You’re now in the home stretch, mama! You’re likely feeling the emotions of most pregnant women: anxiety, nervousness, fatigue, and so much more.
Low back pain, weight loss and diarrhoea are signs that labor is within 24 to 48 hours.
Because labor is different for each woman, your experience during the last hours of pregnancy may differ from that of another person.
While you cannot predict when labor will occur, you can look out for signs that it is coming. These are the signs that labor is within 24 to 48 hours.
Signs that Labor is 24 to 48 Hours Away
1. Water breaking
Your water breaking or, more precisely, the ruptured amniotic sac is a clear sign that you are in labor. The fluid-filled sac protects your baby’s growth and development, but it can rupture to prepare for delivery.
Your baby’s head may be putting more pressure on your water sac, causing it to break naturally.
Water breaking can be a dramatic experience for women. Women may only feel a slight tingling sensation or wetness under their clothes.
2. Losing your mucus plug
The mucus plug, a thick mucus-filled collection that seals your cervix’s opening, is a thick layer of mucus. This prevents bacteria from getting into your uterus. However, once labor is near, the plug will begin to loosen and fall out.
Some women lose a lot of mucus after going to the bathroom, while others see mucus on their underwear and when they wipe after urinating.
The mucus color can vary from clear to pink and may contain small blood amounts. But don’t worry. This is normal and is known as the “bloody display.”
Your body will lose the mucus plug to prepare for delivery. Although the mucus plug can be lost weeks before you go into labor, it can also happen days or even hours before.
3. Weight loss
Expecting mothers might not expect weight loss until after the delivery. It is not unusual for a mother to lose between 1 and 3 pounds before giving birth.
However, this is not a loss of fat. It’s your body losing excess water weight. This can be due to a decrease in amniotic fluid at the end of pregnancy and increased urination during labor.
Baby moving to a lower position places more pressure on your bladder. This can lead to frequent trips to the toilet.
4. Extreme nesting
In the third trimester, you will experience the nesting instinct, which is an overwhelming desire for the house to be ready for a baby.
It is possible to organize, clean, and set up the nursery. Your body may go into panic mode 24 to 48 hours before labor. In this case, you might feel a sudden surge of energy and a greater drive to clean up and organize.
Expecting mothers may obsess about their hospital bag, rearrange the nursery, or commit to removing all dust from their home.
5. Low back pain
Due to ligaments and joints naturally becoming looser in preparation for labor. Pre-labor back pain, while common during pregnancy, is more unpleasant.
Pain can worsen in your lower back or radiate to your pelvis if labor occurs between 24 and 48 hours. The pain can’t be relieved by changing your position, and it often persists until delivery.
6. Real contractions
Braxton Hicks contractions (or false labor pains) can occur weeks to months before actual labor. These contractions occur when your uterine muscles prepare to deliver. These contractions can be uncomfortable but usually milder than actual labor contractions. They last only a few seconds.
Real contractions are stronger, more intense, more frequent, and last longer than one minute. You can expect labor to begin within one to two days if you have contractions that occur every 4 to 5.
7. Cervical dilation
Weekly checkups will be required towards the end of your pregnancy. Your doctor will examine your cervix and determine how dilated you are.
The baby’s ability to pass through the birth canal is called dilation. For a vaginal delivery, the cervix must dilate at least 10 cm. However, cervical dilation of 2 to 3 cm often means that labor is within 24 hours.
8. Locking joints
Your body releases more hormone relaxin at the end of a pregnancy, which causes your joints and ligaments to become looser in preparation for your baby’s arrival.
A few days before labour, you may notice looser and more relaxed joints in your lower back and pelvis. Another unexpected side effect of relaxin is diarrhoea. This happens when your muscles around the rectum relax.
The bottom line
Mixed emotions are common in the last month of pregnancy. As you wait for your baby’s arrival, it can be a mixture of excitement and anticipation.
Labor is not something you can predict. If you pay close attention to your body, you can tell if you are just a few days away from the next adventure.
