby down through the birth canal and out of your body. The uterus is a big, long hollow muscle; when it contracts, it tightens and hardens. This may happen anywhere from twenty-five to three hundred times during labor, which may take anywhere from a few hours to more than a day. The process not only involves your uterus, but your entire body and mind; all your energy is devoted toward the one goal of giving birth to your baby.

How will you know when you are in labor? As basic as this question is, it is one of the most difficult to answer. It usually takes hours or even days to figure out whether your sensations are labor or something else [pre-labor or false labor]. This is because labor does not begin suddenly. It evolves gradually. At some point, you or your doctor will recognize that these sensations are true labor, meaning that they are accompanied by increasing dilation of the cervix.

The signs of labor may be divided into subtle signs, preliminary signs, and absolutely clear signs.

If you are within a week or two of your due date, you generally may wait until you have an absolutely clear sign of labor before going to the hospital, although your doctor may ask to let him or her know if your bag of waters [amniotic sac surrounding the baby] seems to be leaking. If your pregnancy has been complicated by diabetes, high blood pressure, or other medical conditions, or if you have twins or a breach fetus, your doctor may advise you to go to the hospital with the onset of preliminary signs. If you are several weeks before your due date, you should notify your doctor if you have any preliminary signs, because they could indicate early or premature labor. Premature labor can be stopped if treatment has begun early enough.

To determine whether your contractions are progressing [that is, becoming longer, stronger, and closer together] , you need to time them. On a sheet of paper, list the time when the contractions begin, and how long they last. Time them in this way for an hour or two. If they are not progressing, stop for a while until they seem different, then try timing again.

You should call your doctor or your hospital’s labor and delivery ward to tell them you are in labor or to ask for advice. Be sure to report the status of your bag of waters; whether you have had a bloody discharge [called bloody show, which you will continue to pass while you are in labor]; how long and how many minutes apart your contractions are; and how strong and painful they feel to you.

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