What Are The Signs Of Labor?

Urge To Nest

One of the most common and strange-seeming instincts during pregnancy is the urge to nest. No, this doesn't mean crafting a house out of sticks. Human nesting doesn't always look similar to birds nesting. But it does come from the same innate instinct to build a home for the young. Pregnant women often report waking up energized and determined to organize and clean the whole house. This organizational drive is referred to as nesting because it relates to the instinct to prepare the home for the baby. The instinct is at its strongest in the final weeks of pregnancy, and it tends to get more intense the closer a pregnant woman gets to her delivery date. One common misconception is that labor is imminent immediately after nesting instincts develop. But there's no guarantee a woman will go into labor for weeks. Not every pregnant woman experiences an urge to nest. Women might also have intensified nesting desires if their baby is due in the late spring or early summer. The urge to clean and organize tends to be stronger in the spring, possibly due to the increased energy from lengthening days.

Continue reading to learn more about the indicators of labor now.

Dilation

During the earliest stage of labor, women will experience contractions that let the cervix become thinner and start to open. This process is called dilation and effacement. The further the cervix dilates, the closer women are to going into active labor. Doctors will take measurements over time. Dilation tends to last for several hours, with the average woman experiencing pre-labor pains for around twelve to thirteen hours for their first child. When women have a second child or subsequent children, the time frame tends to shorten to between seven and eight hours. Early labor has begun when the cervix reaches an opening of four centimeters. By the time a woman is ready for active labor, her cervix will open to a distance closer to ten centimeters. Most women spend early labor at home. It's important to relax and rest, but pregnant women should try to keep up with their normal activities.