The shape of the pelvis, hormones, powerful muscles and more all work together to help you bring your baby into the world - before, during and after childbirth. The hormone oxytocin causes contractions during labour, as well as contractions that deliver the placenta after the baby is born. In the weeks or days before you start having proper contractions, you may experience Braxton Hicks contractions. This is your uterus tightening then relaxing. As labour gets closer, your cervix softens and becomes thinner, getting ready for the dilation widening that will allow the baby to enter the vagina. Your baby may move further down your pelvis as the head engages , or sits in place over your cervix, ready for the birth. Some women feel they have more room to breathe after the baby has moved down. Some women find the sac of amniotic fluid containing the baby breaks before labour, contractions start and the fluid runs or gushes out of the vagina.

2. Strong and regular contractions

Early signs of labour
NCBI Bookshelf. The last few days of pregnancy are an exciting time. But when your due date has passed, waiting for labor to start can be stressful too. Many parents-to-be become anxious. If there are no specific problems, the baby is very probably doing fine, though. When a pregnancy continues its full normal course about 40 weeks , it is called a term pregnancy or full-term pregnancy.
Is a longer pregnancy a problem?
Childbirth , also known as labour and delivery , is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies leaves the uterus by passing through the vagina or by Caesarean section. The most common way of childbirth is a vaginal delivery. Each year, complications from pregnancy and childbirth result in about , maternal deaths , seven million women have serious long term problems, and 50 million women have negative health outcomes following delivery.
A woman's body truly is a miracle, and this fact is beautifully illustrated during the miracle of childbirth. Ask any witnessing party: what a woman can accomplish through pain, sweat, and tears is awe-inspiring. When a woman goes into labor, her body changes rapidly to bring new life into the world. As moms well know, birth is an incredible process: inspiring, frightening, and truly just plain cool. That's right, we said it: The vagina is cool. And if you've tried to avoid thinking too hard about what it takes to push a baby through such a small opening, don't worry.