June 24, 2025 • 23 mins
In this episode of Faith Over Fear: The Christian Pregnancy & Birth Podcast, I’m walking you through one of the most common questions expectant mamas ask: “Am I in labor?” Whether you’re experiencing your first round of practice contractions or wondering if this is finally the real deal, this episode will help you discern the signs with confidence and peace.
As you approach your due date, it’s natural to analyze every sensation and wonder if labor is beginning. But those Braxton Hicks contractions can be so convincing! After experiencing this uncertainty myself—I want to equip you with the knowledge and faith-filled perspective you need to navigate this waiting season.
Whether you’re a first-time mama feeling overwhelmed by all the “what ifs” or an experienced mom who needs a refresher on labor signs, this episode offers practical wisdom rooted in trusting God’s perfect timing for your birth story.
In this episode, I share:
🤔The difference between possible, preliminary, and positive signs of labor
🫖What to do (and what NOT to do) when you start experiencing these signs
🛁 Comfort measures and relaxation techniques to practice during early labor
📞 How to discern when it’s time to call your provider or head to your birthplace
✝️ Faith-filled encouragement for trusting your body and God’s timing
Scripture Shared:
“But I trust in you, Lord. I say, you are my God. My times are in your hands.” – Psalm 31:14-15
Mentioned in this episode:
✨ “Am I in Labor? Discerning the Signs” Free Handout – Grab this companion resource in the Christian Mama Birth Prep Library
🤰 LMNT Electrolytes – My favorite clean electrolyte supplement for pregnancy
📚 Childbirth Education Course – Learn comfort measures and labor techniques
💛 Work with Me 1:1 – Doula Support & Coaching: Explore birth support and childbirth education for your pregnancy and birth journey
If this episode helped clarify the signs of labor for you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another mama who might be wondering the same thing.
Let’s keep choosing faith over fear as we trust God’s timing for our babies’ arrivals. Go here for the full blog post, show notes, and all resources mentioned
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Natalie Portman (00:45):
Hey mama.
Welcome back to the podcast.
Today.
We're diving into what might bethe question you're asking
yourself right now, or might beasking yourself this later on in
your pregnancy, Am I in labor?"Or is this just another round of
Braxton Hicks or warmupcontractions?
I have definitely been therebefore.
Those practice contractions areso convincing sometimes.
(01:08):
So before we jump in, I want tolet you know that I've created a
really helpful companion handoutfor today's episode that breaks
down all of the signs of laborwe'll be discussing.
It's called Am I in Labor?
Discerning the Signs, and youcan find it inside the Christian
Mama birth prep library.
This is a completely freeresource that I've put together
(01:29):
just for you, so you can go signup at faithoverfearbirth.com or
just click the link in the shownotes to get access to this
handout, along with a ton ofother valuable birth prep
resources.
So now I'd love to walk youthrough the different stages
from those early maybe signs allthe way to this is the real deal
(01:51):
moment.
And of course, I'll weave infaith-filled encouragement along
the way because God beautifullydesigned this process with such
incredible wisdom.
The first thing I'll go over arethe possible signs of labor.
So these are signs that areshowing that your body is
definitely preparing for labor,but it doesn't necessarily mean
that labor is about to start.
(02:13):
Some of these signs look likehaving a back ache that's dull,
low, nagging, kind of achyfeeling, and it sometimes will
come and go.
Another sign is having lowerabdominal cramps.
Sometimes it can kind of feellike period cramps and sometimes
might even radiate into yourupper thighs.
And then another sign is havingsoft bowel movements.
(02:35):
Your body will just kind ofstart clearing out, you're gonna
have a lot of bowel movementstowards the end, potentially,
and this is just a naturalprocess for your body to get
ready for labor and birth.
Next is a nesting urge.
So this is that sudden burst ofenergy to clean and organize
everything to tie up all theloose ends and just get
(02:57):
everything ready for baby'sarrival.
And I found myself scrubbing thebaseboards of my bathroom and
thinking that was normal and.
I realized after the fact when Iwas pregnant with Ellie, that
was my nesting urge, that I,randomly felt like I needed to
be scrubbing the baseboards atlike three in the morning.
So, if you find yourself doingthings like that, or just you
(03:20):
all of a sudden feel like youneed to do all the things.
To prepare for baby.
That's your nesting urge.
So with these possible signs oflabor, some things I would
suggest that you do in thisphase is rest whenever possible.
If you start to have thesecontractions, but you're not
really sure if it's the realdeal or not, don't try to spur
them on necessarily.
(03:41):
Unless of course you're like.
Past your due date and you'retrying to avoid induction,
that's a little different.
But if this is just happening inthe last month, or maybe even
two last two months of yourpregnancy, rest, stay very
hydrated.
