Labor can be very long for some time and it can take a whole night or a day or two. So it’s very important for dads to pack their hospital bag and be ready for any unpredictability.

If you are thinking what to pack in a hospital bag for dad, then don’t worry, I have put list of some essential items to put in your bag.

When to go to the hospital for labor : Read here the sign to know labor is coming soon or begun

1.    Comfortable clothes

Dad also needs some comfortable clothes in his hospital bag. Pack some comfortable clothes like pajamas, sweatshirt, sweatpants or any other in which you feel comfortable. You will also need some fresh undergarments, sock and small towel to feel fresh.

Remember to pack some nice clothes for pictures when your baby arrive, it will be a very big moment for all of you.

2.    Pillow and blanket

It will be good if you pack small blanket and a pillow like a small travel pillow or neck pillow to sleep comfortably if you need to spend a whole night in the hospital. Although hospital provide all the necessary items but it’s good to be prepared.

3.    Refillable water bottles

Water is a necessity and it’s very important to pack reusable water bottles. Both you and your partner need to stay hydrated throughout the day as it’s gonna be a hard as well as memorable day for your whole family. You may not get a chance to leave the room for water or anything else so it’s a good idea to keep reusable water bottles with you.

4.    Footwear

You should pack some comfortable footwear like slippers, flip-flops, crocs or other sneakers to stay comfortable and free.

5.    Extra cash, change and credit cards

It will be great if you keep some cash and change in hands for any emergency. Having extra cash will save you at the places where you can’t use card like vending machine or parking meter. This is an essential thing for dad to keep in their hospital bag.

6.    Healthy snacks for both of you

It’s a good idea to pack some healthy snacks for both of you to have some munching. When you are doing nothing, you feel hungrier and having some extra snacks and drinks will save you.  Your partner will also need some snacks in between of labor and maybe she won’t be able to eat much but having some healthy option in hand is always a good idea.

7.    Important medicines

It’s very important to keep important medicines with you. If you are on some medication like thyroid, blood sugar or any other, keep them handy and don’t forget to pack them.

8.    Necessary electronics

Check for necessary electronics that you need like ear buds, camera, tablet or laptop etc. You can discuss with you partner also about how she wants to capture those first moments and pack electronics according to your preferences.

9.    Phone and charger

Sometime we forget to pack charger so it’s very important to pack phone and charger both because labor can take lots of time and you don’t want to run out of your phone battery. You may need your phone anytime for necessary calls and important messages.

Read this to know about 20 tips to prepare yourself or your partner for labor

10.    Mask and sanitizer

If you are delivering a baby in 2020, it’s very important to pack some masks and sanitizer because you never know how hospital policies work and it will also help in preventing infection.

11.    Tissues and Disposables

You can also pack some tissue packet and disposable like spoon, glass and plates for having snacks and food. It’s always a great idea if you keep them in your hospital bag.

12.    Toiletries

Dad also needs some toiletries in his hospital bag. You may need to pack your toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, perfume, deodorant, wet wipes, face wash or anything that is necessary for you.

13.    Insurance details and important documents

It’s important for dad to checklist important documents like id-cards and insurance documents while packing hospital bag. Keep all the details with you and check for all the paper work that is needed.

14.    Glasses or contact lenses if needed

If you are using glasses or contact lenses, don’t forget to pack them. Add contact solution also in your hospital bag.

15.    Contact number of closed ones

Dad need to keep the record of contact number of closed ones while packing his hospital bag. You can need help from anyone while any unpredictability this is why it’s important to keep their number handy. You may need their number to notify them after delivering baby.

16.    Massage oil for mother

A mother is going through so much pain while labor and she will need your support all the time. You can support them with massage to sooth their pain. You should keep the massage oil in your bag to give them back massage or leg massage when she is in pain.

17.    Car seat

You can’t take your baby home without a car seat. You need to keep ready your car seat to welcome your baby at home. Put this essential item in dad and mom’s both checklists while packing for hospital bag.

