There are several signs that indicate the mother is going into labor. These include:

Contractions or tightenings
When the plug of mucus from your cervix comes away
Backaches
An urge to go to the toilet caused by the baby's head pressing the bowel
Water breaking.

Latent Phase of Labour

The start of the labour cycle is known as the latent phase. Here, the cervix becomes soft and thin and begins to open for the baby to be born. This process sometimes takes hours or even days.

Women are advised to stay at home during this time even if they come to visit the hospital & take advice from one of the best obstetrician in Whitefield, Bangalore

1) Contractions are scary! But what does it feel like?

During contraction, the womb tightens and then eventually relaxes. For some, contractions do feel like extreme period pain.

When you’re arriving during the end of the pregnancy, contractions can occur which are called Braxton Hicks Contractions and are normally painless.

Contractions become longer, stronger and more frequent as labour progresses. During this time, the muscles tighten, increasing the pain.

Contractions are vital to push the baby down and open the entrance of the womb for the baby to go through.

2) A “show” signals the start of labour

During pregnancy, a plug of mucus exists in the cervix. Just before labour, the mucus comes away and it may pass out of the vagina. The sticky, pink, jelly-like mucus is what’s known as a show.

This show may come away in a blob or many pieces of the blob. It gets its colouration due to small amounts of blood.

In case the mother is losing more blood, it’s important to phone the hospital right away as it is a sign of something being wrong.

A show is a sign of the cervix’s process of beginning to open. Normally, labour follows quickly or may take a few days. Sometimes the show doesn’t exist.

How to cope through labour pain

Here are some guidelines to follow that can help cope with labour pain when it begins. Labour pain can be tackled both medically and naturally:

Go for a walk or move about if you want to
Drink a lot of fluids or have an energy drink
Enjoy a snack if you feel like
Try breathing exercises you’ve learnt and get your partner involved to help you do these exercises
Have your partner rub your back for you to help reduce pain
Take paracetamol according to prescription, paracetamol can be had during labour
Have a warm bath.