Sometimes your body will havethese practice contractions
because you're a little bitdehydrated.
So.
(04:02):
I always suggest drinkingelectrolytes daily.
My favorite was drinking LMNTL-M-N-T.
That electrolyte brand isphenomenal.
It's super clean ingredients.
You can buy like a sample packon Amazon, but I actually
suggest buying it on LMNT'swebsite'cause you can get a much
(04:22):
better deal if you buy it inbulk.
But give LMNT a try.
It helped reduce my swellingsignificantly also in my
pregnancy, but also, keeps youreally well hydrated, kept me
from having a lot of the legcramps and things that I was
prone to prior to taking anelectrolyte drink every day.
Another thing you can do duringthis phase is journal and pray.
(04:44):
And that could look likethrowing on some worship music,
or just silence and just goingto the Lord in prayer about
everything that's happening inthis season as you're preparing
for baby's arrival, especiallyif it's your first.
And then use this time to, leaninto that nesting urge, start
finalizing your birth bagpacking, or if you're doing a
home birth, make sure all thesupplies are in place.
(05:06):
Just get yourself prepared sothat it's one less mental load
that you're carrying.
And then start practicingrelaxation techniques.
So one thing I love to teach myclients is to welcome those
practice contractions as a wayfor you to build up your
confidence to know what you'lldo when you have real labor
(05:27):
contractions.
So what I say is when you starthaving practice contractions,
you take a cleansing breath inthrough your nose, out through
your mouth, like you're fogginga mirror.
And you scan your body head totoe and especially, this is nice
if you're laying down, so sayyou're having practice
contractions in the night, whichis also really common.
(05:49):
So do that practice breathing inthrough the nose, out through
the mouth.
As you scan your body head totoe, kind of becoming like a rag
doll where if someone were tolift your hand or your arm it
would just kind of flop down.
Like you want to just totallyrelax Every muscle in your body.
So those are some things you canstart doing if you notice any of
(06:09):
these possible signs of labor.
And don't be discouraged.
Just know that this is yourbody's way of showing that it's
gearing up, but don't have anexpectation that, oh, okay, I'm
having these signs, so surelylabor is right around the
corner.
Don't necessarily think that,but just know that these are
good signs that your body isgetting ready for the big day.
(06:31):
The next ones I wanna go overare the preliminary signs of
labor.
So these might occur a littlebit closer to the time that
labor will begin usually starts,a couple weeks to days or
sometimes even hours beforeactive labor begins.
One of the first signs is havingnon progressing contractions.
These are contractions that arestaying generally the same
(06:52):
length, strength, and thespacing is staying about the
same.
And sometimes they can come andgo, like I mentioned.
This is super common at the lastmonth or so of pregnancy, and
especially in the evening, likeat nighttime when you're trying
to sleep, your body justreleases different hormones in
the evening and you're, allcomfy, cozy sleeping next to
(07:14):
hubby and your body justreleases different hormones.
So this is really common and I'mso glad that my sister.
Gave me a heads up about thiswhen I was pregnant the first
time, because when I kept wakingup in the night to these
practice contractions, if Ihadn't expected that, I would've
definitely stayed up timing themor seeing if they sped up or
(07:35):
something happened.
And that's literally the lastthing I want you to do.
I want you to try to ignorecontractions as much as is
humanly possible until they areso strong, you just can't ignore
it anymore.
So if you're noticing.
Regular contractions that are,say they're coming every five
minutes but they're stayingabout the same strength and the
(07:58):
duration is about the same.
They're about, you know, 30seconds or something like that.
Pay no attention to it.
Just ignore that it's happening.
I.
And then the other thing youcould start to notice for this
preliminary stage of labor,potential labor is losing your
mucus plug or even having alittle bit of bloody show.
So mucus plug is something thatprotects the cervix from,
(08:22):
infection and things like that.
But towards the end of yourpregnancy, you might start to
notice a discharge, either inyour underwear or when you wipe.
That has a consistency of eggwhites and this is a natural,
normal process to lose thatmucus plug ahead of labor.
Some women lose it a little bitover time, so little that they
(08:43):
barely even notice that's whatthat is.
And then others might lose it inlike a large clump.
Either way.
That's totally normal.
It's totally fine.
And then sometimes that.
Mucus can even be a little bitblood tinged.
And again, that is normal, butof course, if you're noticing a
lot of blood or a lot of fluid,that's something else.
You'll definitely wanna payattention to that and talk with
(09:04):
your provider if you're seeingthose signs.
But just a little bit of mucus,even a clump of mucus is normal.
And, a sign that your body'sgearing up.
What's also crazy about themucus plug is you could lose
your mucus plug, say like at 36weeks, and then you don't go
into labor until 39 weeks or 40weeks.
