Signs of about to give birth a week before

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist II Lai Thi Nguyet Hang - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Ha Long International Hospital
The process of labor of a woman at the end of pregnancy cannot be known exactly. However, we can recognize "term labor" through the signs of impending birth a week before the following

1. Smaller belly

Unlike the second trimester or the first two months of the third trimester, in the last month, pregnant women will find that their waist circumference does not increase anymore and even shrinks. Similarly, the mother's weight also slows down or slightly decreases. The reason is because the pregnancy is nearing full term, the amount of amniotic fluid in the fetus gradually decreases and prepares for the impending labor.

2. Constant need to urinate

During the last month, the baby's head begins to move down the pelvis, pressing on the surrounding organs, especially the bladder. Therefore, pregnant women will find their lower abdomen becomes heavier while the upper abdomen feels "empty". Along with that, pregnant women must often urinate a lot or may have urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence. This will sometimes make the mother uncomfortable and unable to get a good night's sleep. However, this only happens to babies whose head is turned to prepare for vaginal birth. For babies with "reverse thrones", this phenomenon will not occur.

3. Scattered uterine contractions

Between weeks 30 and 37, most pregnant women will begin to feel uterine contractions. This is known as a muscle spasm that spreads throughout the abdomen, sometimes causing mild pain or just a simple feeling of tossing. Attacks occur sporadically throughout the day, with no definite frequency, usually less than one per hour. The contractions are easy to start when the mother moves, moves vigorously or the baby turns. The duration of the attack is always less than 10 minutes and then goes away completely. This contraction does not change the degree of cervical dilation. These are important features that differentiate them from true labor and require immediate hospitalisation.

4. Cervical changes

This sign is recognized by manual examination of the inside of the vagina. As the head moves down, the cervix becomes shorter and begins to open slightly. However, cervical change is not chosen as a sign of impending birth because in these cases the cervix only begins to dilate during actual labor with effective uterine contractions.
Thanks to the change of the cervix, especially when preparing to give birth, the obstetrician will determine whether you are in labor or need further monitoring. At the same time, during this final prenatal visit, the doctor will also determine whether the mother's pelvis is favorable for a vaginal delivery or if a cesarean section is needed.
The above provides signs of impending childbirth a week in advance, especially useful for expectant mothers. Therefore, when you notice these signs, please arrange your work, prepare the necessary luggage and items to quickly give birth at any time. This is the last little time for the mother to prepare everything perfectly, to welcome the baby that is about to be born.
In order for the birth process to go smoothly, as soon as the birth signs appear, you should immediately go to a medical facility, especially in the case of broken water, avoiding long-term exposure will be dangerous for both mother and baby.
To protect the health of the mother and baby comprehensively as well as help the mother feel more secure during labor, Vinmec provides a package Maternity service. With this package, the mother will have regular antenatal check-ups and routine tests to monitor her health. The fetus is monitored for fetal heart rate and uterine contractions with an obstetric monitor at 37-40 weeks of gestation to predict the exact time of delivery. During labor, the mother will be given pain-relieving techniques during and after birth such as: epidural anesthesia, pudendal nerve anesthesia (applied to normal delivery), postoperative pain treatment (applied to childbirth). surgery). In particular, Vinmec is deploying cold plasma services to help wounds heal quickly such as: cesarean section, perineal stitches, baby umbilical cord, and lactation to avoid swelling, redness, infection, and dryness. , flat, beautiful straight edge, little pain, no bruising, no convexity.

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