The Expected Moment Has Arrived; Birth Begins

 Maybe you have determined the form of delivery before your due date has approached, or perhaps you have left it only to the flow, to your baby... Well, do you know which sign will mean what when the eagerly awaited moment comes?

If you're worried about confusing which labor pains are real and which are false, our specialist notes that contractions in real labor pains are regular and predictable.

Normally, pregnancy is a process that lasts nine months and ten days, that is, 40 weeks. As the baby grows, the pressure on the mother's diaphragm increases, and the mother begins to breathe more difficult. When the delivery approaches, the baby moves into the birth canal at the end of week 38. Saying that this displacement will reduce the pressure on the diaphragm, and the mother will feel relief as she approaches delivery and will start to breathe easier, Yeditepe University Kozyatağı Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist also shared other points about the onset of delivery.

Irregular Labor Pains Give Way to Regular Ones 

Normally, there is a mucus plug that closes the cervix. When delivery begins, this mucus plug falls off due to softening of the cervix at the earliest. A flow occurs in the mother, which is called the "coming of a sign" by the common people.
As the delivery approaches, the labor pains that are small and irregular in the mother begin to come regularly and rarely. These labor pains, which are the most well-known among the normal birth symptoms, start as of the 35th week. They can be observed for short periods during the day and are called Braxton-Hicks contractions. These contractions are aggravated as the delivery approaches, and the duration of the pain is prolonged.

Although pain is not always present, one of the most well-known birth signs is the stage called the "breaking of waters." As a result of contractions, the water contained in the ruptured sac is expelled by the mother's body. A warm liquid flows through her legs as if she leaks urine, and pooling may occur where she sits. Sometimes the sac may be punctured before the pains begin, and there may be constant congestion. It is also necessary to pay attention to this.
The most significant sign you are about to give birth is the beginning of regular uterine contractions. Initially, these early contractions are felt like menstrual cramps or low back pain and occur at intervals of 20 to 30 minutes. The pain or cramp gradually becomes more severe and lasts longer. Contractions also become more frequent and begin to happen every three to five minutes. Here, if the regular pains have started, it means that your baby is coming:
Another sign is the descent of the baby's head into the birth canal and a strong urge to go to the toilet. If there are these symptoms, it means that the delivery has approached. Especially at the upper abdomen and diaphragm-stomach level, relief is felt due to the descent of the baby. This is a sign that the delivery has approached.

Now It is Time to Go to The Hospital 

During the "coming of a sign" or opening of the cervix, bleeding may occur as much as menstrual blood. If more bleeding occurs, the pregnant woman must be urgently brought to the hospital. "Breaking of waters" always require going to the hospital until proven otherwise.
In the first deliveries, if everything is all right, the woman can manage the labor pains at home until they occur at intervals of ten to 20 minutes. But if the labor pains become more frequent, it may be a good choice to act by considering the traffic density of your city and go to the hospital when the labor pains start to occur at intervals of 30 minutes, or to go earlier if you are to travel during peak traffic hours. As the second or subsequent deliveries occur much faster than the first, it is a good idea to go to the hospital once the pains become regular. If she has had a cesarean section before or has had multiple fibroids removed from her uterus, it is necessary to go to the hospital when the pains begin to occur. If it is earlier than the 37th gestational week and the pains have started, and if there is any concern that the placenta has become detached from the uterine wall, it is necessary to go to the hospital urgently, also warning the physician.

Mothers, Keep Calm! 

First, one should be calm and peaceful and look for the danger signs (bleeding, severe and constant pain, and breaking of waters). If these are not present, one should act calmly without worrying and call one's doctor. One should take the baby and maternity items prepared before and go to the hospital carefully. If the frequency of labor pains does not increase significantly or there is no highly severe pain when labor pain starts, there is no need for an ambulance to get to the hospital.

Which is the Real and Which is the False Labor Pain? 

False pains are often confused with real pains. In real labor pains, contractions are regular and in a predictable pattern. Contractions become gradually more frequent, longer, and more intense. Each contraction is first felt in the lower back, then spreads to the front, lower parts, and groin. Walking-lying down or changing position does not lead to a decrease or cessation of contractions. Blood may come. There may be a membrane rupture. These do not happen in false pains. Urinary incontinence can often be confused with the breaking of water. Urinary incontinence occurs once, but the breaking of waters is continual. A large amount of liquid is discharged in the breaking of waters, while a low amount is discharged in urinary incontinence.