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Labour & Delivery
Pregnancy may pass
quickly for some women and very slowly for others. But,
inevitably, pregnancy does come to the end. Soon, it will be time
for your baby to be born. You need to be prepared.
Although this is an
exciting time, many women have lots of questions and feel very
anxious and nervous about giving birth. The experience is
different for everyone, but if you know what to expect it will
help you to be more prepared–both physically and emotionally.
5 Signs that you're
in Labor
How will you know
when you're really and truly in labor?
It's been a long nine
months and you're anxiously waiting for the big moment. How will
you know when you're finally in labor? The following symptoms
indicate the onset of labor:
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Bloody show:
You notice a pink stain
on your underwear or toilet tissue. This indicates that you lost
the mucus plug.
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Rupture of membranes:
You feel fluid gush or trickle from your vagina, indicating that
the bag of water containing your baby has ruptured.
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Regular contractions that
intensify: You feel
contractions that are frequent and increasingly painful. They
don't go away but instead intensify with physical activity.
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Pain in lower back:
You feel a regular and
intense pain in your lower back that radiates to your lower
abdomen and sometimes even to your legs.
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Cramps that feel like intestinal
upset:
You feel cramping that seems like
the onset of diarrhea, and you may actually experience diarrhea.
If you're not sure
you're in labor, call your doctor and discuss your symptoms. If
you feel that you are definitely in labor, call your doctor and
ask her for instructions or to meet you at the hospital.
Important note:
Don't insert tampons, take a tub bath, or have intercourse after
the rupture of membranes. If the fluid from the rupture is tinted
green, brown, or gold, contact your doctor immediately. This is a
possible sign of fetal distress.
Now the moment you've
been waiting for all these months is imminent. Get ready to
experience the most life-altering event you could ever imagine,
and have faith in your body's ability to deliver its most precious
cargo. |