How do I know if childbirth is coming soon? Many pregnant women are very concerned about this issue. In fact, a woman’s body a few days before the expected birth of a baby signals her that it’s time to collect things and is mentally prepared for childbirth. Attentive expectant mothers can easily determine the precursors of childbirth. Yes, and at an appointment with an obstetrician-gynecologist, you will surely be pleased that it is time to prepare to give birth. What are these symptoms, and how to recognize them?
The first thing you can notice visually is lowering the abdomen. The baby's head sinks into the pelvic floor, so the stomach is slightly fed down. This can happen a week or a day before delivery. It will become easier for you to breathe, because the child will no longer put pressure on the diaphragm. In addition, future mothers who were tormented by heartburn in the last days before childbirth may find that the unpleasant burning sensation in the esophagus has disappeared. It is also associated with the lowering of the child into the pelvic floor.
The increase in false contractions is another sign of impending birth. Thus, the uterus tries its hand and prepares for the moment of the birth of the baby. You may be disturbed by recurring back pain. This is not the beginning of childbirth, but merely their forerunners. Patience, and soon your baby will be born.
The mucous plug, or rather, its discharge, is another symptom of the body's readiness for the onset of labor. One day you may notice how this happens. Throughout pregnancy, the mucous plug performed an important function - it protected the baby from infection in the uterus. But before the birth, her action ended, and the body no longer needs it. If the mucous plug is removed, then we will soon give birth. The main thing to understand is that all these processes are natural and must happen to you. The mucous plug has departed - do not be scared and think what kind of strange discharge it is. It should be so.
If your mucous plug has come off, but you’re at home for a few more days and you don’t have any labor, you should take care of increased hygiene in the genital area. In the morning and in the evening, wash yourself with a gel for intimate hygiene, avoid sexual intercourse, and do not swim in the pool or in the river. The mucous plug no longer protects your baby, so you need to be extremely careful at this time.
Softening the cervix. These changes occur in the body under the influence of hormones that prepare the body of the expectant mother for childbirth. The pregnant woman does not feel the softening of the cervix, this symptom can be detected by the doctor at the next gynecological examination. The cervix is ​​preparing to open to release the baby. Sometimes, if the cervix is ​​too hard before giving birth, the doctor prescribes special suppositories with the right hormone to help the body prepare for the upcoming event. Do not neglect the appointment of a doctor: it will then be easier for you to give birth.
You may notice that the baby in the womb began to spin less and seemed to quiet down. It was he who took the right position before giving birth. Now the uterus fits tightly on it, so active movements are impossible. Many expectant mothers note that before the birth, the child is silent, as if informing the mother that he is ready to be born. But the complete absence of tremors or movements for 12 hours can indicate a problem. The child may not have enough oxygen due to clamping of the umbilical cord or other reasons. Therefore, in this case, it is imperative to seek medical help. It happens that delivery should be carried out immediately, as there is a threat to the health and life of the baby.
Harbingers of childbirth are silent prompts to the mother that it is necessary to mentally and psychologically tune in to give birth, once again to review whether everything is ready at the maternity hospital, to phone with the doctor who will be giving birth, to tune in to positive. Have a good birth!