(09:25):
And so you can lose your mucusplug, it can grow back, and then
you can lose it again.
It's one of those things where Isay it's nice to pay attention
to these signs because it's.
Encouraging that you see yourbody starting to get ready.
But don't hyperfocus on thissign alone, especially if you're
not having any other signs thatare pointing to things are
(09:45):
gearing up for labor to beginimmediately.
The next thing is noticing alittle bit of leaking of some
sort of fluid.
Some women can have a smallleak, high up on the amniotic
sac, and this can present as aslow little trickle of very thin
(10:05):
fluid from their vagina.
And if you're noticing this,you'll definitely want to pay
attention to, the color of thatfluid, the odor of that fluid,
the amount and what time thisstarted.
And so to remember that I wantyou to think of an acronym coat,
COAT.
(10:26):
So color, odor, amount and time.
So if you start to notice somesort of leaking of fluid, I
suggest putting on a pad layingdown for about 15 minutes.
And when you get back up, if youstill feel a gushing of fluid or
there's just a steady amount offluid that's coming out of you,
(10:46):
definitely call your provider.
Many of the time they'll want tohave you either come into their
office or the midwife cansometimes even come to you if
you're doing a home birth, orhave you go to labor and
delivery to test the fluid tosee if it's amniotic fluid or
something else.
So what to do during this phase?
Stay in communication with yourprovider or your, doula or your
(11:07):
birth team.
Whoever depends on what signyou're seeing.
But say, you have a doula,whether that's a virtual doula
or a in-person doula shoot her atext and just say, Hey, I'm
starting to, notice I'm havingsome, contractions or I lost my
mucus plug today.
Something like that, just sothat she's in the know of what's
happening in your body.
(11:27):
But again, send it not to belike, oh, and labor's about to
start, but just say, Hey, justwanting to let you know my
body's gearing up.
The biggest thing here is again,to not want to.
Overly invest too much mentalenergy in non progressing
contractions or signs.
So say you want to time thecontractions that are coming,
(11:49):
they're, very manageable.
What I would suggest you do istime your contractions on like a
contraction timer app formaximum of 30 minutes.
So just so you can kind of get.
A sense of what the pattern is,how long the contractions are,
how frequently they're coming,and some even allow you to rate
the strength of the contraction.
(12:10):
And then you can send ascreenshot of that to your doula
just to again, get a baselinefor what's happening.
And then don't time them anymoreunless you notice there's a big
shift, like they feel muchstronger, closer together, or
something like that.
Another thing you can do duringthis phase is prioritize taking
care of yourself.
(12:30):
Resting, relaxing, hydrating,but at this point you could also
get in an Epsom salt bath,sometimes non progressing
contractions.
If it's not real labor, if youget in an Epsom salt bath, it
helps relax the uterine musclesto help those non progressing
contractions just stop, or takea relaxing shower.
Just something to kind of takeyour mind off of that and to
(12:50):
just.
Relax.
And then another thing you coulddo is just distract yourself.
Go watch a favorite movie orlisten to some music or do
something that you would enjoythat can take your mind off of
this phase, because good chancethat if you're just having these
signs, the preliminary signs andthe possible signs, labor may
not be around the corner and youdon't wanna waste your mental,
(13:13):
emotional, physical energy on awarmup instead of saving all of
that for the real deal whenyou're actually in labor.
So speaking of that, let's nowtalk about the positive signs of
labor.
So if you are experiencing anyof these signs, then we know
labor is starting.
So having progressingcontractions.
(13:33):
This looks like havingcontractions that are getting
longer, stronger, and closertogether.
When I think longercontractions, generally if
they're getting closer to like aminute.
Minute and a half, then we knowwe're more so in labor territory
than if they were 30 to 45seconds long or so.
(13:53):
This is a huge one.
If you start to notice that thecontractions are getting much
stronger, that is a really goodindication that this is actually
labor instead of it being aprodromal or practice or a
warmup labor.
So especially if this is notyour first baby, I find that
with moms that have had previouspregnancies their labor may not
(14:17):
have this classic, labor patternwhere they're coming super
regularly or the contraction islasting a very consistent amount
of time, but I pay way moreattention to.
Are the contractions feelingmuch stronger than they were 30
minutes an hour ago?
So that's a really, really goodsign.
And then of course, if thecontractions are getting closer
(14:37):
together, that's another greatsign that we are in true labor
territory.
And so a general rule of thumbis look for the 4 1 1 or 5 1, 1
rule where contractions arecoming every four to five
minutes.
The contraction is lasting atleast a minute.
And this has been happening forat least an hour.
(14:59):
So generally when contractionsare in this pattern, we're
looking at turning from earlylabor to active labor.
