5 Signs You're in Labor

Your due date is right around the corner – or has passed – and you’re now waiting patiently for that sweet little bun to enter the world. It’s during this time when you’re hyper aware of everything going on with your body. Is that a bowel movement or is baby getting ready to rumble? Are you experiencing yet another Braxton Hicks cramp, or are these labor-related contractions?

The truth is that every woman is different, and that you may experience some of these symptoms weeks in advance as your body prepares for labor. However, there are some clear signs that you’re in labor, and that’s what we’re focusing on today.

Your Baby Drops
You may experience a noticeable “drop” or “lightening” sensation. This can happen a few weeks before labor begins, but it can also happen a mere few hours before your baby is delivered, as well.

This “dropping” occurs when your baby shifts into a head-down position and sits lower in the pelvic region. In addition to appearing like your baby is sitting lower, you may also find it easier to breath since there isn’t as much pressure on your diaphragm. This is also accompanied by an even greater need to urinate since your baby is now resting on top of your bladder.

Your Water Breaks
Not every woman experiences the cinematic “water breaking” moment, but if you’re one of the women who does, it’s time to head to the hospital or call your midwife.

“The first and most common sign of going into labor is when a fluid discharge suddenly gushes out of the birth cannel,” says Dr. Joseph Mosquera, a medical and health expert who founded saludmovil, a bilingual medical, health and wellness destination. “This happens when mother nature has figured out the baby is ready to leave the womb, but first the fluid must be released.”

You Have Dilation Cramps
If you start experiencing dilation cramps, especially when followed by your water breaking, then you’re almost certainly in labor, says Dr. Mosquera.

Dilation cramps feel like menstrual cramps, and occur when your uterus or lower abdominal area contract tightly and then release. This is the onset of your cervix widening to prepare for the passage of your baby. You will begin to feel stronger and more frequent cramps, or contractions, as you get closer to delivery.

You Pass a “Mucus Plug”
As your cervix begins to dilate, the thick, mucus plug that’s sealed your cervical canal will pass. This presents differently for all women. For some, you may pass the entire plug at once. In this case, it looks like a soft lump of mucus that may be tinted brown, pink or red with blood. For other women, the mucus plug breaks down before it’s passed and presents as heavy discharge that takes several days to pass.

Experience a Desire to Nest
Dr. Mosqeura says that some women experience a very specific, innate feeling of wanting to “nest” either shortly before and during labor. He’s seen this repeatedly in his own practice, as well.

“A desire to stay still, pause and lay down somewhere to give birth is a natural instinct,” he says.




Wendy Rose Gould is a writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. She covers women’s lifestyle topics for numerous digital publications, including InStyle, xoVain, Refinery29, Revelist, PopSugar and ModCloth. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram or at WendyGould.com