How do I know if I’m in labor?
There are several signs by which you can tell that you are starting labor. There are three stages of childbirth. During the first stage, contractions soften the cervix of the uterus. At this point, you will feel pain in the lower abdomen or back. Contractions are usually accompanied by mucous secretions. There may be a little blood in them, but you should not worry about this [1]. The second stage of labor is considered the birth of the baby and the third is passing of the placenta.
When to go to the hospital?
At first, contractions will be short and irregular — 30 to 40 seconds [2]. But as soon as they begin to repeat every five minutes and last for 40-60 seconds, you need to head to the hospital. During the examination, your doctor will determine how dilated you are. At 4-5 centimeters, labor is considered active. Before the baby is born, the uterus will open up to 10 cm [3].
Contractions can last 8-14 hours. It is impossible to predict the exact length of time a woman will be in labor. The initial stage of labor is different for everyone [4].