And so if you're planning a homebirth, you'll definitely wanna
let your team know, yourmidwife, your doula, whoever's
coming to attend the birth, tostart heading to you around that
(15:20):
point.
And if you're planning a birthcenter or hospital birth, this
is about the time generally thatyou'll want to start making your
way to your birthplace.
And then if you notice, a largegush of amniotic fluid, so this
is usually undeniable where youhave copious amounts of fluid
just pouring out of you.
(15:41):
Again, wanting to use that samecoat acronym, COAT, color odor
amount and time to have asinformation for your provider to
let them know what time yourwater broke.
What was the color of theamniotic fluid?
When you believed it broke howmuch was it and is there any
(16:02):
odor to it?
And then of course the finalpositive sign of labor is having
cervical dilation.
Meaning the cervix is thinningout, it's becoming softer.
It's opening dilating, and thecervix is starting to move more
forward.
So all of these signs, if you'rehaving contractions and you're
noticing that there's change,these are all signs that you are
(16:24):
in labor.
Which of course you wouldn'tknow if you're dilating unless
your provider is checking you.
So don't stress about this.
If you're just at home,definitely just look for those
positive signs, havingprogressing contractions or
generally following that 4, 1, 1or 5 1, 1 rule.
And or your, amniotic fluid isgushing.
(16:46):
And so what to do during thisphase.
This is when you'll really needto tap into the comfort measures
and techniques.
Breathing, massage, just movingaround different labor
positions.
All of these things you'll wantto tap into.
And if you're unsure what thatmeans, I do have a childbirth
education course where I go overall of these things.
So check that out.
(17:07):
This is the time to call yourdoula or your provider and let
them know if you haven'talready, let them know that
you're in labor.
And start getting, your birthenvironment really set up.
If you're laboring at home andyou're having a home birth,
you'll definitely at this pointwant to start getting your music
playing.
(17:27):
The lights dim the birth poolready, if that's what you're
doing.
Just really setting yourself up.
And then of course, if you'relaboring and delivering in a
hospital or a birth center.
Start making your way to your,birthplace if you haven't
already, and get the whole roomset up so that you will be ready
(17:47):
for this labor and birth.
I also highly suggest lightlyeating eat if you're hungry,
especially if it's the time ofday that you would normally be
eating.
If you wake up and you startlabor, but you haven't had
breakfast yet, if you can eatsomething, definitely do that.
And prioritize protein, and justthings that you know, your body
will tolerate well.
(18:09):
And continue to hydrate,especially if you are feeling
weak or tired or you just knowyou haven't been super hydrated.
Up to that point, I suggesttrying to take a sip of water or
electrolyte, or having bothavailable after each
contraction.
And if it's hard to remember todo that, which it definitely is,
have your doula, have yourhusband, have your midwife,
(18:32):
whoever help remind you to takesips after contractions.
And then of course, you want tofocus very deeply on remaining
calm, relaxing every muscle,pretending you're a ragdoll,
breathing in through the nose,out through the mouth, just
focusing on relaxation and yourbreath, because everything else
(18:54):
is pretty much out of your hand,your body.
We will just take over.
But you can do your part byremaining calm, staying in just
that instinctual brain insteadof the overthinking prefrontal
cortex.
You definitely don't wanna be ina problem solving mindset.
You wanna just be in a veryinstinctual mindset.
(19:15):
So I'd love to read a verse ofencouragement this comes out of
Psalm 31, 14 through 15, and itsays, but I trust in you, Lord.
I say, you are my God.
My times are in your hands.
And isn't that just so perfect?
Especially if you're listeningto this and you're having a lot
of the warmup signs and you'rejust like, Lord, when will this
(19:37):
baby come?
You might even be 42 weekspregnant, and you're like, I am
so over being pregnant.
Trust me, I get it.
I never made it to 42 weeks.
I always delivered, before 41weeks.
But I, I know how rough it istowards the end.
So give yourself that grace thatthe Lord has the start of this
labor in his perfect and capablehands, so just giving that to
(19:57):
him.
I hope this episode has givenyou some clarity and peace about
recognizing the signs of labor.
And just remember that thisbirth is unique and God's timing
is perfect, even when it doesn'tfeel like it to you.
The most important thing I wantyou to take away from this is
that you trust your body andtrust your instincts.
You were fearfully andwonderfully made, and the same
(20:19):
God who knit your baby togetherin your womb is equipping you
with everything you need forthis journey.
So don't forget to grab thatcompanion handout that I
mentioned.
It's going to be such a helpfulresource for you, especially as
you're getting closer to yourdue date.
It's just nice to see it withyour own eyes.
So head over tofaithoverfearbirth.com or like I
(20:40):
said, click to the link in theshow notes to sign up for that
birth prep library.
And if this episode was helpfulfor you, would you please take
just a moment to leave a reviewor rate the podcast for me?
