Baby Arrival

The Big Day is Finally Here - What to do During Labor

The waiting is over. You have finally reached the big day!

You should know that only about one in ten pregnant women experiences the legendary 'breaking of the waters' as a first sign of impending birth.

If you are one of those women, you may feel a slow trickle that is only enough to dampen your underwear, or you may wake up to a wet sheet in the morning. Rarely is there a dramatic gush of water. The water from your amniotic sac has a slightly salty smell and it is clear and a bit sticky with some flecks. If your amniotic fluid is cloudy or green, tell your doctor this.

Labor contractions do not start right away, but they will usually appear somewhere between 24 and 48 hours after your amniotic fluid is released.

In any case, you should call your doctor to let him know that your 'water has broken'.

He will probably want you to come into the office for a visit so he can determine where you are in your labor schedule. He will probably apply an antiseptic cream around the opening to your uterus to be sure that you have protection against infection until your baby is born.

While you are waiting for your contractions to start, take showers, not baths, and don't allow anything into your vagina other than your doctor's sterile glove!

Before you go into you may have some diarrhea or vomiting. This doesn't always happen but it will happen in many women. If you do experience these symptoms, your labor will typically begin within 12-24 hrs after the onset of nausea or diarrhea.

DO NOT try any herbal remedies or other things to induce labor on your own!

The following symptoms do not signal labor but may indicate a medical problem. You should call your doctor immediately if you experience any of these:

• Abdominal pain as opposed to uterine pain
• Vaginal bleeding
• Absence of fetal movement for 24 hours (after the fifth month of your pregnancy)
• Dim or blurry vision, or severe or constant headache
• Severe swelling of eyelids, hands or face during last trimester
• Persistent, severe vomiting

When your labor starts, you will know that you are not having the old standby Braxton Hicks contractions you have had during your pregnancy.

Remember that these contractions are relatively painless and last only 30-60 seconds. True labor contractions are longer and more regular and will not go away.

They will increase in strength and severity as your labor progresses and they will get closer together as your delivery draws near. You don't have to run to the hospital or birthing center at the first sign of labor. You are more likely to remain calm and comfortable at home and you will usually have plenty of time to get there.

If your partner or labor coach is at a distance from you or the hospital, let them know you have started labor and get someone to sit with you for awhile if it will make you make comfortable.

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