18.    Check for the readiness of mom and baby bag

This is a very important responsibility of dad’s while packing hospital bags to checklist all the items in mom and baby bag also. It’s always a good idea to double check your partner bag by yourself to avoid any problems.

19.    A Special gift for partner

If you want to give a special gift to your partner when your baby arrives, don’t forget to pack that when you are preparing your hospital bag. It will give a special pleasure to your partner.

The post Hospital bag checklist for dad: 19 essential things to check for appeared first on YourHealthyMom.

An epidural is a type of anesthesia which is used most commonly for pain relieving during childbirth. Women used epidural as a primary method of pain relief more than any other method. Now a day’s more than 50% of women use this while giving birth at hospital. Before using any method of pain relief like epidural while childbirth, it is very important to discuss about all the side effects and risks associated so that you can make right decision.

As your due date is nearby, try to explore as much as possible about all the methods of pain relief so that you can prepare yourself for a better decision. Before choosing Epidural as an option, it’s good to be aware about the side effects, benefits and risks associated with it and how it’s administrated.

What is an Epidural

Epidural is a local anesthesia that blocks or reduce the pain in a particular area of body. Generally epidural is used as a pain reliever rather than as an anesthesia (that can cause numbness). It blocks the pain signal which results in decrease sensation in lower part of the body. You can take epidural anytime during your labor after consulting with your OB and Gynecologist.

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8 Common side effects of Epidural

Any medication that a woman uses while labor enters the child’s body also, through the umbilical cord, which includes epidural also. All the procedure including injection or painkiller carries their own risks and side effects. Epidural block also have its own side effects but most of them are temporary and risks are very rare.

Here are 7 common side effects associated with epidural.

1.    Low Blood Pressure

Low blood pressure is one of the side effect of epidural but its temporary and not harmful for the body. If your blood pressure drops very low after getting epidural, it can affect your baby’s heart rate. To prevent this and reduce the risk your doctor will give you extra fluid through IV before giving epidural injection. Your blood pressure will be checked time to time in order to avoid any complications and if necessary medications can also be given to maintain blood pressure.

2.    Back pain

Epidural injection is given in lower back of the body which can cause you a sore back or back pain as a side effect. This back pain or soreness should be resolved in few days. There are many myths about permanent back pain after epidural, which is purely a myth. There is no evidence to shows that epidural can cause permanent back pain.

3.    Numbness in legs

Some women can feel numbness in legs after receiving epidural which is not very serious and common side effects of epidural. This numbness should go particularly 6 to 8 hours and should not last very long. If it last too long, it’s better to check with your doctor as soon as possible to avoid any complications.

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4.    Fever

Epidural can cause fever in some women. According to research around 23 women in 100 that get an epidural can get a fever which is also considered as a common side effect of epidural; however the reason of this is still unknown.

5.    Itching

Opioids are a medication which is used in an epidural can caused you itchy skin as an side effect. A change in medication can work for you if you are feeling that your itching is severe and uncomfortable or your doctor can prescribe you medication to relieve the itching.

6.    Urination problem

Epidural injection used during childbirth is given in lower back to reduce the pain which decrease the sensation in lower body so that a woman will not feel the pain. A decrease sensation in lower body means decrease control of bladder. After an Epidural, the nerve is block which give you signal about full bladder, which is why women feels difficulty in urination. This is why a catheter is used when an epidural is given. Don’t worry; you will gain the control of bladder soon as the medicine worn off. This is a very common and temporary side effect of epidural.

7.    Nausea and vomiting

Some women can feel like vomiting and nauseous after receiving epidural which is generally because of low blood pressure caused by an epidural injection. You can check with your doctor if they can give you some medication to make you feel better.

8.    Dizziness and fainting

Epidural can cause dizziness or headache because of the needle affect the covering of spinal cord. This can persist for few days so it’s better to take a treatment after discussing with your doctor. Fainting is another side effect of epidural because of the decrease in heart rate and blood pressure.

7 rare side effect of epidural

While severe side effects are rare with epidural but still there is always a possibility of exceptions and some of the rare side effects with epidural are listed below.

