Labour

How Will I Know That I Am Going Into Labour?

There are many signs that labour is on its way, such as:

• Braxton Hicks: These are practice contractions and can be mistaken for the real thing. Braxton Hicks contractions are normally very irregular and tend to fade away.
• a “Show”: This is when the plug at the neck of the womb comes away, this can sometimes happen up to six weeks before labour starts. There might be some mucous or blood discharged
• diarrhoea or loose bowel movements
• back ache which worsens or begins to spread down the legs
• waters leaking/ breaking. This may be a gush or a trickle
• contractions – when you are in established labour the contractions will come every couple of minutes and last up to a minute

Stage 1

The first stage of labour is marked by regular contractions. These help to open the cervix. The first stage of labour can sometimes be quite long and for some women on their first baby it can last anywhere between twelve to eighteen hours.

Stage 2

Stage 2 or active labour the contractions are more painful, this is where the pain relief options can be very useful. The contractions get stronger and more regular and once the cervix is fully dilated you may get the urge to push. Ideally you want to push and bear down during the contraction this enables the baby to move through the pelvis. Eventually you will be able to see the top of the babies head, this is called crowning. Once the baby’s head is delivered the midwife will remove any mucus from the babies mouth or nose if necessary. The next contractions will normally enable the rest of the baby to be born.

Stage 3

This is normally when the placenta is delivered.This can be delivered naturally or with the help of the drug syntometrine. Syntometrine is a mixture of syntocinon and ergometrine and given as an injection into the thigh. This injection will cause a strong uterine contraction which helps the placenta to detach itself from the womb wall. Syntometrine can make some women feel slightly nauseous but does help to reduce the risk of haemorrhage.

Click on this link to read our related article about Pain Relief Options

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