
Try to do some gentle stretches, or cat-cow yoga stretches (opens in new tab) on your hands and knees, to ease out that tension. This could just be a dull ache, or a feeling of increasing pressure which is a good sign. You might think that when labour is imminent that you'll have pains in your abdomen, but for some women, labour pain starts in their back. Lower back pain is an early sign of labour. So if you're looking for signs of labour, here's what to expect: Lower backache and feeling the baby has 'dropped' It is likely that you will experience some of the below, however. You may have one, all or none of the below before your labour journey begins. There is no one, definitive sign of labour.
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The most common signs that labour is on its way include: Read our week-by-week pregnancy guide (opens in new tab) to understand how your body changes throughout pregnancy. This includes the baby moving down and putting different pressure on your body, as well as hormonal changes necessary for birth to begin. Signs of labour starting are usually early indications that your body is preparing for birth. It’s a real gift to have a labour that starts slowly, as it gives you a chance to get mentally, emotionally and practically ready for what’s to come." What are the first signs of labour? Follow your body’s lead if you feel like walking, walk, and if you feel like resting, rest. Get plenty of rest, eat well or get out in nature. If this happens to you, just try to relax and enjoy it. "Sometimes labours that can’t get going are due to the baby being in a difficult position, but more often than not it’s just the body getting ready, like an orchestra tuning up before the big concert.
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"But sometimes this can worry people if they've seen dramatic births on TV where it’s all a chaotic emergency from the very first contraction! "It’s normal for labour to start slowly and build up gradually over a few days in a ‘stop start’ way," says Milli Hill founder of the Positive Birth Movement (opens in new tab) and author of the bestselling Positive Birth Book (opens in new tab). This is perfectly natural, and nothing to become disheartened about. The long latent phase, or false labour as it's often unhelpfully called, is when your body begins to show signs of labour and then eases off again. (Image credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto) What is false labour?


Child development stages: Ages 0-16 years.See all conception & fertility features.
