Long weeks and months of waiting were left behind, a maternity hospital was selected and an exchange card was received. The expected date of birth is getting closer, and impatience threatens to spill over the edge - when will the meeting with the baby take place? It seems to the woman that nothing is happening, the pregnancy seems to have stopped in time, and the baby has barricaded herself from the inside and is completely not going to leave her mother's body. However, the mother’s body is preparing intensively for childbirth. If despair is due to prolonged waiting periods, if the expected date of birth is about to come, or even has already arrived, and the body is silent, listen carefully to yourself.
- Insomnia. You notice that in the last week the dream has become especially sensitive, and the evening-night wakefulness and somersaults in the suddenly become uncomfortable bed turned out to be constant companions of rest? Of course, one won’t be happy about this, but it’s precisely these changes that mean that the baby is about to be born.
- Intolerable itching. Intense skin itching, which delivers a lot of unpleasant minutes in the light of day, and at night becomes simply unbearable, also interferes with restless sleep. This is another sign of an imminent birth - thanks to a greatly enlarged stomach and chest, the skin has become taut, dry and slightly dehydrated, which is why you experience severe itching and discomfort. The bad news is that it is impossible to alleviate this condition with creams or lotions, the good is that you will stop itching right after delivery.
- Tone. In some women, training contractions begin long before the onset of labor, and some do not notice any pain until the birth. But even for those who think that there is not the slightest hint of an approaching childbirth, their tone intensifies. Despite the fact that the sensations in this case are completely painless, it is quite difficult not to notice the stiff stomach.
- Little embarrassment. Throughout your pregnancy, you have been able to deal with the increasing urge to go to the toilet, but in recent days have you noticed a slight incontinence? Do not be scared or ashamed - this little nuisance indicates that the baby’s head slowly falls lower and lower, putting strong pressure on the bladder, and there are only a few days left before delivery.
If you have already been visited by all the signs of an impending birth - it's time to check the combat readiness. A passport, insurance policy and exchange card should not leave your handbag under any circumstances - after all, now the birth can begin at any moment. The phone numbers of your doctor and ambulance should be in a prominent place, and the spouse should be clearly instructed on the necessary actions in the event of childbirth. Do not forget that many women enter the beginning of labor very smoothly and almost imperceptibly, so learn to count contractions - if you notice small, almost painless attacks - be sure to detect their frequency with a stopwatch.
