Learn the 5 surefire signs that you’re in labor.

Moms can’t always tell when labor is starting. Without tangible proof, the signs of labor are easily misinterpreted:  Is that liquid from my water bag, or is it pregnancy incontinence?  Is that gas, or am I really contracting?

To help you figure out when you really need to get to the hospital, check out these cues.

Your water breaks

Look out! Delivery could be right around the corner.  Although it doesn’t always happen, in some cases, this is the first sign that   labor is about to start. Whether it comes out in a gush or a trickle, notify your doctor or midwife. Eighty percent of women spontaneously go into labor within 12 hours after their water breaks. And those who don’t are likely to be induced because the risk of infection increases once the amniotic sac has ruptured. 

Contractions are strong and regular

Many women are fooled by Braxton Hicks contractions in the last few weeks of pregnancy. Unlike these “practice contractions,”  real labor pains do not abate until delivery.  Typically, they get more intense and and have shorter intervals in between as time  passes. That crampy feeling you started out with will progress from ten to eight to five to three minutes apart. 

You pass your mucus plug or notice “bloody show.”

You may pass your mucus plug — the small amount of thickened mucus that has sealed your cervical canal during pregnancy and  protected your baby from infection— as your cervix dilates and you progress towards labor.  The plug may come out in a lump or  as increased vaginal discharge for several days. The mucus may be tinged with brown, pink, or red blood, which is why it’s  referred to as “bloody show.” But sex or a vaginal exam can cause the bloody show, too, even when labor is still days away.

Loose Bowels

During the early part of labor, your body begins to release prostaglandins, a group of hormonelike substances that cause the  uterus to contract and help soften and dilate the cervix. But prostaglandins can also hyperstimulate the bowels, causing frequent  stools or even diarrhea.

Back Pains

These are not the usual back pains experienced by all pregnant women.  The day the pain becomes extremely harsh, this can be a  sign that you’re experiencing “back labor.” ”Most of the time, you’ll feel those contractions as a tight band that starts in your  back and radiates across the front of your belly,” says Kay Johnson, a certified nurse-midwife in Atlanta.

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