It helps so much for more mamasto find this information.
So head over there please, ifyou don't mind, and just know
that I'm praying for you as youprepare to meet your little one.
(21:03):
And before we go, I just wannago ahead and just say a prayer
over you as you're preparing forthis time.
Lord Jesus, I just lift up thisprecious mama to you right now.
You see her in this season ofwaiting the discomfort, the
wondering, the practicecontractions that are just
keeping her guessing.
But father, you know, this ishard.
(21:25):
Being pregnant is uncomfortableand not knowing when labor will
begin can feel so overwhelming.
Give her peace in uncertaintyand rest in her waiting.
Remind her that you haveequipped her body with
everything it needs, and youhave surrounded her with the
support she needs for thisjourney.
Lord Jesus, please give her restand when the time comes, give
(21:46):
her strength and peace to birthher baby in your perfect timing.
It's in Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
So I will see you next week foranother episode, but until then,
mama, you've got this.
And more importantly, God's gotyou.
Hey mama.
Welcome back to the podcast.
Today.
We're diving into what might bethe question you're asking
yourself right now, or might beasking yourself this later on in
your pregnancy, Am I in labor?"Or is this just another round of
Braxton Hicks or warmupcontractions?
I have definitely been therebefore.
Those practice contractions areso convincing sometimes.
(01:08):
So before we jump in, I want tolet you know that I've created a
really helpful companion handoutfor today's episode that breaks
down all of the signs of laborwe'll be discussing.
It's called Am I in Labor?
Discerning the Signs, and youcan find it inside the Christian
Mama birth prep library.
This is a completely freeresource that I've put together
(01:29):
just for you, so you can go signup at faithoverfearbirth.com or
just click the link in the shownotes to get access to this
handout, along with a ton ofother valuable birth prep
resources.
So now I'd love to walk youthrough the different stages
from those early maybe signs allthe way to this is the real deal
(01:51):
moment.
And of course, I'll weave infaith-filled encouragement along
the way because God beautifullydesigned this process with such
incredible wisdom.
The first thing I'll go over arethe possible signs of labor.
So these are signs that areshowing that your body is
definitely preparing for labor,but it doesn't necessarily mean
that labor is about to start.
(02:13):
Some of these signs look likehaving a back ache that's dull,
low, nagging, kind of achyfeeling, and it sometimes will
come and go.
Another sign is having lowerabdominal cramps.
Sometimes it can kind of feellike period cramps and sometimes
might even radiate into yourupper thighs.
And then another sign is havingsoft bowel movements.
(02:35):
Your body will just kind ofstart clearing out, you're gonna
have a lot of bowel movementstowards the end, potentially,
and this is just a naturalprocess for your body to get
ready for labor and birth.
Next is a nesting urge.
So this is that sudden burst ofenergy to clean and organize
everything to tie up all theloose ends and just get
(02:57):
everything ready for baby'sarrival.
And I found myself scrubbing thebaseboards of my bathroom and
thinking that was normal and.
I realized after the fact when Iwas pregnant with Ellie, that
was my nesting urge, that I,randomly felt like I needed to
be scrubbing the baseboards atlike three in the morning.
So, if you find yourself doingthings like that, or just you
(03:20):
all of a sudden feel like youneed to do all the things.
To prepare for baby.
That's your nesting urge.
So with these possible signs oflabor, some things I would
suggest that you do in thisphase is rest whenever possible.
If you start to have thesecontractions, but you're not
really sure if it's the realdeal or not, don't try to spur
them on necessarily.
(03:41):
Unless of course you're like.
Past your due date and you'retrying to avoid induction,
that's a little different.
But if this is just happening inthe last month, or maybe even
two last two months of yourpregnancy, rest, stay very
hydrated.
Sometimes your body will havethese practice contractions
because you're a little bitdehydrated.
So.
(04:02):
I always suggest drinkingelectrolytes daily.
My favorite was drinking LMNTL-M-N-T.
That electrolyte brand isphenomenal.
It's super clean ingredients.
You can buy like a sample packon Amazon, but I actually
suggest buying it on LMNT'swebsite'cause you can get a much
(04:22):
better deal if you buy it inbulk.
But give LMNT a try.
It helped reduce my swellingsignificantly also in my
pregnancy, but also, keeps youreally well hydrated, kept me
from having a lot of the legcramps and things that I was
prone to prior to taking anelectrolyte drink every day.
Another thing you can do duringthis phase is journal and pray.
(04:44):
And that could look likethrowing on some worship music,
or just silence and just goingto the Lord in prayer about
everything that's happening inthis season as you're preparing
for baby's arrival, especiallyif it's your first.
And then use this time to, leaninto that nesting urge, start
finalizing your birth bagpacking, or if you're doing a
home birth, make sure all thesupplies are in place.
