Early Signs of Labor

There are various early signs of labor. Even though a woman may think she is in tune with everything that is happening with her body during pregnancy it is surprising how many early signs of labor are actually looked over or mistaken. You should always be aware of what these labor signs are so that you are prepared to deal with them properly if they occur. Such early signs of labor include a nesting instinct, nausea and diarrhea, vaginal spotting and bleeding, a lightening in the pelvis, membrane rupture of the amniotic sac and Braxton Hicks contractions

Throughout these nine months, women take on several hormonal changes which affect the body greatly. When the baby is about to leave the uterus, the woman's body receives one last rush of hormones which can normally make her sick causing nausea and diarrhea. This is one of the early signs of labor. Others experience a nesting instinct where the woman is recharged and full of life and energy just a few days prior to the birth.

Mucus blood spotting is also common. Women discharge mucus as the cervix begins to open up and it leaves a brown to pink blood mucus spotting. However, if there is a lot of discharge and it looks more like blood, then there could be a severe problem with the placenta. In this case you should call your doctor immediately. This mucus spotting can occur a few weeks to a few days prior to the birth.

Lightening is another early sign of labor. A woman will notice that she has more air as the lungs have more room to work because the baby has dropped into the pelvis in preparation for delivery. Besides the additional air you will notice much more pressure in the pelvic area. For first time deliverers, this can happen weeks before labor begins, while second to multiple deliverers may experience lightening hours before.

As the delivery approaches many women experience false contractions known as Braxton Hicks Contractions. These can start to occur weeks before the arrival of your newborn. As the delivery date approaches these contractions often become much more painful and intense, leading many mothers to believe that they are going into labor. However, a woman should realize that these are false contractions in preparation for labor. The membrane of the amniotic sac will rupture before real contractions start. This breaking of the sac will lead to a clear and odorless fluid that is discharged. These are the early signs of labor.