✓ Signs that the baby is about to be born

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Signs that the baby is about to be born

The moment you have been waiting for nine months is coming and you are afraid you don't know recognize the signs that the baby is about to be born? Do not be alarmed: you are certainly not the only ones. Almost all mothers-to-be, especially those in their first pregnancy, wonder if they will understand when gestation is really over and when it is time to go to the hospital. In fact, it's all very simple and natural. There are, in fact, some changes and "bells" that announce that the baby is about to arrive. You just have to learn to listen to your body and trust the sensations you feel.

Remember, however, that each case and each woman is unique: not always all the signs appear or they don't always do it in a striking and standardized way. For this reason, in case of doubt, it is better that you make an extra check or phone call, trying however not to get anxious and not to rush to the hospital at the slightest suspicion so as not to live with too much agitation the days preceding the childbirth and do not accumulate excessive stress.

The contractions
The pains and fatigue
Diarrhea
Loss of the mucous plug
The lower belly
The breaking of the waters

The contractions

Contractions are one of the main signs that the baby is about to be born. It is possible, however, that you have begun to feel them for some time. Some women, in fact, are subject to it from the sixth-seventh month. Unless you are in the presence of a preterm birth, these are the "Braxton-Hicks" contractions, also known as "false contractions": a hardening, sometimes barely perceptible, of the belly, which typically begins at the top and then spreads downwards before disappearing completely, lasts from a few seconds to a couple of minutes and is used to gradually prepare the uterus for labor. You may also hear one slight tension in the back.

However, as delivery approaches, these manifestations often become more frequent and regular until they turn into contractions that initiate actual labor. How to understand which are the "real" ones? If they do not increase in intensity, they come and go, appearing at irregular rates, and they are not close together, it is almost certainly a false alarm. In reverse, when contractions appear in close proximity (every three to four minutes), they last about a minute and maintain the same intensity, accompanying a stronger pain, came the time to go to the hospital.

The pains and fatigue

In the days preceding the birth, in addition to the contractions, you may also feel pains, pains aches and pains e of spasms in the lower abdomen and loins, in the lower back. Typically, these discomforts last a few moments, but they can also last longer. In some moments they are frequent, in others more sparse. It means that your body is preparing for the moment that you are so anxiously awaiting.

Also, at this stage you may feel more tired than usual and have it need to stop and rest several times throughout the day.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is another sign that the baby is about to be born. If, therefore, you are near term and you start having episodes of dysentery it is likely that within a few days you will finally know your little one.

This symptom, which can also be accompanied by nausea and / or vomiting, is linked to the transformations that your body has initiated to prepare for childbirth and, in particular, to muscle relaxation: however, it is not only the uterus that relaxes, but also the straight. Moreover, it may be a sign that the baby is channeling and / or it is coming down, pressing against your bowels, and that your gastrointestinal tract has initiated a spontaneous cleansing before the great effort of childbirth.

In the days leading up to the happy event, you may also feel a need to pee more frequently than usualThis is a consequence of the pressure exerted on the bladder by the baby's head as it descends the birth canal and prepares to be born.

Loss of the mucous plug

Among the signs that the baby is about to be born there is also the loss of the mucous plug: one gelatinous formation which, like a real plug, closed the cervical canal during pregnancy, to protect the baby from the bacteria present in the vaginal area.

However, you should know that the leakage of the cork often goes unnoticed. Firstly, because it is painless and secondly because the cap is opaque or even white transparent: you could, therefore, exchange it for losses.

In some cases there may also be some traces of blood: they are almost always due to the rupture of the small blood vessels of the cervix which can occur during the preparatory phase for childbirth. If, on the other hand, there is a large amount of bright red or dark red blood it is better to go to the hospital.

The lower belly

In the last days of pregnancy, the belly tends to "go down", taking on a pear-shaped appearance, lower and with an accentuated tip. It means that the child is walking towards the exit. That is why you may feel the bottom of the uterus go down.

As a result of this "sliding", you are likely to finally be able to breathe more freely and widely ea digest better: the pressure on the stomach and diaphragm is relieved.

The breaking of the waters

In the hours preceding birth, you may experience the rupture of the amniotic sac, the envelope that contains and protects the baby. In some cases, the expectant mother hears a thud, like a "knock", and then she suddenly finds herself wet (as if he had peed), in others the break is more imperceptible. If the liquid is clear and odorless there is no need to rush to the hospital right away. If, on the other hand, the liquid is dark (or tinged, greenish) or there is bright red blood, it is necessary to go to the hospital urgently because the child could be in pain.

Sources for this article:

https://www.salute.gov.com/portale/donna/dettaglioContenutiDonna.jsp?lingua=Del Paeseno&id=4478&area=Salute+donna&menu=nascita
https://www.humanitas-sanpiox.com/news/contrazioni-quando-e-il-momento-di-andare-ospedale/
http://www.asp.enna.com/portale/consultorio/periodo-prodromico.html

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