Model Marriage by Bishop Dag Heward Mills

Model Marriage

3. Bible and Christian Literature

Carry your Bible and other Christian books along. These will also help you to relax.

Labour and Birth

Many women worry about how they will know when they start labour. For many of them,
there is a long period when they simply are not sure as they may have odd aches and niggles, or
feel “different” somehow, but do not really have proper contractions. This is often referred to as
the pre-labour phase.

How to Know You Are in Labour

The following signs are likely indications that you are in the early stages of labour:

(a) Low backache, which is caused by the baby settling down into the pelvis.

(b) A sudden desire to get everything finished and ready for the baby.

(c) Uncomfortable feeling low down at the front. This may be caused by the cervix

becoming soft, ripe and ready for commencement of labour.

(d) Sporadic contractions that last a few hours then fade away. These could be

practice contractions, or may result from the ripening of the cervix.

(e) Diarrhoea, or a frequent need to empty your bowels.

(f) The cervix is sealed with a soft mucus plug that helps prevent infection. As the

cervix begins to soften and thin this plug often comes away as a “show”. It is a

soft clear jelly, but may be streaked with blood from the fine blood vessels that are

stretched by the thinning cervix.

How to Know When to Go to the Hospital

You can stay at home during the first half of labour and spend a little time getting used to the
feelings and dealing with the contractions by relaxing, breathing, massaging and so on. However,
some situations require medical intervention or advice and you should go to the hospital if:

(a) Your waters break. If you notice a sudden gush of water or a constant steady

trickle, the bag of waters surrounding the baby has probably broken. This does

not usually happen until you are clearly in labour, but it can occur before labour

starts. It is possible (though very rare) that the umbilical cord could become

compressed once the waters have broken, and so most hospitals and midwives like

to check the baby’s heartbeat regularly afterwards. Some units also believe that

the baby is more at risk from infection once the waters have gone and therefore

prefer to induce labour.

(b) You begin to bleed. This could simply be the “show” coming away, but bleeding

in pregnancy should always be checked.

(c) Contractions are coming every ten minutes, or less, and the pain is becoming too

much to bear.