Labor and Delivery of Your Baby
Pregnancy is measured in trimesters from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP), totaling 40 weeks.
You are nearing the last stage of your pregnancy. There is no life event more extraordinary then having a baby. You will have many questions about this stage:
How will I know it is labor?
How will I manage the pain?
Will I be prepared?
Please review these pages, and bring your questions to appointments with your physician or nurse practitioner. Your provider will discuss when to go to the hospital and labor concerns as your start your third trimester and review at each visit.
Normal Changes During Pregnancy
Toward the end of the ninth month you may notice that the baby feels lower in your pelvis. Your provider may mention that the baby has "dropped" into the pelvis. Your abdomen will appear lower and more protruding. You may notice that it is easier to breathe and eat larger amounts of food. Heartburn may improve. With the baby sitting lower in your pelvis, you may also notice increased backache or hip (sciatica) discomfort, and more frequent need to urinate.
As you get closer to delivery, you may notice the following symptoms:
- Frequent bowel movements
- Indigestion, nausea or vomiting
- Increased vaginal discharge
- More Braxton-Hicks contractions. These contractions do not normally cause pain, but can be confused with true labor.
- A "bloody show" or slightly brown, pink or blood tinged mucous, which is released from the cervix as it expands.
- A leveling off of weight gain
- Your "bag of water" may break. That is, the amniotic sac begins to lose fluid, which may appear as a trickle or gush coming from your vagina.
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What to Expect at the Hospital
When you arrive at the hospital, the nurse will check your blood pressure and temperature and place an monitor on your abdomen to check the baby's heart rate and your contractions. The nurse will also perform a pelvic exam, which will determine the dilation and effacement of your cervix. These assessments will help determine whether you are in active labor. It is not unusual to be evaluated and sent home if you are not in labor or in early labor.
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