39 Weeks Pregnant What are Signs Of Labor?

You are 39 weeks pregnant and hoped your baby would be in your arms by now. Well, if you have not delivered the baby as yet, and are 39 weeks pregnant, what are the signs of labor? Once you are 39 weeks pregnant, signs of labor could occur at any time. You have one week to go before your due date and you may be feeling anxious, scared and even excited at times about the new arrival. So here are a few points on what you should look out for if you are 39 weeks pregnant and wondering what are signs of labor:-

• Labor pain symptoms tend to be subtle and are often missed out by some mothers. For many women labor pains have also turned out to be false alarms which are frustrating.
• During week 39 it is normal and common to experience early signs of labor such as Braxton Hicks contractions. These may occur more frequently and may even cause the expectant mother pain. These contractions occur when the uterine muscles contract. They start getting more painful as the mother approaches delivery. The pain radiates from the lower back to the stomach, legs and pelvis. If they start occurring quickly and last for more than 40 seconds, call the doctor.
•  If you are 39 weeks pregnant and wondering what are signs of labor, keep in mind that the waters breaking is also considered a sign of labor. Although some women do not go into labor immediately after this happens. If the waters break due to the continuous contractions, then it could be a sign of active labor pain.
• Another sign that labor is around the corner is the feeling of lightening of the baby. This occurs when the baby begins dropping until his/her head is completely in the pelvis. This happens due to the cervix softening. This would give rise to other labor pain symptoms such as swelling of the legs and feet, frequent urination, difficult bowel movements and increased heaviness in the pelvis.
• Another sign to look out for if you are 39 weeks pregnant and wondering what are the signs of labor, is the passage of the mucus plug or “show”. The mucus plug drops out of the uterus when the cervix dilates and softens. This is one of the most reliable symptoms that labor will start.

If you are 39 weeks pregnant, inducing labor is also an option. This could be done by stripping the membranes, ripening or dilating the cervix or rupturing the amniotic sac or by giving oxytocin.

Submitted by N on December 21, 2010 at 03:36

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