“How can I tell if I’m about to go into labor?” is a common question among pregnant women. First-time moms may worry about what to expect from labor, and if it’s a false alarm or something more serious than that. If you’ve ever given birth before, you know that the early stages of labor might be difficult to identify.
You’ll be able to tell when it’s ready to meet your baby if you keep an eye out for a few telltale indications. Here are ten symptoms that labor is only 24 to 48 hours ago.
#1 The ‘Baby Dr0pping’ feeling
Feeling your baby dr0p into your lower pelvic cavity is one of the ten signals that labor has begun. Now that the baby isn’t resting on your diaphragm, you may be able to breathe a little more freely. As a result, you may have to urinate more frequently since your baby’s head is now pressing on your bladder as he or she lowers to the floor. Pelvic pain is a common complaint among expectant mothers, and it is completely understandable.
#2 Losing your muc.us plug
It’s a thick plug that covers the cervical entrance. During pregnancy, this plug keeps bacteria out of your uterus, but as birth approaches, it loosens and falls out.
While some women find mu.cus on their under wear or while wiping after ur1nation after using the restroom, others find a glob of it in the to1let b0wl.
Don’t worry about the color of the mu.cus; it can range from clear to pink and even contain a trace of bl00d. What others refer to as the “bl00dy show” is quite acceptable in this context.
Your body is preparing to give birth by removing it. Even though it is possible to lose the plug several weeks before going into labor, it is much more common to lose it within the first few hours of labor.
#3 You will feel exhausted
Sleep deprivation and exhaustion do little to alleviate the discomfort of the latter weeks of pregnancy. Your tummy is the largest it will ever be, your to1let breaks are more frequent (as previously said), and you’re not sleeping at all. Another common symptom of labor is a desire to start nesting, which some women experience. Do your best to relax, even if you’ve heard it before.
#4 The real contractions kick in
Braxton Hicks contractions, sometimes known as false contractions, can begin weeks or months before the due date. Your uterine muscles contract to prepare for delivery, which causes false labor contractions. In spite of their discomfort, these contractions are usually gentler and last only a few seconds.
On the other hand, real contractions might last more than a minute. You should expect to go into labor within a day or two if your contractions begin to come every 4 to 5 minutes.
#5 You will suffer from diarhea
Several muscles in your body relax in preparation for labor and delivery, including those in your rec tum. This results in d1arrhea. In this case, d1arrhea in the days preceding up to childbirth is quite typical. If you find yourself peeing more than usual, don’t worry. It’s perfectly normal, and it will pass.
#6 You will start losing weight
The amniotic fluid levels will begin to fall as your baby grows and you move closer to labor, which means you will stop gaining weight. This is absolutely normal and perfectly fine.
If you’re a pregnant woman, you shouldn’t expect to lose weight until after the baby is born. 1 to 3 pounds of weight loss is not unheard of in the days leading up to childbirth.
Even so, this isn’t a weight loss program. Instead, your body is flushing out the surplus water. If you’re nearing the end of your pregnancy, you may notice a decrease in amniotic fluid and increased urination as your “baby drops.”
As your baby sinks lower in the pelvis, you’ll find yourself needing to use the restroom more frequently as a result.
#7 Extreme nesting
During the third trimester, many women experience a strong desire to prepare their home for the arrival of a new baby.
It’s possible that you begin cleaning, organizing, and setting up the nursery. Your body may suddenly break into panic mode approximately 24 to 48 hours before birth, and you’ll feel compelled to tidy and arrange.
When a woman is pregnant, she may stress over the contents of her hospital bag, the layout of her nursery, or even the cleanliness of her home.
#8 Low back pain
Pregnancy-induced joint and ligament laxity is a typical cause of low back pain. Pre-labor back pain, on the other hand, is different and more excruciating than the usual aches and pains of pregnancy.
When labor is within 24 to 48 hours, lower back and pelvic pain may worsen. Changing positions does not alleviate the pain, and it often persists after birth.
#9 Water b.reaking
Only 10% of women actually go into labor by their water break1ng, despite the fact that this is how most films depict the beginning of labor.
Your water br.eaking at the end of your pregnancy is one of the clearest signals that labor is within the next 24 to 48 hours. Most women who burst their water go into labor within the next two days, according to this research, which reveals 70-90 percent of women.
Amniotic fluid is released when the amniotic sac enclosing the fetus ruptures, rather than when the water breaks. The amniotic fluid is a rich source of labor-inducing chemicals. Messages are being sent to the woman’s brain as the fluid drips down, triggering the activities that lead to actual labor.
This fluid-filled sac protects your baby as it grows and develops, but it will rupture either spontaneously or artificially by your doctor in preparation for the delivery.
If you have a natural water br eak, your baby’s head is most likely to blame.
A burst of water may occur for some women, but it’s not always as spectacular as it is depicted on TV. In some cases, women simply detect a small trickle of water or the sensation of being wet in their under wear.
#10: The cervix starts dilating
When you’re in the final stages of pregnancy, you’ll have weekly visits with your doctor to assess how far you’ve progressed in your labor.
When the cervix d1lates, the birth canal widens to allow the baby to pass through. Cervical d1latation of at least 2 cm to 3 cm frequently suggests that labor is within 24 to 48 hours.