Labor Pains - When do I go to the Hospital?

As your delivery time nears, you are bound to experience a real rollercoaster ride of emotions including excitement, anxiety and fear of the pain that you may have to experience.
Though science has brought about an advancement in treatment and techniques, recognizing actual labor pain is quite tricky. The reason being, every woman experiences labor differently.
Early labor or false labor signs could be frustrating, but this happens most of the time. Some of them would be sent back home for false labor. It's definitely better for you to understand what false labor is and how you can differentiate between false labor and true labor. Typically, false labor begins with irregular contractions that don't get any worse with time, where as true labor is characterized by regular contractions that intensify with time.

Though the signs of true labor vary from woman to woman, there are some typical signs of labor
• Contractions that occur at a pace of 5 and 10 minutes apart
• The contractions come and go at regular and increasingly shorter intervals with intense pain
• Reduced fetal movement
• Lower back pain
• Contractions that intensify with time
• You may get cramps as you get during your menstrual period which gets intense over time accompanied with back pain
• Breaking water bag - which is the rupture of the amniotic membrane. (This is one of the most important signs of labor).
• You have a slight bloody mucous discharge. This can be the mucous plug that blocks the cervix

Once you reach the 3 rd trimester, it's better to pack your bag with all your basic essentials needed for you and your baby at the hospital, so that you avoid any kind of last minute panic when labor has already set in.

All you need to do is to be patient and monitor your body changes daily. All the efforts you have put in through nine months of pregnancy will definitely pay off when you have your little one in your hand! All the best!!