What is Early Labor Like?

For many women, early labor does not have a distinct start, but progresses almost unnoticed from pre-labor contractions. You will find yourself excitedly wondering, "Could this be it? Am I in labor?" You will probably be chatty, wanting to talk with whomever is around as you excitedly go about your day. You will still be hungry, still be thirsty, still be modest and probably don't need to pay too much attention to your contractions, although you will want to.

Some women find that early labor begins as they are preparing for bed. It is perfectly fine to sleep through early labor if you are tired or if it is a time you normally sleep. You will probably be woken up in the middle of the night or early morning with contractions to intense to sleep through and can begin to work from there, but there is no fear of sleeping through the birth of your child if labor begins at night and you can settle yourself enough to sleep.

The length of time you spend in early labor will depend on how prepared you body has been made by pre-labor contractions, the position of your baby and many other factors that we simply don't know about yet. Regardless of how long it takes, you will find that your contractions will continue to get progressively stronger, longer and closer together until you are in Active Labor.

You May Also Be Interested In: Practice your new labor skills with virtual labor. The Natural Childbirth Directory can help you find more information about birth and locate childbirth professionals. The Coach's Notebook helps you learn tools and techniques to manage labor. Do some self exploration to discover how you will act in labor.

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