Although you may have spoken to a million mothers and read a million books, you can never truly know what labour will be like until you experience it. Every woman goes into labour differently, and no two women’s labours are exactly the same. Pre-labour can last for days, or you may skip it completely and be 5cm dilated before you know it.

So let’s take a look at a few of the signs and symptoms you may experience as labour approaches, so you know what to look out for.

What are the signs and symptoms of first-stage labour?

Here are a few signs indicating the end of pregnancy and the start of your labour:

Your baby’s head engages. When the head engages, you may notice that your breathing becomes easier and your heartburn and indigestion have lessened. You will now feel a new pressure in your pelvis and will probably need to visit the bathroom.

Braxton Hicks’ practice contractions. These contractions are usually painless and are likely to become stronger and more frequent in the pre-labour stage. They can be easily mistaken for real labour contractions, particularly if they are strong and this is your first birth. The difference between Braxton Hicks’ contractions and real labour pains is the regularity: Braxton Hicks’ contractions happen no more than maybe two per hour and then fade away, whereas real labour pains start slowly, gradually becoming stronger and more frequent.
The cervical plug becomes dislodged. Throughout pregnancy, your cervical canal has contained a plug of mucus, which helped to prevent infection from the vagina to the uterus. As the cervix starts to dilate, the plug dislodges. This is known as the “show” and is a thick discharge tinged with a small amount of blood. Although this is usually a sign that labour is imminent and normally you will progress to labour within 48 hours, it is still possible to have a show and not go into labour until days later. Nonetheless, the dislodging of the cervical plug is a sign that labour is near.

Watery discharge. If you pass a gush of watery discharge, your waters may have broken. You could, however, have leaked some urine, so get in touch with your doctor or midwife as soon as possible so they can check by performing an examination.

Pre-labour emotions. Emotional symptoms pre-labour varies from woman to woman. Some women find their nesting instincts on overdrive and run around trying to complete as many tasks as possible. Other women prefer to stay at home in case anything happens. This period of time can be unpredictable and give rise to a whole range of emotions, such as excitement, impatience, anxiety, anticipation, panic, and fear.

How do I know I'm in labour?

From engagement to your mucus plug going, Unii has the early labour low-down.