8 Signs Labor is Approaching

One of the hardest things to determine when we hit the 9 month of pregnancy is, how do I know labor is approaching. I spoke with my doctor and she gladly answered my questions as jotted some notes down. She told me there are 8 simple signs that'll tell you your body and baby are almost there. 

1.) Dropping. All women drop in different ways. Don't be discouraged if you don't look like other women who are due around the same time you are and their tummies look lower than yours. She told me that most first-time moms notice their baby drops about 2 weeks prior to delivery and second and third time moms usually do not drop until labor actually begins. She explained the reason for this is because second and third time moms have already had their pelvic muscles stretched and "practice" for this stretching is not needed. (Good thing to know!) 2.) Frequent urination. As if we don't already have this problem the farther along we get. But it does happen to get a little worse especially since our little one's head lies closer to our bladder. 3.) Low backache. I've had this problem since the beginning of my third trimester so its nothing new to me however, it has become more intense. Some women don't start really having this problem until after they "drop."4.) Stronger Braxton Hicks contractions. You've probably have already experienced some form of these contractions whether it's the feeling of your entire stomach tightening, to sharp shooting pains that shoot down to your abdomen. Unfortunately, they become more intense the closer you get to D-day. They can be easily described as very strong menstrual cramps. Although these contractions are not as strong as the "real labor" contractions, they can start the job of thinning out or effacing your cervix. Changing positions or getting up and walking can make them become less intense. 5.) Diarrhea. Yes, as if you aren't dealing with enough and now you can add some intestinal issues to the list. You can thank your hormones for the natural enema. She went on to explain that it's natures way of emptying your intestines to make more room for baby's passage. Don't be surprised if you feel a little nauseated as well. 6.) Increased vaginal discharge. Enough said. 7.) Bloody show. This can be described as blood-tinged mucus. Some of the tiny blood vessels in your cervix break as your cervix thins and it can be a different variety of colors from a pink to a brownish-red teaspoon of mucus. IF you have more bright red blood than mucus, call your doctor immediately. Once you notice you have the bloody show, its likely you'll be going into labor within a few days. There have been some mothers that hang on for a week or two even. 8.) Water breaks. My doctor told me this is a tell-tale sign that labor is minutes or hours away. However she did also tell me that an average of only 1 in 10 mothers experience their water breaking prior to labor.