Signs of labor

After months of waiting, your baby is almost ready to arrive. Just as your body has helped your baby grow and develop for 9 months, it will now undergo changes to deliver your baby. Labor can be hard work, but there’s no greater reward for your efforts than bringing a new life into the world.

Signs that your body may be getting close to labor include:

• The baby may settle into your pelvis. This is called dropping or lightening and you may not feel it happen.
• Your cervix may begin to thin and open (cervical effacement and dilatation). Your doctor checks for this during your prenatal exams.
• The sporadic uterine contractions (called Braxton Hicks contractions) that you may have felt during the second and third trimesters of your pregnancy may become stronger and more frequent, and maybe a little painful.
• Your contractions are getting longer, stronger, closer together, and don’t go away.
• Your “water breaks” (rupture of the membranes). This usually happens after labor has already started. Call labor and delivery if you suspect that your bag of water has broken.