If you are experiencing some or all of the below, then you may be in labor and you should attend our Emergency Department immediately.
- Regular Contractions: You may feel your abdomen tighten and then relax. These are known as Braxton Hicks contractions and can occur throughout your pregnancy. At the end of your pregnancy, you will become more aware of them. These contractions will come in more regularly, last more than 30 seconds and feel stronger. You should time the frequency and length of these contractions and if they gradually become longer, stronger and more frequent, you may be in labor.
- Backache: You may have a heavy feeling that is similar to the pain some women get during her monthly period.
- A “show:” Either before labor starts or while you are in early labor. You may experience the small plug of mucus in the cervix, which has helped seal the womb during pregnancy come away from your vagina. This small amount of sticky pink mucus, mixed with blood, is called a ‘show.’ If you are losing more than a small amount of blood, it may be a sign that there is a potential problem. In this case, please go to the Emergency Department right away.
- Water breaking: the bag of water which your baby is floating in may break before labor starts. If your water breaks before labor starts, you will notice either a slow trickle of water from your vagina or a sudden gush that you can’t control. If this is the case, you will need to go to Emergency Department for further assessment.
- Diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
