People like to glorify pregnancy and make it sound much nicer than it is. While it is a miracle of life, it’s not always pretty and pleasant. There are ugly moments of pregnancy, including horrible swelling and crazy mood swings.
However, it’s not just during the majority of your pregnancy that strange things happen. Your body has some weird behaviors shortly before labor as well. If you want to know about the 15 weird signs that labor is near outside of what people warn you about, you need to keep reading.
15 Weird Signs Labor Is Near
1. Burst of Energy
Some moms get a burst of energy before they’re due. This energy is usually focused on a process called “nesting.” Essentially, it means that you’re rushing to get the house finished and ready for a baby. You’ll feel the urge to have everything organized, extremely clean, and all of the baby items put together and waiting for your child.
2. Lack of Energy
While some people get a burst of energy before their baby comes, some people feel at their absolute worst. If you’re usually a busybody, even when pregnant, and then randomly don’t have the energy to do anything, it may be a sign that you’re baby is on the way. Try not to push yourself too much and listen to what your body needs.
3. Excessive Back Pain
Back pain is another part of pregnancy that happens throughout the process. After all, carrying a whole human baby in your stomach, as well as the extra weight you need to support said baby, puts a lot of pressure on the back.
However, when you’re close to giving birth, labor pains often start in the back. This will usually be worse than your standard back pain. It may also start to ache around the back of your thighs before turning into contractions.
4. Bloody Discharge
Most women are not strangers to discharge of some variety. It comes with having female anatomy and the cleaning cycle it has to go through. When you’re pregnant, a plug of mucus blocks your cervix to protect against bacteria.
As you get closer to giving birth, this mucus plug will fall out. Generally, it looks like a big glob of snot mixed with the smallest trace of blood. Not every woman will have this symptom, but if you do, it’s a sign that your baby is almost ready.
5. Increased Discharge
In addition to this large chunk of mucus, your overall discharge will increase. During pregnancy, you’re going to have a lot of fluids coming from your vagina.
But as your body shifts and changes to help push the baby through, the amount and frequency of these fluids and discharge will increase. Many women say their discharge becomes thinner and more watery, so look for this sign as well.
6. A Shot of Pain Through Your Vagina
This is one of those things often not talked about, but that a majority of women experience. In the last month to month-and-a-half of pregnancy, you get a sharp pain that shoots through your pelvis on occasion. Women tend to refer to this sensation as the lightning crotch. This is usually due to the baby’s head moving down.
7. Extra Flexible Joints
As you go through your pregnancy, you may find that your joints are a little looser and a bit more flexible than normal. This is to help your body make necessary adjustments for the baby. As your pelvis expands and you get ready to give birth, your joints may grow even more flexible. For those already hypermobile, you may need to be careful, as it can cause permanent injury.
8. Flushing Out Your Bowels
Because pushing out a baby pushes with the entirety of your body, it’s normal to poop while giving birth. Some women have bodies that prepare them for a baby by entirely flushing out their system so that isn’t so much of a worry. If you’re using the bathroom often and in large amounts, don’t be worried. It might be a sign your baby is on the way.
9. Diarrhea
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If you didn’t empty your system, you may experience diarrhea. Your body has to stretch and use a lot of muscles to get a baby out. To help with this, your body naturally releases a hormone known as relaxin.
This hormone causes all of the muscles in your gut/stomach area, including your bowel muscles. Right before labor, you’re much more likely to have an accident thanks to your loose guts.
10. Pressure Around the Pelvis
As your baby gets ready to come out, it starts to shift, moving lower in your pelvis. Because of the way the body sits on your pelvis, it adds a lot more pressure. You’ll end up having a harder time moving around, and certain movements will be a lot more uncomfortable than they were even a few days before.
This pressure will continue to increase until your baby is ready to pop out. For some women, it gets so bad that they can’t even walk for a few days.
11. Cramps
Also known as Braxton Hicks or “practice contractions,” your body may provide you with lovely cramps. Sometimes, these cramps are a sign that you are tired or need to drink more water. Some women don’t get them at all. But if you are getting them, and they’re starting to increase in frequency, your practice contractions might turn into real ones soon enough.
12. Animals Acting Weird
It’s thought that pets tend to figure out that you’re about to give birth before you do. Considering dogs and cats can detect seizures before they happen, it’s not such a stretch to imagine they know when you’re about to give birth. If your pet is clingy one day, following you around and refusing to leave your side, you might want to get ready.
13. Mood Swings
As your friends and family can attest, mood swings are a huge part of pregnancy. Throughout the nine months you’re growing a baby in your womb, your emotions are all over the place. But those nine months are nothing compared to the week or so before you give birth.
As your body sends out hormones to prepare for birth, you get the unfortunate side effect of taking an extreme emotional roller coaster ride.
14. Your Baby Bump Moves Down
Your body has to make some changes to get the baby out safely. In the last couple weeks of your pregnancy, you may notice that your baby is sitting lower than it was during the rest of your pregnancy. While this can cause problems for some, it’s not the same for everyone.
The movement may feel a bit nicer, as it reduces pressure on your stomach and lungs. If this isn’t your first pregnancy, though, you may not notice your baby bump shifting until during labor.
15. Extra Nausea and Vomiting
Yes, some women have nausea throughout their entire pregnancy. However, the nausea around the time you’re giving birth is a little different. It’s also affected by relaxin. Digestion slows, which means you may be more prone to vomiting alongside your nausea.
Also, pay attention to the timing. If you’re nauseous at a different time or more often than normal, you may be close to giving birth.
