How To Tell When Labour Begins

A few weeks before delivery, the baby’s head settles lower in the pelvis, and so the uterus or womb seems to slip downwards and forwards and the shape of the abdomen changes. This may cause a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen. You may want to pass urine more often. There may also be a little swelling of the feet.

Labour begins with contractions that start as a backache which travels around to the front. The pains or contractions initially come and go every 15 to 20 minutes but gradually become more frequent and last longer.

Sometimes labour begins with a blood-stained discharge or with a sudden flow of water – that is the rupture of the bag of water. Do not walk too much once the bag of water has ruptured.