1.    Severe headache

If the epidural injection goes too deep, it might make a hole in the protective layers around the spinal cord, and spinal fluid might leak out. If too much fluid is lost, it can cause severe headaches that may last up to a few days. According to the research this happens in about 1 out of 100 women who have an epidural. It is very necessary to treat this headache on time otherwise it can become severe also and can continue for dew days or weeks. Headache can be treated with medications and plenty of fluids.  

2.    Infection

There is always a chance of infection with the needle. However needles are always sterile and skin is cleared before giving epidural so chances of the infection from epidural are rare. Infection can be of type and generally within the body like it can occur in the area where it’s inserted, or it can affect brain or spinal cord also. 

3.    Difficulty breathing

Opioids are one of the medication which is used during epidural can cause breathing problem like difficulty breathing or slow breathing. Your doctor will monitor you time to time for any difficulties or problem and treat you according to the situation. 

4.    Nerve damage

The needle that is used to deliver epidural can damage a nerve which can cause temporary or permanent loss of sensation in your lower body. This side effect of epidural is very rare but it is very important to discuss about the symptoms with your doctor that you feel so that they can treat you according to your symptoms as soon as possible. Generally the effect of epidural worn off within 6 to 8 hour.

5.    Bleeding

In some rare cases epidural can cause damage to arteries which can cause bleeding and blood clotting within the soft tissues or epidural space. This can block the blood supply to brain or spinal cord.

6.    Seizure

Seizure means the changes in the brain’s electrical activity which includes shaking or loss of control. In rare cases epidural can trigger seizure but these kinds of side effects are very rare.

7.    Insufficient pain relief

This is also a side effect of epidural that sometime it may not block all your pain. This is one of the mostly seen side effects in women who opt for epidural. Sometime epidural is not for you and in such cases you may be offered alternative pain relief method. According to the research the average failure rate is 12% to 15%.

The post Epidural during labor: Side effects of Epidural appeared first on YourHealthyMom.

What does contraction feel like?

If you’re a first-time mom, you might be having some anxiety near to your delivery day. It’s normal to think when labor might start and how contractions will feel like.

 When you have a contraction, your womb tightens and then relaxes. For some people, contractions may feel like extreme period pains. You may have had contractions throughout your pregnancy, particularly towards the end. During pregnancy, these painless tightening is called ‘Braxton Hicks’ contractions.

As labor progress your contractions tend to become longer, stronger and more frequent. During a contraction, the muscles in your womb contract and the pain increases. If you put your hand on your abdomen, you can feel it getting harder. When the muscles relax, the pain fades and your hand will feel the hardness ease. The contractions are pushing your baby down and opening your cervix (entrance to the womb) ready for your baby to go through.

Sign of labor to check before going to the hospital

When you are near to due date, your body gives you some signals and signs of labor. The process of labor is different for each woman and you can feel your sign differently than other women or even different then your previous pregnancies also. Usually, the signs of labor are much more subtle and gradual.

Labor progresses in three stages: Early and active labor, childbirth stage and delivery of placenta. The early stage is the longest one where your cervix dilates from 1cm to 10cm and you can feel contraction in uterus which increases as the labor progress.

Here are some signs of labor to look for before going to the hospital.

• Bloody discharge from vagina which is also called as a SHOW
• Your contractions start coming more frequently maybe like a minute or two apart.
• Your contractions is longer in duration and more painful
• You have a lots of  back pain
• Your water breaks
• Your baby is not moving

What is the difference between true labor vs. false labor

Sometimes you may think you’re starting labor, but it’s just a false alarm. You might feel contractions, but your cervix is not dilating or effacing. Sometime false contractions come near to your due date which can be very confusing. False labor contractions are also called Braxton-Hicks contractions.

Here are some of the difference between true contractions and false contractions which you should check before going to the hospital.

