First symptoms of childbirth

| The first symptom of pregnancy is the lack of menstruation. It is the most obvious sign and women with regular cycles are the ones who can best appreciate it

The onset of labor is usually progressive and does not always have clear symptoms, it tends to have vague and imprecise discomforts, which is what are called prodrome of labor or prepartum and which are of a highly variable duration, from a few hours to a few days. The most common symptom is usually appearance of uterine contractions progressively more intense and regular. The uterus hardens for approximately 1 minute and may be accompanied by abdominal or lower back pain, leading to subsequent pain-free relaxation of the uterus.

These contractions are irregular at first and not very painful, becoming progressively more rhythmic and painful. Unlike Braxton-Hicks contractions, labor contractions do not vary in intensity or frequency despite lying down or sitting down. An emergency room visit is recommended when these contractions appear every 5 minutes or so.

Why do contractions occur

These contractions cause the cervix to mature. This maturation consists of various changes that take place in the neck:

• Changes in its consistency, the neck becomes softer
• Changes in its length, shortens or erases
• Changes in its position, it is centered so that it is no longer so posterior in the pelvis
• Changes in your dilation as it may start to open

Contractions also produce embedding of the fetal head, that is, the descent of the fetal head into the woman's pelvis, in such a way that the womb descends into the mother's abdomen. This relieves pressure on the stomach and lungs so digestion and respiration improve, but can increase the frequency of urination.

Other symptoms

A thick, blood-stained mucous discharge called mucous plug. It does not always indicate that delivery is imminent and in some cases it may still be delayed for a few days.

In 10% of cases, a premature rupture of the membranes can occur, that is, the bag of waters breaks before the start of labor. It is not always easy to identify when this rupture has occurred and in case of doubt it is advisable to put on a sanitary napkin and assess whether it becomes soaked after a while with a clear liquid such as tap water. The process of labor (contractions) often begins after a few hours of premature breaking of water, but if this is not the case, labor induction is carried out.

In the case where the waters are clear, like tap water, no need to go to the hospital immediatelyYou can take a shower, gather your things and go to the center where you are going to give birth. If the waters were of a color tinged with green, it should be transferred more urgently to the hospital.