Am I In Labour?

In this pregnancy class, Sonali Shivlani helps you understand your labour and when you’re ready to head to the hospital to give birth to your bundle of joy

- Sonali Shiviani

As you enter your ninth month, with every cramp and every movement, your first thought is, ‘Is this it?’ Now, if this is your first pregnancy, there’s a good chance you’ve been to the hospital thinking it’s time, only to realise it’s nothing but a false alarm. Let me assure you, this is completely normal and most firsttime mums will have a few false alarms before the real thing.

However, before the real deal, your body will give you some clues as it prepares for labour and birth. If you are alert, you might be able to spot these signs and symptoms, and correctly differentiate between pre-labour and labour.

Understand the signs and symptoms

Your baby will begin descending into the pelvis between week 35 and 37. Moms can help this natural progression by doing exercises recommended by their doctor. Some of these include walking, half squats and the butterfly postures.

In the last few weeks, expectant mothers will also notice an increased number of Braxton Hicks contractions as the body prepares for actual labour contractions. Women who experience Braxton Hicks contractions are usually experiencing what is called false labour as Braxton Hicks do not have any action on the cervix. These contractions are short, sporadic and relatively painless and can feel like a hardening of the abdomen and a subsequent relaxing.