9 Signs that will tell you labor is near by or coming soon

• False contraction feels better after walking but true contractions don’t feel better after walking
• False contractions don’t increase over the time but true contractions get intense as the labor progress.
• When you are having false contractions, the interval between each contraction is almost same but if you are in true labor, interval between each contraction keeps decreasing as the labor progress.
• During true labor contractions you can have bloody discharge from vagina. In false contractions there is no blood.
• False contractions are generally only at the front. True contractions begin at the back and move to the front.

What is the 511 rule of labor?

A simple rule to check when you should go to the hospital is 511 rule of labor. According to that you may be in active labor if your contractions happen at least every 5 minutes, last for 1 minute each, and have been happening consistently for at least 1 hour. Timing is the best way to check whether you are in true labor or not. You keep track of how often your contractions are coming, how long each one lasts, and how long they have been following the defined pattern.

Hospital bag checklist for dad: 19 essential things to check for

Timing your contractions before going to the hospital while labor

Timing your contractions will help you to know whether you are in labor or not. You can time your contraction before going to the hospital to check whether it’s true labor or false. Start timing your contractions when they get stronger or closer together. You can use a watch with a second hand or a mobile phone app. Your midwife will probably tell you to stay at home until your contractions are frequent.

When to go to the hospital for labor?

Your doctor/midwife will provide you specific information about when to come to the hospital. This will depend on the distance you have to travel, your previous deliveries, your health, and the state of your cervix.

You should go to the hospital if you are not sure whether you are in false labor or true labor. It is always to be cautious and it’s good for you and your baby both. Once you are at hospital, your doctor will tell you whether you are in true labor or false labor.

Timing is everything and starts timing your contractions once you feel a few in a row. Count the time between contractions from the start of one to the start of the next.

How can you prepare for labor? 20 tips to prepare for labor and childbirth

If this is your first baby, go to the hospital when you are in true labor and contractions comes every 3 to 5 minutes over an hour-long period and Last at least 45 to 60 seconds. If you are comfortable at home, stay at home. This stage may last for several hours. You can go back to the hospital when you aren’t comfortable any more.

If you’ve given birth before, go the hospital when your contractions come every 5 to 7 minute and last at least 45 to 60 seconds. If you had a fast labor the last time, go as soon as your contractions are regular or you aren’t comfortable any more.

Signs of labor you should not ignore and go to the hospital immediately

Labor progress in stages but there are still some signs that you should look for and never ignore. If you experience any of the below symptoms of labor than you should not wait and go to hospital immediately.

• Your water breaks down
• You have bloody vaginal discharge
• You feel the urge to bear down and push
• If you are having contractions according to 511 rule and this is not your first pregnancy.
• You no longer feel your baby movement.

The post When to go to the hospital for labor: signs that labor has begun appeared first on YourHealthyMom.

Now days there are lots of way to get knowledge about it, we try to get information from everywhere. It can be so exciting to prepare yourself for labor and delivery. There are so many suggestions, dos and don’ts that sometimes, feeling like you have to do all the things to have a perfect birth, which ends up creating extra and often, unnecessary anxiety.

But there are ways to simplify the process. So that you can spend more time enjoying your pregnancy rather than only preparing yourself for labor.

When I was pregnant for the first time, I was very happy but so scared also. I was keep reminding myself that I have a very less pain tolerance and the thought of labor was only increasing unnecessary stress for me.  At that time the epidural was the only option in my mind. At last I choose to do my own research and took advice from my doctor. I educate myself about the whole process, read about the signs of labor, learn some techniques for pain management during the labor and prepare myself for labor and delivery.

Although epidural was still in my mind as an option but I explore more and learn about other possibilities that I can try to make my labor easy and fast.

20 tips to prepare for labor and childbirth

Here are my top 15 tips to prepare for easy and fast labor.

1.    Stay relax, Manage stress and don’t over think

When we are stressed, even small thing can give as so much of anxiety and we start to over think about it. Child birth is not a small thing that is why it’s called labor, we have to tolerate some pain, keep that in mind.

I will not say that labor is not painful; it is, but it doesn’t mean that it’s unbearable. Women are made to do this and they can do it without any problems. So try to stay relax and don’t over think about it.

