291. Early Labor Signs: Full Breakdown of The 3 Stages of Labor

So before we even get into the stages and phases of labor, I want to talk a little bit about pre-labor signs and what might be going on days or even weeks leading up to labor.

These don't necessarily mean that labor is starting immediately, but they can really indicate to your body that it is preparing, and things are getting started, and things are getting situated.

So a common sign that I want to talk about here is called lightening.

And so this is when baby is dropping lower into the pelvis, and you might notice that it is easier to breathe.

You are having a little bit more pressure, though, in your pelvis and your bladder.

But essentially, baby is descending and lowering into position.

And so this is called lightening, and you are just distributing baby differently.

And this might be commonly known as you're dropping.

Like, maybe somebody says, "Oh, wow, it looks like baby dropped." You might also be experiencing what's called lightening crotch, which is some shooting pains downward into the pelvis because baby is just getting lower.

And that can be a good indication that labor is coming soon.

Another sign would be losing your mucus plug or having a bloody show.

And so your mucus plug is this thick discharge, mucus-like substance that is either clear or yellowish.

But if you are also having a bloody show, it could be more of that pink or brown tinted mucus that is being discharged.

This is your body releasing the mucus plug, which is a layer of mucus that is there to help protect the cervix during pregnancy.

And some people tend to lose it days or even weeks before labor begins.

So while labor might not be right around the corner, it can indicate that you are getting closer, and it is probably going to be within the next few weeks that you are going to go into labor.

And this is ultimately caused too by your cervix starting to soften and open and get ready for things to happen.

Another thing that might be happening to be a sign of early labor would be your nesting sensation, your nesting energy.

Some people describe it as this urge to want to clean and organize and prepare their home.

And while this isn't necessary for labor to begin, obviously, it is a very common occurrence that is happening.

You might hear somebody say, like, "I'm nesting," or, "I really feel like I need to clean a whole bunch," or, "I want to make sure everything's organized." This is those last minute projects or different things going on and just making sure that things are in place for baby to come.

And so that is your body just naturally wanting to get ready for baby.

And then the last thing that I want to talk about is Braxton Hicks.

I had a whole other episode on this previously, where I kind of talk about the difference between Braxton Hicks and real labor contractions.

And so if you want, you can go back and listen to that episode.