Am I in labor?  You might ask yourself that so many times — all the contractions, plus what do contractions feel like?

Am in labor is about half the visits we get to labor and delivery. This post shares a quiz, signs, symptoms, and what it all feels like. Let’s get started!

When I envisioned labor it was always the stuff that was in the movies.  Boom, your water breaks and then about 3 seconds later the baby is flying out.  {movie magic}, a baby has appeared!.  Congrats!  In reality, it’s hard to know exactly what’s a contraction and what’s just one of the usual aches and pains of pregnancy.

Your uterus is a giant muscle and it is attached to parts of you.  It stretches and aches.  That doesn’t mean the baby is coming.  It just means that parts of pregnancy can be pretty miserable.

I have worked as a labor and delivery nurse for over 15 years.  I hate to say that I’ve seen everything (because sometimes some things still come out of the blue) but I’ve seen a lot.  I know the questions you have before you ask them.  Let’s talk a little bit about the big day!

One of the BEST things you can do is to sign up for a Prenatal Class.  There is even a free one that gets you started:

Am I In Labor?

The Bag of Waters

One of the TRUE signs of labor is your water breaking.  Of course, that can be tricky to know too! (seriously, can’t SOME of this be easy?)

I know all too well the feeling of wondering if you either wet your pants, if it’s just a lot of discharge or the real deal.  Is my water broken will give you what to watch for!

False Labor

The horrible news is that false labor feels JUST like true labor contractions.  Also, false labor can TURN into true labor.  I have this awesome full post about false labor pains.  How you can tell the difference, or how you can tell if it’s headed for the real deal.

Signs of Labor

Labor has some tell-tale signs that tend to appear somewhat together.  If you see a few of them all at once, you might start to think it IS the real deal.  Signs you’re going into labor include diarrhea, loss of mucous plug and more SUPER fun things.  You’ll be sure to want to click to that post right?  Labor isn’t always pretty, but I bet you’ll find that post SUPER helpful!

Looking to know WHEN you’ll go into labor?  I have a fun little quiz that might give you an idea.  My When Will I Go Into Labor Quiz is as close to a crystal ball as you can get. 😉

Not sure you know what contractions feel like.  The Bloom Monitor can tell you exactly what a contraction is.  Wondering more about it — you can see it here (use code CURLS25 to get $25 off your first month) — or I can give you all the details on why I think it’s a smart idea here:

Pack Your Bags

If you THINK you’re in labor — it’s a great time to pack your hospital bag.  I have seen a lot of 3 piece luggage sets come into the labor room.  I mostly feel bad that she’ll have to put all those useless items away once she gets home.  A small bag should do it if you take my advice as to what to pack in my hospital bag.  While we’re at it — I have a whole hospital checklist of ALL the things you should do before the baby comes!

How to Go into Labor

You might be reading this page wanting to know HOW to get that baby out!  This post will show you how to go into labor.  I should say that I am a HUGE fan of going to your full due date, and there a lot of perks to being overdue with your baby (I am well aware that one of the perks is NOT being comfortable — but it is worth it!)  The less you do to prod that baby out, the better the outcome is likely to be!

Got a Little Fear About the Big day

The one thing EVERY family brings into the labor room is a little (or a lot) of anxiety.  Such a big day.  So many pieces that need to fall into place.  So many unknowns.  I can tell you that your labor nurse is your life preserver.  She wants to explain things and help you on this special journey.  I have a whole post dedicated to JUST pregnancy fears.  There’s a lot to take into your heart and hopefully, this puts your mind at ease a bit.

One of the biggest fears can be pain — Katie at Clark’s Condensed has a great post about preparing for a natural labor.

What Can you do?

As you head into the final stretch be SURE you’re doing your kick counts — checking for decreased fetal movement! It’s the best way you can know your baby is thriving inside of you!

Being afraid can really only be helped by one thing — knowledge.

I taught prenatal classes for awhile, but I wanted to fit more brains than that room could hold.  And that is why I introduced my own prenatal class.  It can be taken in as quickly as a weekend, or stretch it out. Three levels to pick from.  It can even come with videos!  Be sure to check it out (you can even read an excerpt all about what to come into labor and delivery for!)

 

Of course, labor isn’t the only reason you’d want to call your doctor.  Pregnant Chicken has an awesome post detailing many of the other reasons you’d want to call your doctor — written by yours truly. 🙂

Be SURE to sign up for my pregnancy newsletter that’s all about labor and the tips from behind the doors of the labor room.  I’ll even follow you along with your pregnancy — whether you’re 4 weeks or 40, I’ve got the info you need!

And check out all my delivery tips!