(05:06):
Just get yourself prepared sothat it's one less mental load
that you're carrying.
And then start practicingrelaxation techniques.
So one thing I love to teach myclients is to welcome those
practice contractions as a wayfor you to build up your
confidence to know what you'lldo when you have real labor
(05:27):
contractions.
So what I say is when you starthaving practice contractions,
you take a cleansing breath inthrough your nose, out through
your mouth, like you're fogginga mirror.
And you scan your body head totoe and especially, this is nice
if you're laying down, so sayyou're having practice
contractions in the night, whichis also really common.
(05:49):
So do that practice breathing inthrough the nose, out through
the mouth.
As you scan your body head totoe, kind of becoming like a rag
doll where if someone were tolift your hand or your arm it
would just kind of flop down.
Like you want to just totallyrelax Every muscle in your body.
So those are some things you canstart doing if you notice any of
(06:09):
these possible signs of labor.
And don't be discouraged.
Just know that this is yourbody's way of showing that it's
gearing up, but don't have anexpectation that, oh, okay, I'm
having these signs, so surelylabor is right around the
corner.
Don't necessarily think that,but just know that these are
good signs that your body isgetting ready for the big day.
(06:31):
The next ones I wanna go overare the preliminary signs of
labor.
So these might occur a littlebit closer to the time that
labor will begin usually starts,a couple weeks to days or
sometimes even hours beforeactive labor begins.
One of the first signs is havingnon progressing contractions.
These are contractions that arestaying generally the same
(06:52):
length, strength, and thespacing is staying about the
same.
And sometimes they can come andgo, like I mentioned.
This is super common at the lastmonth or so of pregnancy, and
especially in the evening, likeat nighttime when you're trying
to sleep, your body justreleases different hormones in
the evening and you're, allcomfy, cozy sleeping next to
(07:14):
hubby and your body justreleases different hormones.
So this is really common and I'mso glad that my sister.
Gave me a heads up about thiswhen I was pregnant the first
time, because when I kept wakingup in the night to these
practice contractions, if Ihadn't expected that, I would've
definitely stayed up timing themor seeing if they sped up or
(07:35):
something happened.
And that's literally the lastthing I want you to do.
I want you to try to ignorecontractions as much as is
humanly possible until they areso strong, you just can't ignore
it anymore.
So if you're noticing.
Regular contractions that are,say they're coming every five
minutes but they're stayingabout the same strength and the
(07:58):
duration is about the same.
They're about, you know, 30seconds or something like that.
Pay no attention to it.
Just ignore that it's happening.
I.
And then the other thing youcould start to notice for this
preliminary stage of labor,potential labor is losing your
mucus plug or even having alittle bit of bloody show.
So mucus plug is something thatprotects the cervix from,
(08:22):
infection and things like that.
But towards the end of yourpregnancy, you might start to
notice a discharge, either inyour underwear or when you wipe.
That has a consistency of eggwhites and this is a natural,
normal process to lose thatmucus plug ahead of labor.
Some women lose it a little bitover time, so little that they
(08:43):
barely even notice that's whatthat is.
And then others might lose it inlike a large clump.
Either way.
That's totally normal.
It's totally fine.
And then sometimes that.
Mucus can even be a little bitblood tinged.
And again, that is normal, butof course, if you're noticing a
lot of blood or a lot of fluid,that's something else.
You'll definitely wanna payattention to that and talk with
(09:04):
your provider if you're seeingthose signs.
But just a little bit of mucus,even a clump of mucus is normal.
And, a sign that your body'sgearing up.
What's also crazy about themucus plug is you could lose
your mucus plug, say like at 36weeks, and then you don't go
into labor until 39 weeks or 40weeks.
(09:25):
And so you can lose your mucusplug, it can grow back, and then
you can lose it again.
It's one of those things where Isay it's nice to pay attention
to these signs because it's.
Encouraging that you see yourbody starting to get ready.
But don't hyperfocus on thissign alone, especially if you're
not having any other signs thatare pointing to things are
(09:45):
gearing up for labor to beginimmediately.
The next thing is noticing alittle bit of leaking of some
sort of fluid.
Some women can have a smallleak, high up on the amniotic
sac, and this can present as aslow little trickle of very thin
(10:05):
fluid from their vagina.
And if you're noticing this,you'll definitely want to pay
attention to, the color of thatfluid, the odor of that fluid,
the amount and what time thisstarted.
And so to remember that I wantyou to think of an acronym coat,
COAT.
(10:26):
So color, odor, amount and time.
So if you start to notice somesort of leaking of fluid, I
suggest putting on a pad layingdown for about 15 minutes.
