Being pregnant can be rough—especially when a woman reaches the third trimester—or what feels like week 7,453. The body is exhausted from baking a baby, plus the plethora of other things that are consuming a woman during this phase, such as functioning at a job. Or tying shoe laces.
There gets to be a point for every pregnant woman, when she starts looking up symptoms of labor; convinced that if she reads enough, researches others’ stories, and takes child-birthing classes that she can will the baby into the world.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that does not really work. However, it is important to know the signs of labor that can be subtle, and can be missed. No one wants to be the lady who delivers her kid on the side of the freeway, with all those sexy firemen standing around watching her in agony. Firemen are meant to be seen when a woman is at her best—not when she is screaming bloody murder and pushing a watermelon out of her hoo-ha.
Unfortunately, labor is not like the movies; it does not always announce itself with a bang. Sometimes it sneaks up, leaving little clues that only those who know what to look for will notice.
15 The Baby Bump Will "Drop"
People throw this term around like you are supposed to know what this means. And to be honest, I don’t think you’re going to know it until you actually feel it. When labor is nearing, the baby assumes the position; its head drops lower into the woman’s pelvis and prepare for entry.
The best way to explain it is this: you will realize that it feels like the baby is going to fall out. It is as if the pressure from the baby’s head is opening up your ace of spades and the sensation is that the baby is going plop out on your kitchen floor, or in the bathroom when you’re trying to go number two.
First rule of labor—pay attention to your body.
14 Food Cravings Will Disappear
This may sound bazar to a pregnant woman—but at some point you might actually stop being hungry. This can be a sign of labor, as your body prepares to give birth.
The body needs to focus all its strength on pushing a baby out and deep-rooted biology may tell you not to eat so that the body is not be distracted by digestion. The body knows what is best, and prepares a woman accordingly.
If your craving for carne asada fries disappears, or you stop drinking your nightly chocolate milkshake with sauerkraut, this may be a sign of labor. See if the loss of appetite continues, or if it was a fluke. Mixing weird foods and eating questionable dishes can lead to upset stomach and will pass with time.
13 Uncomfortable Feelings In The Lower Back
Everyone always talks about contractions, which are sharp pains in your abdomen during labor. But there is very little talk about the pains leading up that—most of which occurs in the lower pelvis.
Cramping that is akin to that of menstrual cramping can occur a short time before labor starts. All of the muscles and joints are preparing themselves by loosening, and this can lead to an uncomfortable feeling in your groin and or lower back.
Women who know what to look for and are paying attention to their body, may be able to detect these symptoms as a warning that labor is near. It is also a sign that they are about to meet their baby. It’s about time.
12 There's Water-Like Discharge
I know. No one wants to hear a lot about discharge. But this is important. Vaginal discharge tells a lot of things about the health and safety of your baby, and it also can be a sign of labor. Pay attention to what is normal for you throughout your pregnancy.
The consistency of the discharge is key—thick and white is “normal”, but if you see water-like discharge then it is time to call your doctor right away so that they can test if the fluid is amniotic or not.
One of the greatest things about pregnancy is that it tends to wipe away any sense of shame that you may have had. You can talk to other women about just about anything—including what the fluids in their undies should or shouldn’t look like.
11 Changing Posture Will Be A Must
I always dreamt that I would be like Julia Roberts when I was pregnant. Why? I don’t know. I’m optimistic. It didn’t happen. The pregnant body goes through a metamorphosis in many ways, and one of these is posture.
As the baby gets lower in the pelvis, a woman has to adjust her posture. The legs are spread almost comically wide, and the head is held high with some people call pride, but is in actuality needed to balance out the giant belly throwing everything out of whack.
If you’re wondering if you’ve reached this stage, ask a trusted friend one simple question—am I walking like a duck? If the answer is yes, then you may be in the early stages of labor.
10 Visits To The Bathroom Will Happen Every 4.5 Seconds
The bigger that the baby gets, the more a pregnant woman feels the urge to pee with increasing frequency. But it does taper off towards the end, or perhaps it is just that you get used to visiting the bathroom every 4.5 minutes.
Right before labor, women sometimes feel like they have to urinate even more often than pregnant “normal.” The body tries to clear out any extra stuff to make way for the baby that will soon be careening down the slopes of your insides.
Also-- the lower that the baby sits, the more that they are sitting on your precious organs, including the bladder. So if the baby has dropped, you will feel more of an urge to empty yourself.
9 Flu-Like Symptoms Might Begin
A woman’s body is magnificent, especially during pregnancy. When you are getting close to labor, the body will be sending you signals and it is up to you to recognize them. One of these is feeling like you might be coming down with something—symptoms often mimic the flu.
Diarrhea is an unfortunate side-effect to early labor. The muscles in the uterus are relaxing in preparation for birth, and this can lead to loose stool. Other symptoms may include indigestion, nausea, or vomiting.
