Prodromal labor - irregular contractions

As your estimated due date approaches, your body will start preparing for childbirth. There are many ways in which your body can manifest signs of impending labor and birth, and prodromal labor or irregular contractions are an obvious one. When you are dealing with prolonged prodromal labor, it is easy to get frustrated and even to wonder if you will ever give birth. Frequent and heavy Braxton Hicks contractions might make you feel like you are going through discomfort for no reason at all. But, even prodromal labor can help open up your cervix.

For some women, prodromal labor can feel very much like active labor, including heavy and painful contractions. Those contractions do not come in any clear pattern, and can go on for several weeks before active labor finally commences. They are pregnancy signs, and not symptoms that labor has started. Yet, these irregular contractions are not totally pointless. Sometimes, they can help open the cervix. There are expectant mothers out there who walk around with a cervix that is four centimeters dilated for days, or even weeks. One thing that you may want to keep in mind is that women who experience prolonged irregular contractions could have labors that are extremely short once they do go into active labor. Your baby will soon be born, so this is the ideal time for some last minute preparations.

Make sure you have everything you need for your newborn, and get in some extra groceries for the period immediately after your baby is born frozen meals are a really great thing to have on hand. Have you got your hospital bag for labor and birth packed? If you are all set, all that is left is to look out for signs that your baby will really be born soon. These include losing your mucus plug, having regular contractions that get closer together, and your bag of waters breaking.