What are the signs before childbirth? Three major symptoms of labor pain, bleeding and water breaking

The signs of labor include labor pains, water breaking, and spotting. There is no specific order and they can happen at any time, so mothers should prepare a "go bag" and contact a doctor if any of these signs occur, and go to the hospital for delivery at any time. So, what are labor pains, water breaking, and spotting?

Labor pains: Labor pains refer to regular uterine contractions. The pains are mild at first, about ten to twenty minutes apart, and gradually become more frequent and intense until there is a contraction about every 2 to 3 minutes. Some expectant mothers may feel back pain.

Bloody show: Bloody show refers to a small amount of blood-containing mucus flowing out of the vagina.

Rupture of water: Rupture of water means that the amniotic membrane that wraps the fetus breaks, and the amniotic fluid flows out. The expectant mother will feel water flowing out of the vagina. It may be a large amount of outflow such as incontinence, or it may be a continuous and slow leakage. Normal amniotic fluid is transparent and odorless.

First stage of labor: As the uterus contracts more and more frequently, the cervix will slowly dilate. Effective uterine contractions occur approximately every 2 to 3 minutes, and each contraction lasts about 45 seconds. The cervix will begin to dilate from 1 cm to 10 cm, and the baby will slowly be pushed down the birth canal as the uterus contracts. Therefore, in the latter part of the first stage of labor (when the cervix dilates to 7 to 8 cm), the expectant mother will feel the urge to defecate and want to push down to defecate. This is because the baby's head presses on the mother's rectum, so there is an urge to defecate.

The second stage of labor: This is the most exciting moment! The second stage of labor refers to the period from when the cervix is ​​fully dilated (10 cm) until the baby is born. At this time, the mother must push down with force in coordination with the contraction of the uterus to deliver the baby.

The third stage of labor refers to the period from the birth of the baby to the complete delivery of the placenta.

Many mothers ask how long the entire birthing process takes. I heard that some people have pain for days and nights. The length of labor varies, ranging from a few hours to more than 20 hours. If it is the first child, the labor process may be longer. It takes about one hour for each centimeter of cervical dilation. If it is the second child or more, and the labor is natural and does not need to be induced, the labor process will be shorter.

Doctors and midwives will check the progress of the mother's cervical dilation every 2 to 4 hours and evaluate the baby's health with continuous fetal heartbeat monitoring. If the uterus contracts well, but the cervix still cannot dilate after a long period of time; or the baby has an abnormal heart rate, indicating that the baby may not have enough oxygen, then the pregnant mother will need a cesarean section.

Most pregnant mothers can successfully give birth to healthy babies, so don’t worry, just enjoy this unforgettable journey!