The Time is Near

Even experienced mothers sometimes wonder if they will recognize labor when it begins. Before you dismiss a sensation as just another ache of pregnancy, talk to your caregiver at a prenatal visit about what symptoms warrant a call. Here are eight signs your body's getting ready to deliver:

1. You have increased vaginal discharge - usually clear but sometimes tinged with brown or pink.
2. You experience engagement, which is when the baby's head (or his bottom) drops down to nestle deep within your pelvis. Engagement typically occurs about two weeks before labor in first pregnancies, and during labor itself in later births.
3. The number of Braxton-Hicks contractions you have increases. These "practice" contractions feel like mild cramps or hardening or tightening of the uterus.
4. You lose a few pounds.
5. You're nagged by a low, dull, intermittent backache.
6. Your bowel movements become frequent and loose, often accompanied by cramping.
7. You become energetic and restless.
8. Your cervix softens, thins out or dilates a bit (evident upon an internal exam).