And when you get back up, if youstill feel a gushing of fluid or
there's just a steady amount offluid that's coming out of you,
(10:46):
definitely call your provider.
Many of the time they'll want tohave you either come into their
office or the midwife cansometimes even come to you if
you're doing a home birth, orhave you go to labor and
delivery to test the fluid tosee if it's amniotic fluid or
something else.
So what to do during this phase?
Stay in communication with yourprovider or your, doula or your
(11:07):
birth team.
Whoever depends on what signyou're seeing.
But say, you have a doula,whether that's a virtual doula
or a in-person doula shoot her atext and just say, Hey, I'm
starting to, notice I'm havingsome, contractions or I lost my
mucus plug today.
Something like that, just sothat she's in the know of what's
happening in your body.
(11:27):
But again, send it not to belike, oh, and labor's about to
start, but just say, Hey, justwanting to let you know my
body's gearing up.
The biggest thing here is again,to not want to.
Overly invest too much mentalenergy in non progressing
contractions or signs.
So say you want to time thecontractions that are coming,
(11:49):
they're, very manageable.
What I would suggest you do istime your contractions on like a
contraction timer app formaximum of 30 minutes.
So just so you can kind of get.
A sense of what the pattern is,how long the contractions are,
how frequently they're coming,and some even allow you to rate
the strength of the contraction.
(12:10):
And then you can send ascreenshot of that to your doula
just to again, get a baselinefor what's happening.
And then don't time them anymoreunless you notice there's a big
shift, like they feel muchstronger, closer together, or
something like that.
Another thing you can do duringthis phase is prioritize taking
care of yourself.
(12:30):
Resting, relaxing, hydrating,but at this point you could also
get in an Epsom salt bath,sometimes non progressing
contractions.
If it's not real labor, if youget in an Epsom salt bath, it
helps relax the uterine musclesto help those non progressing
contractions just stop, or takea relaxing shower.
Just something to kind of takeyour mind off of that and to
(12:50):
just.
Relax.
And then another thing you coulddo is just distract yourself.
Go watch a favorite movie orlisten to some music or do
something that you would enjoythat can take your mind off of
this phase, because good chancethat if you're just having these
signs, the preliminary signs andthe possible signs, labor may
not be around the corner and youdon't wanna waste your mental,
(13:13):
emotional, physical energy on awarmup instead of saving all of
that for the real deal whenyou're actually in labor.
So speaking of that, let's nowtalk about the positive signs of
labor.
So if you are experiencing anyof these signs, then we know
labor is starting.
So having progressingcontractions.
(13:33):
This looks like havingcontractions that are getting
longer, stronger, and closertogether.
When I think longercontractions, generally if
they're getting closer to like aminute.
Minute and a half, then we knowwe're more so in labor territory
than if they were 30 to 45seconds long or so.
(13:53):
This is a huge one.
If you start to notice that thecontractions are getting much
stronger, that is a really goodindication that this is actually
labor instead of it being aprodromal or practice or a
warmup labor.
So especially if this is notyour first baby, I find that
with moms that have had previouspregnancies their labor may not
(14:17):
have this classic, labor patternwhere they're coming super
regularly or the contraction islasting a very consistent amount
of time, but I pay way moreattention to.
Are the contractions feelingmuch stronger than they were 30
minutes an hour ago?
So that's a really, really goodsign.
And then of course, if thecontractions are getting closer
(14:37):
together, that's another greatsign that we are in true labor
territory.
And so a general rule of thumbis look for the 4 1 1 or 5 1, 1
rule where contractions arecoming every four to five
minutes.
The contraction is lasting atleast a minute.
And this has been happening forat least an hour.
(14:59):
So generally when contractionsare in this pattern, we're
looking at turning from earlylabor to active labor.
And so if you're planning a homebirth, you'll definitely wanna
let your team know, yourmidwife, your doula, whoever's
coming to attend the birth, tostart heading to you around that
(15:20):
point.
And if you're planning a birthcenter or hospital birth, this
is about the time generally thatyou'll want to start making your
way to your birthplace.
And then if you notice, a largegush of amniotic fluid, so this
is usually undeniable where youhave copious amounts of fluid
just pouring out of you.
(15:41):
Again, wanting to use that samecoat acronym, COAT, color odor
amount and time to have asinformation for your provider to
let them know what time yourwater broke.
What was the color of theamniotic fluid?
When you believed it broke howmuch was it and is there any
(16:02):
odor to it?
And then of course the finalpositive sign of labor is having
cervical dilation.
Meaning the cervix is thinningout, it's becoming softer.
It's opening dilating, and thecervix is starting to move more
forward.
So all of these signs, if you'rehaving contractions and you're
noticing that there's change,these are all signs that you are
(16:24):
in labor.
Which of course you wouldn'tknow if you're dilating unless
your provider is checking you.
