Symptoms in the days before delivery

After pregnancy, the most important thing for pregnant women should be the changes that occur in their body throughout the pregnancy. The changes that occur during each period require pregnancy testing to check if they are normal and safe. Then after ten months of pregnancy, the pregnant woman will reach the final stage of delivery. Childbirth is the most critical step for pregnant women. Since many women are giving birth for the first time, what are the symptoms a few days before delivery?

1. The baby is "sinking"

If this is your first pregnancy, you may experience a "baby drop" feeling in the weeks before labor begins. At this point, you may feel an increased pressure in your pelvic area and notice that the pressure below your rib cage decreases, allowing you to breathe more easily.

2. Increased uterine contractions

More frequent and stronger false labor contractions may indicate that you are entering early labor. During this process, your cervix ripens and prepares you to enter actual labor. During this period, some expectant mothers experience cramping similar to menstruation.

3. The cervix begins to mature

In the days and even weeks before delivery, your contractions may do some preliminary work, softening, thinning, and perhaps even dilating your cervix slightly. If you're due or very close to your due date, your doctor may do a vaginal exam during your prenatal visit to see if your cervix has started to change.

4. Expulsion of cervical mucus plug or vaginal bleeding

As labor approaches, if your cervix begins to dilate, you may pass your mucus plug — the small amount of thick mucus that has sealed your cervical canal for the past nine months. The plug may come out all at once in one piece, or it may come out as increased vaginal discharge over several days. This mucus may be tinged with blood (it may be brown, pink, or red), hence the term "bloody show."

5. Rupture of the amniotic fluid

When the fluid-filled amniotic sac surrounding your baby ruptures, the amniotic fluid will leak out through your vagina. In this case, whether it is a large amount of outflow or a small amount of exudation, you should go to the hospital immediately.

6. Regular cramps or back pain

This is caused by alternating contraction and relaxation of the uterus. These contractions intensify as labor approaches. Pain is inevitable due to the enlargement of the cervix and the delivery of the fetus from the reproductive tract. This phenomenon only occurs at the beginning of labor.