Early signs of childbirth .. differences between false and the true labor

Every pregnant mother eagerly awaits the arrival of her child, and if she feels signs of approaching childbirth, she wants to make sure of them. Knowing the upcoming birth date may be useful information even for those around the pregnant mother, so that they can provide assistance in case she needs it, sometimes some signs appear in the the seventh month or eighth month, here the doctor must be contacted immediately to determine the appropriate action to be taken, and if these signs appear in the ninth month, this means that the expected date for the arrival of the child has come and preparations must begin.

How do we know: When is the due date of birth?

Although it is difficult to know the exact day of conception, which makes it difficult to determine the day of birth, there are some factors that help the doctor determine the date of birth:

Nigel's rule: It is the method invented by the German obstetrician Franz Karl Nigel, which is a simple equation by adding 7 days to the date of the first day of the last menstruation, and then subtracting three months to determine the date of birth, and there are many pregnancy and birth calculators spread on the Internet that work According to this method, by which you can roughly estimate the due date.

Ultrasound: It can help determine the date of birth, and the ability of sound waves to determine increases between the eighth and eighteenth weeks, and it is preferable in the ninth month to visit the doctor regularly with ultrasound because it gives us a better idea of ​​the changes that occur in the mother in preparation for birth, Which helps in determining the exact date of birth, knowing that only 5% of children are born on the date set for them

What happens to the body in the ninth month?

In the ninth month, the body begins to prepare for the process of giving birth, and many signs of the approaching birth appear, such as:

• Breathing easier: Because the baby descends to the lower abdomen, its weight is no longer pressing on the diaphragm, so the mother can breathe more freely.

• Increased vaginal secretions: The amount of vaginal secretions increases and the weeks and days before delivery, which are signs that the vagina is starting to prepare for the passage of the baby.

• Mild cramps and contractions called Braxton Hicks in addition to increased pressure on the pelvic area.

These are the signs that appear in some women since the eighth month, especially in cases of premature birth.

fetal movement

Some women have felt more active for the fetus in the period leading up to their birth, and this may mean the child's response to the contractions of childbirth, which in all cases is a healthy sign that expresses his happiness with his upcoming internal and external environment.

belly shape

The descent of the abdomen down is a sure sign that the mother’s body is ready for the birth process, and the mother may feel the movement of the fetus under the pelvis, which causes a lot of starch to feel severe pain in the lower pelvis, while the fetus presses on the ligaments, making it difficult to walk for long periods.

Signs that appear days before the date of birth

Every mother wishes she knew that she was about to give birth a few days ago, and indeed there are many signs of labor, the most important of which are:

Sudden feeling of energy

Before the date of birth, the mom will have a sudden feeling of great energy and a desire to arrange the house or prepare your child's clothes and prepare his bed, and no one has found a scientific reason for this feeling so far, but some describe it as a maternal instinct.

Abdomen falling down and heaviness in the lower pelvis

You will notice your abdomen descending and a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen due to the fetus descending to the pelvic area. You may notice one side of the abdomen higher than the other side depending on the position of the fetus, and usually this happens weeks before labor, and the shape of the abdomen is one of the most important signs of childbirth, and the more you go down This means that the date of birth is near.

Diarrhea and frequent need to urinate

You will notice before the date of birth that you have diarrhea and an increase in your desire to go to the bathroom, because of the descent of the child's body to the pelvis and pressure on the bladder.

Feeling of being able to breathe easily and lightly

This also happens as a result of the child’s descent into the pelvis, the expansion of the place in the upper abdomen and the lack of pressure on the diaphragm, so the mother will feel the ability to breathe easily as before without pressure.

Dilation of the cervix

As the date of birth approaches, the cervix will gradually begin to widen in preparation for birth, and it does not necessarily disappear a day before birth, as it may occur days or even weeks before birth.

Increased vaginal secretions

When the uterus expands, you will notice the exit of mucous lines or mucous vaginal secretions mixed with thin blood threads from the cervix, which are the components of the mucus plug that prevented the entry of bacteria into the uterus, and may appear minutes, hours or a few days before the beginning of childbirth.

Uterine contractions

Among the most important signs that childbirth is imminent is the occurrence of successive contractions in the uterus called labor and the gradual increase in the time between contractions.

Amniotic fluid descent

After the labor occurs, the first step and the most important sign of childbirth begins, which is the explosion of the sac surrounding the fetus and the descent of the amniotic fluid through the vagina in preparation for the fetus’s exit.

In some cases, the fluid may descend slowly and be drops that leak from the vagina, and here you must pay attention and try to differentiate it from normal urine by smelling, as the amniotic fluid has no smell, unlike urine.

Signs of approaching caesarean section

Most of the cases of caesarean section are planned and agreed on the date, while in a few cases a caesarean section is performed due to problems in the mother or fetus, such as:

• The contractions are weak and the fetus is not progressing as it should toward the cervix.

• The size of the fetus is too large to match the size of the mother's pelvis.

• The heart rate of the fetus indicates that it may not tolerate the process of natural childbirth.

• Excessive vaginal bleeding indicates placental abruption, in which case a cesarean delivery is required.

• A medical emergency that threatens the life of the mother or fetus.

In cases of planned caesarean section, the date of the cesarean delivery is determined after making sure that the child is complete and ready to be born, which is done by performing an ultrasound to ascertain the general condition of the fetus and its readiness for birth.

How to distinguish between a real labor and the false ?

The signs of labor differ among women in general, and most pregnant women cannot determine whether they had a divorce or not. The pregnant woman may go through a condition called false labor before childbirth, and the following is the difference between the symptoms of false labor and the real one.

False labor

It is one of the symptoms that precede true labor and may also be known as Braxton Hicks contractions.

They are contractions that are irregular in strength and time, and may last for 30-60 seconds or may exceed two minutes in some cases.

real labor

• Regular contractions, gradually increasing in strength and the period between them.

• Pain that starts in the lower back to the lower abdomen.

• The force of the contractions increases with walking or movement.

You can now relax after knowing the most important signs of the approaching birth, be happy while you are preparing you baby's necessities, you can shop it online within markitee.com, the best website for all baby & mom needs, try to stay away from negative thoughts and pressures, and to be completely reassured and ready to welcome your newborn into your world, you can also check out the most important tips and instructions on the day of birth, and the childbirh prices in cairo hospitals, to choose the convenient for your needs.