How do i know I'm in labor?

If the cervix opens, it is a clear sign that the birth is in the first stage of labor. In practice, this phase is referred to as the opening period. The opening of the cervix is also called dilation. At this moment, it is the primary labor contractions that cause the cervix to open more significantly. Every birth is different, that's a fact. Exceptions prove the rule, and some women report in discussions that their cervix opened without experiencing contractions or pain.

From the point of view of anatomy, the cervix is a kind of lid of the uterus, which shortens before childbirth and then opens, the so-called birth gate, i.e. the birth canal for the child. Several women describe that they felt a stabbing pain in the lower abdomen when opening it. However, this is rather a manifestation of the shortening of the neck. At the same time, the cervix can shorten continuously and the woman does not even notice the occasional prickling pain. For example, false contacts - messengers that prepare the birth canal for natural birth - contribute to the shortening of the cervix.

The cervix serves to close the uterus and thus prevents, together with the mucus plug, possible infections from penetrating inside. Shortening and opening the cervix are not the same thing. By shortening, what happens is that the cervix gradually disappears, the birth canal opens and becomes accessible, which creates the birth portal. The opening of the cervix is considered the first sign of labor. Each woman's opening and shortening can take place differently and can last for a different amount of time. Some women are already dilated to 3 or 5 cm several weeks before giving birth, others only to 1 cm. A woman may feel the urge to push when opening the cervix. It can signal that the birth canal is sufficiently open and ready for birth, as the baby can enter the birth canal, which is assisted by contractions.

You can recognize the opening by mild or irregular contractions. However, this does not mean that active labor is already underway. The intensity and frequency of contractions are key. Another identifier can be a drained mucus plug. Again, while some women have their mucus plug gone a week before giving birth, others will have it an hour before giving birth. The opening of the uterus can best be assessed by a doctor, who determines by tactile examination how many centimeters the pregnant woman is open and thus determines the degree of dilatation. It is a cervical score, which determines the length, opening, orientation, consistency, angle and possible position of the head.

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