Yay, ladies! Ain’t birthing grand? Just remember that after you hold your baby in your arms you will forget about 99% of what happened to you. This is true for most women, or most of us would only have one child.
8 Nesting Will Kick Up A Notch
Nesting can begin in early on in pregnancy; it is instinctive to prepare for the baby, so many women find themselves organizing closets, pinning nursery themes and painting bedrooms in the wee hours of the night.
But this innate need to nest kicks up a notch before labor. Your body starts telling you, “IT IS TIME GO GET READY” and you react, whether you notice it or not, accordingly. Some women have experienced the need to clean the house with a toothbrush, while others have ironed every item in the baby’s closet.
If you notice that you are intuitively prepping for your little bundle of joy with extra vigor, it may be a subtle sign that your labor is quickly nearing.
7 The "Mucus Plug" Will Be Lost
I’m so glad that the medical community came together and created a term so beautiful that women might be tempted to name their child after it—the mucus plug. Glorious, isn’t it? It is also referred by some as the “bloody show.”
The descriptive term does serve a purpose; the mucus plug looks just like it sounds—it is a plug at the end of the cervix that is made up of thick mucus. When this plug pops, it is a sign that your body is preparing for labor.
Some women notice that they have lost because it is so much thicker than normal discharge and it is often streaked with blood. But there are also others that don’t know what to look for, so they don’t register the plug when they see it.
6 The Baby Moves And Then Stops
Paying attention to the baby is very important throughout the pregnancy, but especially during the third trimester when you can actually feel when he/she is moving around. Some doctors will give you a “kick counter” card to track baby’s movement, and will look at that movement as a sign that the baby is coming.
Sometimes right before labor starts, the baby stops being active and goes through spurts of vigorous activity and then lulls of deep sleep. Tracking the baby’s habits up until this point can prove helpful in figuring out if you are nearing the birth of your child.
I was so tired by the end of my pregnancies that I don’t know if I would have been able to pick up on this pattern.
5 The Cervix Will Thin Out
Mmmm we’re getting into fun topics like how the inside your body is morphing to create a gaping hole; the cervix is part of that. The cervix is a part of uterus, but it is made up of different tissue. It is what opens right below the baby’s head and it allows it to move down and make its way out. Contractions draw the cervix up, and thin it out.
The thinner that you cervix is, the closer you are to labor. Only trained professionals are able to tell you how thick or think your cervix is, so you have to wait for a doctor’s appointment. But now when they tell you that your cervix has thinned, you can exclaim, “YES” instead of staring blankly.
4 Sudden Mood Changes
I am sure that every pregnant woman has dealt with a plethora of mood changes during pregnancy. But generally, they have mellowed out by the end. Sure, you still cry at dog food commercials, but this is par for the course at this point.
Sudden mood changes can be a sign of early labor, due to the hormones in the body prepping for labor. Instead of crying every once in a while or wanting to kill your spouse occasionally for the way they eat their steak, these changes are big. We’re talking going from tears of joy to cleaning the bathroom towards animalist sobbing.
If your moods used to mimic the movement of a butterfly, they now mimic the movement of a King Kong.
3 Water May Leak Slowly
A woman’s water doesn’t usually break like it does in the movies—it doesn’t always come pouring out in a roar that makes it obvious that it has occurred. It can be slower, and more subtle. And you need to be paying attention.
Lots of ladies out there get used to feeling wet in their undergarments during the course of their pregnancy. Discharge and peeing when you sneeze can condition a person to just living with moisture.
But it is important to watch out for watery discharge near the end, as this may be a sign that your water has ruptured and is leaking slowly out. You can contact your doctor and they can test the fluid to see if it is amniotic, and take the necessary actions from there.
2 The Body Will Feel Looser - Including The Joints
There is a hormone that is released during pregnancy that is accurately named, “relaxin.” I’m not even kidding. This hormones makes all of the ligaments in your body soften, as to appropriately prepare for the birth.
Right before labor, however, the hormones skyrocket. This may leave a woman to feel looser all over—including in her joints. Nature is amazing in its ability to lengthen and loosen the female form to prepare the pelvis to eject its passenger.
Of all the things that may be a sign of your impending labor, this isn’t a bad one. If you feel anything close to relaxation before you push a baby out of you, then good for you. Go lie on a hammock or read a book. You won’t be doing that again soon.
1 Extreme Tiredness
It may be hard to gauge your level of exhaustion by around the 40th week of pregnancy. A woman’s body has been growing another person, and that process is a lot of work. But one sign to keep your eye out for is if you feel like you have traveled back to the first trimester, in terms of tiredness.
Remember when you fell asleep in that bowl of ice cream? Couldn’t even be bothered to finish it? I’m talking about THAT level of exhaustion. Your body is gearing up for its ultimate act—and that requires a lot of sleep. It is natural, and it necessary.
Go take a nap! Revel in being able to move both arms and get to go to the bathroom whenever you want.
Sources: Baby Center, What To Expect, Mother Top, American Pregnancy