From 37 to 40 weeks, you may find yourself watching for every sign that birth is near. Some changes can happen days before labour; others happen once it has started. Your due date is an estimate, not a deadline. The most useful plan is to know your baby's usual movements, your maternity team's number and when to ask for help.
At a glance
- Your baby should keep moving right up to and during labour. Call your maternity team immediately if movements are less than usual, absent or different from their usual pattern.
- Contractions that become longer, stronger and more regular may be a sign of labour. Your care team can advise when to come in based on your pregnancy and local facility.
- If you think your waters have broken, contact your maternity team promptly, even if contractions have not begun.
- If your due date arrives before your baby does, ask about the follow-up plan and what choices may be offered.
Could this be labour?
Contractions can feel like a tightening across the bump, often with pain that builds and then eases. Earlier in pregnancy you may have felt irregular “practice” tightenings, sometimes called Braxton Hicks. Labour contractions generally become stronger, last longer and come more often as labour progresses. But symptoms vary, and you do not have to work out at home whether labour is “real” before calling for advice.
You might notice backache or a sticky, jelly-like mucus discharge called a “show.” A show can be pink because it contains a small amount of blood. Labour may follow soon or several days later, and some people never notice a show. Bleeding that seems more than a small streak in mucus needs urgent assessment. If you are unsure whether what you see is a show or bleeding, call your maternity team.
Ask your maternity team what pattern of contractions should prompt you to travel to your chosen facility. Their advice may depend on your history, distance from care and any individual birth plan. If you feel a strong urge to push or think the baby is coming now, seek emergency help immediately.
If you think your waters have broken
Your waters may come as a gush or an ongoing trickle of fluid. It can be hard to tell the fluid from urine. Contact your maternity team promptly if you think your waters have broken, even if you are not having contractions. They can advise how you and your baby should be assessed and what happens next. You can use a clean pad so the team can see the fluid; do not use a tampon.
Tell them straight away if the fluid looks green or brown, smells unpleasant or is accompanied by bleeding, fever or feeling unwell. Do not wait at home for contractions to start before asking for advice.
Your baby's movements still matter
Babies do not stop moving because their due date is close. Movements may feel different as space and position change, but what matters is your baby's usual pattern. If movements slow, stop or feel different, call your maternity unit or clinician immediately, including at night and even if you have already been checked once. Do not wait for your next appointment or try to reassure yourself with a home Doppler.
When to seek help now
Contact your maternity team immediately for reduced or changed movements, vaginal bleeding, or possible waters breaking. Seek urgent assessment as well for a severe headache, vision changes, severe or persistent abdominal pain, fits, difficulty breathing, or feeling very unwell. If your usual team cannot be reached and the concern is urgent, go to an appropriate emergency facility or use your local emergency service. Follow any more specific instructions your own care team has given you.
If the due date comes and goes
Reaching your estimated due date without labour does not, by itself, mean something is wrong. Keep the follow-up appointments your maternity team recommends. Ask when they want to reassess you and your baby, what changes should prompt an earlier call, and how they will discuss next steps if pregnancy continues.
Your clinician may discuss monitoring or starting labour with an induction if there is a reason to do so. The timing and options depend on your health, your baby's health, your pregnancy history and the services available where you plan to give birth. Ask why an option is being recommended, what benefits and risks matter in your situation, what alternatives exist, and what happens if you choose to wait. You deserve an explanation you can understand and time to ask questions when the situation is not urgent.
A calm next step
Keep your maternity contact number, transport plan and pregnancy records easy to reach. You do not need to predict when labour will begin. You do need a clear route to advice if contractions change, your waters may have broken, your baby moves differently or something feels wrong.
Sources
- NHS: Signs that labour has begun
- NHS: Your baby's movements
- NHS: Inducing labour
- ACOG: When Pregnancy Goes Past Your Due Date
- NICE: Inducing labour recommendations
- Government of India / National Health Mission: Safe Motherhood booklet
- Government of India / National Health Mission: Skilled Attendance at Birth guidelines
About this article
Researched and written by the MomCare Haven Editorial Desk using the sources listed above. This article has not been reviewed by an external medical specialist.
This article offers general information and cannot replace care from your own maternity team. If you have a concern about yourself or your baby, contact a qualified clinician or your maternity facility.
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