Try not to listen horror stories of labor; it’s not necessary that your story will also be the same. All women are different and no two births are same. That is why try to figure out best option for you and educate yourself.

Manage your stress, do some yoga, meditation, listen music, read books, watch some comic shows, communicate with other, accept your fears and discuss them; don’t over think about it, go with the flow.

2.    Learn about positions to prepare for labor

There are a variety of laboring positions. Some positions will ease your pain while others can even help with the position of the baby. The traditional labor position, lying on your back, puts pressure on the pelvic nerves which can actually increase pain. Changing positions during labor, lying on your side or walking around, may offer benefits and reduce little bit pain.  Sitting up improves blood supply to the pelvic muscles. Lying on your side reduces the pressure to your perineum.

Learn about different labor positions and practice them beforehand. Find out the most suitable position for you by changing them and ask your partner to assist you. 

When to go to the hospital for labor: sign that labor has begun

3.    Train you partner and hire some professional help like doula to support.

Child birth can be easy, messy, complicated or emotional. Always choose wisely who can stay with you during labor, choose the person who is most trusted to you. Train your partner about the whole process, read together, work on strategies together to manage the pain, take classes, and educate your partner along with you, so that he can support you during the labor. A healthy relationship can help you so much during that time. Research shows that poor relationships during pregnancy are a large contributor to stress.

Doulas are non-medical professionals who are trained to provide emotional and physical support and information to women about pregnancy and during labor. Studies always shows that with the support of trained doula, labor times are shorter and the need for epidurals and C-sections were decreased by about half.

Click here to know about Epidural (Painless childbirth) during labor and its possible side-effects

4.    Stay at home as long as possible.

Labor is a long process and there are 4 stages of labor. The first stage is the longest one and the easiest one also. In this stage your cervix start dilation from 1cm to 10 cm and sometimes it takes too long. Initial contractions are also slow and can be 15 to 20 minute apart. So try to stay at home until your contractions are 5 minute apart and 1 minute long. At home you can be relaxed and stay calm. Home is always a comfortable place for everyone. Hospital environment is different. At home you will be free to move about in your own comfortable surroundings and eat and drink what you need.

5.    Learn about breathing exercise to manage pain

Breathing is way to relax your muscles and brain. When you breath, it give a signal to brain to stay relax. Practice deep breathing exercise throughout your pregnancy several times a day it’s one of the best ways support your physical, mental and emotional state. In tense or stressful situations, breathing gives your brain enough oxygen to stay alert to take the next right action.

6.    Try to take a nap

The first stage of labor is the easiest one when your cervix starts dilating from o to 10 cm; it’s not that difficult to take a nap at that time. Try to take a nap in between contractions whenever you feel. Keep your energy level up by taking small naps in between. Sometime, during labor, your contractions can often stop when you’re fully dilated. The process of labor is very tiring, small naps will help you to finish that process smoothly and with full of energy.

7.    Snack regularly during the labor

Lots of energy is needed during labor. By snacking regularly and drinking plenty of water while labor will make a massive difference. Fill your hospital bag with lots of small snacks and have them regularly to keep your energy levels up.

8.    Keep moving and stay active while labor

Walking is the best way to keep moving while labor and to reduce pain. Movement can help your labor progress and relieve discomfort. If you walk around during labor, you should need less pain relief and are more likely to actually have a shorter labor.

9.    Make your mind to cop some pain

Labor is a painful process and it’s not easy but it doesn’t mean that it’s not bearable or impossible. Know your strength and keep reminding yourself that you can do it. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to avoid pain in bringing a baby into this world. Even with pain medication or a C-section, you will most likely experience some pain through the process. So just try to focus on the pain management and the purpose of pain. You have to do the hard work to get a beautiful result in your hand, so make your mind to bear some pain and prepare for labor.

10.    Educate yourself about labor and join some prenatal classes

You must have heard theses lines that, “Education is the key of success”, the same applies for labor. Educate yourself about labor and delivery. Get the information from everywhere but try not to co-relate your labor with their experiences. Everyone is different, so the labor is also different for all.