So don't stress about this.
If you're just at home,definitely just look for those
positive signs, havingprogressing contractions or
generally following that 4, 1, 1or 5 1, 1 rule.
And or your, amniotic fluid isgushing.
(16:46):
And so what to do during thisphase.
This is when you'll really needto tap into the comfort measures
and techniques.
Breathing, massage, just movingaround different labor
positions.
All of these things you'll wantto tap into.
And if you're unsure what thatmeans, I do have a childbirth
education course where I go overall of these things.
So check that out.
(17:07):
This is the time to call yourdoula or your provider and let
them know if you haven'talready, let them know that
you're in labor.
And start getting, your birthenvironment really set up.
If you're laboring at home andyou're having a home birth,
you'll definitely at this pointwant to start getting your music
playing.
(17:27):
The lights dim the birth poolready, if that's what you're
doing.
Just really setting yourself up.
And then of course, if you'relaboring and delivering in a
hospital or a birth center.
Start making your way to your,birthplace if you haven't
already, and get the whole roomset up so that you will be ready
(17:47):
for this labor and birth.
I also highly suggest lightlyeating eat if you're hungry,
especially if it's the time ofday that you would normally be
eating.
If you wake up and you startlabor, but you haven't had
breakfast yet, if you can eatsomething, definitely do that.
And prioritize protein, and justthings that you know, your body
will tolerate well.
(18:09):
And continue to hydrate,especially if you are feeling
weak or tired or you just knowyou haven't been super hydrated.
Up to that point, I suggesttrying to take a sip of water or
electrolyte, or having bothavailable after each
contraction.
And if it's hard to remember todo that, which it definitely is,
have your doula, have yourhusband, have your midwife,
(18:32):
whoever help remind you to takesips after contractions.
And then of course, you want tofocus very deeply on remaining
calm, relaxing every muscle,pretending you're a ragdoll,
breathing in through the nose,out through the mouth, just
focusing on relaxation and yourbreath, because everything else
(18:54):
is pretty much out of your hand,your body.
We will just take over.
But you can do your part byremaining calm, staying in just
that instinctual brain insteadof the overthinking prefrontal
cortex.
You definitely don't wanna be ina problem solving mindset.
You wanna just be in a veryinstinctual mindset.
(19:15):
So I'd love to read a verse ofencouragement this comes out of
Psalm 31, 14 through 15, and itsays, but I trust in you, Lord.
I say, you are my God.
My times are in your hands.
And isn't that just so perfect?
Especially if you're listeningto this and you're having a lot
of the warmup signs and you'rejust like, Lord, when will this
(19:37):
baby come?
You might even be 42 weekspregnant, and you're like, I am
so over being pregnant.
Trust me, I get it.
I never made it to 42 weeks.
I always delivered, before 41weeks.
But I, I know how rough it istowards the end.
So give yourself that grace thatthe Lord has the start of this
labor in his perfect and capablehands, so just giving that to
(19:57):
him.
I hope this episode has givenyou some clarity and peace about
recognizing the signs of labor.
And just remember that thisbirth is unique and God's timing
is perfect, even when it doesn'tfeel like it to you.
The most important thing I wantyou to take away from this is
that you trust your body andtrust your instincts.
You were fearfully andwonderfully made, and the same
(20:19):
God who knit your baby togetherin your womb is equipping you
with everything you need forthis journey.
So don't forget to grab thatcompanion handout that I
mentioned.
It's going to be such a helpfulresource for you, especially as
you're getting closer to yourdue date.
It's just nice to see it withyour own eyes.
So head over tofaithoverfearbirth.com or like I
(20:40):
said, click to the link in theshow notes to sign up for that
birth prep library.
And if this episode was helpfulfor you, would you please take
just a moment to leave a reviewor rate the podcast for me?
It helps so much for more mamasto find this information.
So head over there please, ifyou don't mind, and just know
that I'm praying for you as youprepare to meet your little one.
(21:03):
And before we go, I just wannago ahead and just say a prayer
over you as you're preparing forthis time.
Lord Jesus, I just lift up thisprecious mama to you right now.
You see her in this season ofwaiting the discomfort, the
wondering, the practicecontractions that are just
keeping her guessing.
But father, you know, this ishard.
(21:25):
Being pregnant is uncomfortableand not knowing when labor will
begin can feel so overwhelming.
Give her peace in uncertaintyand rest in her waiting.
Remind her that you haveequipped her body with
everything it needs, and youhave surrounded her with the
support she needs for thisjourney.
Lord Jesus, please give her restand when the time comes, give
(21:46):
her strength and peace to birthher baby in your perfect timing.
It's in Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
So I will see you next week foranother episode, but until then,
mama, you've got this.
And more importantly, God's gotyou.
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