Diarrhea when in labor?

You may experience some signs to let you know labor is approaching. They may be noticeable several days or even weeks before your due date:

You can recognize labor by uterine contractions occurring every 10 minutes or more frequently (six or more in 1 hour). These contractions may not hurt but can include:

Call your doctor immediately if you have any of these signs of labor before your 37th week of pregnancy.

When you recognize you may be going into labor, it is important to relax. Labor is hard work. By relaxing your muscles you will have an easier and more comfortable labor. Practicing relaxation techniques while you are pregnant will make using them easier when you need them. The only muscle that should be tense is the contracting uterus.

Relaxation techniques should begin with distraction:

Benefits of relaxation:

Suggestions for relaxation:

Relaxation and breathing techniques will help you work with your labor. Other techniques you may also want to use are:

Acupressure is an ancient method of using pressure over a particular point to relieve tension and discomfort. This can be used for pregnancy and labor.

Hydrotherapy is the use of warm water to relax muscles and to relieve stress and tension. During labor, hydrotherapy helps decrease tension in the working muscles and can help stimulate labor as well as increase the pace of cervical dilation. Laboring mothers using hydrotherapy tend to use less medication for pain relief. Talk with your doctor about the use of hydrotherapy for labor.

Aromatherapy is the use of oils to promote health and well-being for your body, mind and emotions. Aromatherapy works in a very natural way by using your sense of touch and smell. These oils can be used during massage, in a bath, as a lotion, with a compress or in a vaporizer. Aromatherapy helps you deal with stress, promotes relaxation and relieves minor discomforts.

Use of relaxation and breathing are all some women need to cope with labor; however, in some cases, it does not provide enough pain relief or relaxation. If you find you need medication or anesthesia, it is important you are aware of the choices available to you, including:

Learn more about the benefits and technique of labor breathing.

Learn more about the labor coach’s role in delivery.

There's no way to tell exactly when you'll go into labor, but here are some other signs that you may be going into labor soon:

Cramps

You may feel cramps that feel like menstrual cramps. These cramps are different from Braxton Hicks contractions, which you've probably felt off and on for a while. There's not usually any cramping with Braxton Hicks. Early labor cramps are likely to come and go for hours or days before labor starts.

Loss of mucus plug

During pregnancy, a thick mucus plug forms at your cervix. As your cervix begins to dilate, the plug is pushed into your vagina. This usually happens several days before labor begins or at the start of labor. You might see the whole plug or notice a vaginal discharge that's heavier than usual and clear, pink, or slightly bloody in color.

Like diarrhea, this isn't a sure sign of labor, however. People used to think that if you lost your mucus plug, you'd be going into labor within a day or two. Doctors know now that this "bloody show" doesn't necessarily mean labor is coming. You can lose your mucus plug and still not go into labor for weeks. It may just re-form in the cervix.

Lightening

When your baby drops down from the abdomen, you may experience pelvic or vaginal pressure. This is called lightening. You may have low back pain. Some women experience this before labor begins, but for others, it doesn't happen until the start of labor.

• Learning the signs of labor before your due date can help you feel ready for your baby's birth.
• Signs of labor include strong and regular contractions, pain in your belly and lower back, a bloody mucus discharge and your water breaking.
• If you think you're in labor, call your health care provider.

Loose stools or diarrhea can be a sign of impending labor caused by the release of hormones called prostaglandins, according to the Endocrine Society. 2 Having the runs a day or two before labor starts also is the body's way of emptying the bowels to allow the uterus to contract efficiently.

For most people, the experience of going into labor isn't nearly as dramatic as it's portrayed on screen, in which actors suddenly clutch their bellies in pain, fluid gushes out from between their legs, they race to the hospital, and minutes later are holding their newborn. In real life, the signs of impending labor, such as diarrhea, lightening, and backache, tend to be subtle and may build slowly over time. They may even be confusing for first-time parents.

To make matters more complicated, signs that labor is getting close can appear days or even weeks before the birth—or they might progress very quickly. Here are seven of the most common indications that your body is preparing to go into labor. Learn more about the signs that labor is near.

The experience is labor (and impending labor) is unique for each person. However, there are some common signs that many people experience. If you have some or all of the following signs, check in with our doctor, as your baby very well may be on their way to you soon!

Was it something you ate? Or a signal that your baby is on the way? Loose stools or diarrhea can be a sign of impending labor caused by the release of hormones called prostaglandins, according to the Endocrine Society. Having the runs a day or two before labor starts also is the body's way of emptying the bowels to allow the uterus to contract efficiently. Typically, diarrhea as a sign of labor begins a few days before labor starts but this varies from person to person.