Join some prenatal classes in your third-trimester. These classes are meant to teach women and their partners about the different aspects of pregnancy and the delivery itself. If you’ve never witnessed a birth before these classes deal with preparing for labor, what to expect during labor and coping techniques.

11.    Yoga and Kegels

Attend some yoga classes during your pregnancy. Yoga has many benefits such as practicing breathing yoga will help you during labor to stay relay and manage pain. Yoga prepares the body to be upright in labor—standing, kneeling, hands and knees and squatting—and these positions keep the pelvis loose and open for easier positioning and descent of the baby.

Kegels are basically pelvic floor exercise. Do you Kegels throughout your pregnancy to make your pelvic muscles strong. Pelvic floor exercises help many women avoid medical interventions. Strengthening these muscles, by squeezing the walls of the vagina tightly together and holding for a count of as much as 20, may make pushing more efficient and prevent poor bladder control and hemorrhoids.

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12.    Consider water birth

Research shows that the mothers who opt for water birth often experience an easier and less painful labor. Being in water will help you to stay calm and relax. Baths during labor should not be warmer than body temperature, and you should avoid bath before the active labor begins. Bath time should not be longer than 1 or 2 hours at a time. Ask for help whenever you want. Choose your birth plan according to your preference and comfort zone will make this process easy for you.

13.    Perineum massage

Perineum massage aims to stretch, usually using two fingers, the perineum tissues ready for birth. From around 34 weeks, you can start gently massaging your perineum using some oil, to help prevent tears. You can massage your perineum by yourself or with your partner if you’d prefer.

14.    Consider hot or cold pack during labor

Consider a hot or cold pack while labor will reduce your discomfort while labor. Applying hot or cold pack to you lower belly or back during that time may relief some discomfort.

15.    Massage and acupressure while labor

Massage and added pressure helps in reducing pain. It gives good signals to brain in stressful situations. A gentle massage on neck and foot can work as a wonder for you during labor.

Acupressure is a technique of applying pressure on some points to release pain. Your partner or birth coach can apply counter pressure with these three techniques.

• Tailbone press. With each contraction, your partner presses on your tailbone with the heel of his hand or a tennis ball.
• Back caress. Your partner lightly runs his fingertips over your shoulders and down your back.
• Pelvis press. While standing behind you, your partner puts his hands on your hips and pulls back on them firmly with each contraction.

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16.    Hypnotherapy

Hypnobirthing is a birthing method that uses self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques to help a woman feel physically, mentally and spiritually prepared and reduce her awareness of fear, anxiety and pain during childbirth. It helps to progress your labor and stimulate the release of breast milk to feed your newborn baby.

17.    Trust yourself

Women are a creation of GOD and GOD create you to do this, trust on this. Remember that you can do this—pregnancy, birth, motherhood, all of it. Remind yourself time to time that you are strong, you are capable, and you are ready. Sometimes your inner strength works wonder for you.

18.    Focus on yourself and try not to focus on other’s birth plans

When you will ask your social group about their birth plan and experience, you will get lots of ideas that what worked for them and what not. But it’s not necessary that all those things will work for you also. Focus on your plans and consider the plan that will work for you. Don’t think that you are not doing right if something is not working for you and have worked for one of your friend. Remember your body is different. 

When it comes to birth plans, you’re better off keeping it simple — and going in with the expectations that things may not go the way you are planning. Just prepare yourself in case things change. You won’t know how fast you will labor or how the contractions will affect you. The goal of delivery is to have a healthy mom and baby. The path for each will be slightly different.

19.    Listen to your body and go with the flow

Practice yoga during your pregnancy and focus on your body. Yoga helps to understand your inner strength and helps you to feel the strength of your body. Let your body handle everything by itself and go with flow. Your body is capable to doing everything by itself; you just keep supporting it by relaxing your mind. Go with your body; Push when you’re ready and save your energy in between.

20.    Raspberry leaf tea

Raspberry leaf tea is an herbal remedy that is thought to tone the muscles of your uterus (womb), to help it work during labor. The idea is not so much to speed upor induce the labor. It’s just a tonic for the uterus. Drink it four times a day after 36 weeks of pregnancy. Evidence shows that women who drink raspberry leaf tea have shorter labors and need less pain relief.

Final Note

At the end nobody knows how things will go but you can do your best to make it easy, smooth and less painful. It requires preparation because our modern lifestyles today don’t naturally prepare us to give birth. Using some of these strategies will help you to make this process easy. So take your time to get ready—physically and mentally—for the big day.

The post How can you prepare for labor and childbirth: 20 tips to prepare yourself appeared first on YourHealthyMom.

Labor is the process in which your baby enters to the real world and leaves your womb. Labor is also called as childbirth, starting with contractions of the uterus and ending with the delivery of the baby. When your labor is nearing, your body shows you some signs that you can look for and be ready for you big day.   

I remember the time when I was pregnant and during my whole 9^th month I was wondering that how will I know that I am in labor. Your body gives you signs that you should understand, your body can tell you a lot.  As your due date is coming closer, learning the signs of labor can help you to get ready for birth.

As we are near to our big day (due date), so many question comes in mind and it’s not possible to find each and every answer. Each woman is different and each woman experiences her pregnancy and child birth differently. So answer to each question is different for all women.

9 Signs that can tell you labor is nearing or coming soon!

There are so many signs your body will give but it’s not necessary that you will fell all the symptoms. You can feel one at a time or more than one at same time. For some women body don’t give any of these signs. It’s very unlikely that you will suddenly go into labor without warning. Your body will give you some signs when labor is nearing, so make sure to keep an eye on them.

1.    Lightening (baby drops)

Lightening is a sign of labor, it means that your baby is getting ready to move into position for birth. It can happen a few weeks or even just a few hours before your labor begins. If you’re a first-time mom your baby will typically start to drop, or descend into your pelvis, a few weeks before labor begins. In subsequent births, this “lightening” doesn’t often happen until you’re truly in labor.

By this time your baby is taking position to make his exit, ideally with head down position.

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2.    Increase in cramps and back pain

You can feel some cramps and pain in your lower back when your labor is near. Your body is preparing you for birth by stretching and shifting your muscles and joints.

3.    Diarrhea

Loose and frequent bowel movements with cramping. “That’s the body’s way of emptying the bowels so the uterus will contract well”, this is a way to relax your muscles in the rectum and prepare your body for the big day.

How can you prepare for labor and childbirth. Read these 21 tips to make this process easy

4.    Feeling tired

If you are feeling extra tired and your energy levels are decreasing, this is perfectly normal and can be a sign that labor is coming soon so be ready for your big day.

5.    Cervix dilation

Your cervix is also preparing for birth. It starts to open up and thin out before your labor. Your doctor can examine your cervix via internal exam to measure and track cervix dilation.

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6.    Increase in Vaginal discharge

You have an increase in vaginal discharge that’s clear, pink or slightly bloody. This can happen few days before labor or at the beginning. It’s also called bloody show.

7.    Stronger and frequent contractions is a clear sign of labor

Contractions are usually a sign of active labor. Sometime contraction can be your false alarm, also called Braxton hicks contraction. These are practice contractions that can start a few weeks before labor.

There are some difference between false contraction and real contraction.

• Real contractions gets stronger instead of easing up like false contractions
• Early real labor contractions could feel like strong menstrual cramps, stomach upset or lower abdominal pressure.
• Real contraction doesn’t go away when you change position.
• Real contraction becomes more frequent and painful. Intensity tends to build as labor progress. False contractions come and go without getting intense.

8.    Baby movement before labor

Your baby may move less as you get closer to the start of labor, but let your doctor know. It can sometimes be a sign of a problem.

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9.    Water breaks

This is a sign when you are in active labor. Your baby is growing in a bag of amniotic fluid in uterus, when that bag breaks, you may feel watery discharge or may feel rush of water.

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