Be sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, get enough rest, and monitor yourself for any other symptoms. Contact your doctor if you have any concerns. However, if your diarrhea is mild, it's probably nothing to worry about. But if you also have a fever, severe stomach cramping, or diarrhea that lasts more than a day or two, your OB/GYN may want to have you come in for a check-up.

It's possible that your back has been achy ever since your belly got big enough to make sitting, sleeping, standing, and walking uncomfortable. However, a noticeable increase in back pain may be a sign that labor is getting close.

You may also be experiencing back labor, in which contractions are more focused in your lower back than in your abdomen because of the position of your baby. Particularly if this isn't your first pregnancy, you may notice pain and crampiness not only in your low back but also in your groin, caused by stretching of muscles and joints in preparation for birth.

Throughout your pregnancy, a hormone called relaxin is released. It serves to loosen up the connective tissue that holds the bones of the joints together so that when it's time for you to deliver your pelvis will yield and open to allow your baby to travel through the birth canal.

During pregnancy, the cervix (the entrance to the uterus) becomes blocked with mucus to help protect the developing baby. Once labor is underway and the cervix begins to dilate (enlarge), this mucus plug may be released.

It may come away all in one piece or in small pieces that you don't even notice. It may appear as what is called bloody show—pink, brown, or red-tinged discharge that you notice on your underwear or toilet paper after you urinate.

A contraction is a squeezing and releasing of the uterus that encourages the cervix to dilate and helps to push a baby down through the birth canal. Many pregnant people have mild contractions called Braxton-Hicks contractions for weeks before going into labor. These "false" contractions aren't strong or regular and tend to come and go—sometimes in response to hunger or dehydration.

The more intense they become, the harder it will be to even talk while a contraction is in progress.

You may experience a sudden burst of energy just before you go into labor that has you stocking up on groceries, reorganizing closets, scrubbing the inside of the fridge, folding and refolding baby clothes, and straightening the bedding on the crib just one more time. This is called nesting and it happens to many expectant parents as their due date looms near.

Some people feel just the opposite—tired and weary as if they're coming down with the flu. Either way, take care of yourself: Eat well, get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and save some energy for the big day. You'll need it.

This sensation, also called "lightening," actually does mean that your little one has settled deeply into your pelvis, making their way toward the cervix in preparation to push through and be born. It can happen from a few weeks to a few hours before you actually go into labor.

You may experience some signs to let you know labor is approaching. They may be noticeable several days or even weeks before your due date:

You can recognize labor by uterine contractions occurring every 10 minutes or more frequently (six or more in 1 hour). These contractions may not hurt but can include:

Call your doctor immediately if you have any of these signs of labor before your 37th week of pregnancy.

When you recognize you may be going into labor, it is important to relax. Labor is hard work. By relaxing your muscles you will have an easier and more comfortable labor. Practicing relaxation techniques while you are pregnant will make using them easier when you need them. The only muscle that should be tense is the contracting uterus.

Relaxation techniques should begin with distraction:

Benefits of relaxation:

Suggestions for relaxation:

Relaxation and breathing techniques will help you work with your labor. Other techniques you may also want to use are:

Acupressure is an ancient method of using pressure over a particular point to relieve tension and discomfort. This can be used for pregnancy and labor.

Hydrotherapy is the use of warm water to relax muscles and to relieve stress and tension. During labor, hydrotherapy helps decrease tension in the working muscles and can help stimulate labor as well as increase the pace of cervical dilation. Laboring mothers using hydrotherapy tend to use less medication for pain relief. Talk with your doctor about the use of hydrotherapy for labor.

Aromatherapy is the use of oils to promote health and well-being for your body, mind and emotions. Aromatherapy works in a very natural way by using your sense of touch and smell. These oils can be used during massage, in a bath, as a lotion, with a compress or in a vaporizer. Aromatherapy helps you deal with stress, promotes relaxation and relieves minor discomforts.

Use of relaxation and breathing are all some women need to cope with labor; however, in some cases, it does not provide enough pain relief or relaxation. If you find you need medication or anesthesia, it is important you are aware of the choices available to you, including:

Learn more about the benefits and technique of labor breathing.

Learn more about the labor coach’s role in delivery.

The likelihood of premature delivery increases with each additional baby in a pregnancy. More than half of twins are born prematurely (before 37 weeks). Premature labor and delivery present a serious risk, so it is important to understand the warning signs for early labor. All of the following should immediately be reported to your doctor: