Labor Signs and the Start of Labor

Pregnancy Podcast

Vanessa Merten

Parenting, Kids & Family

4.5 • 970 Ratings

🗓️ 22 June 2025

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As you near the end of your pregnancy, the anticipation of labor can bring a mix of excitement and anxiety. You may be wondering exactly when labor will begin and how you will know it is the real thing. While labor generally follows a predictable pattern, the signs, timing, and how you experience them can be different for everyone. This episode explores the signs that labor may be starting and how to distinguish between early labor and false alarms. Learn what you should do when early labor begins, and when to contact your doctor or midwife.

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Read the full article and resources that accompany this episode.

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Check out the 40 Weeks podcast to learn how your baby grows each week and what is happening in your body. Plus, get a heads up on what to expect at your prenatal appointments and a tip for dads and partners.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You are listening to the pregnancy podcast with Vanessa Martin.
0:10.6	Hello, thank you for tuning into the pregnancy podcast.
0:15.1	In today's episode, we're talking about labor signs and the start of labor.
0:20.0	So when you've made it through most of your
0:21.9	pregnancy and you're in that final stretch, you go into the waiting game of waiting to go into
0:27.2	labor. And this can be nerve-wracking for a couple of reasons. First, you don't know exactly
0:32.9	when you're going to go into labor. And second, you may not know how to tell that you have genuinely
0:38.5	started labor and that it isn't just a false alarm. There is a typical path that all labor follows,
0:46.3	but the signs of labor, when they happen, or how you experience them is going to be unique for you.
0:52.7	So in this episode, we're going to cover the labor
0:55.1	signs that you should be looking out for as you get closer to your due date, what you should
1:00.2	actually be doing in early labor, and when to contact your doctor, midwife, or head to the
1:06.2	hospital or birth center. You can find the complete article and all of the resources for this episode
1:12.8	at Pregnancy Podcast.com slash labor signs. Right now, you can try Pregnancy Podcast Premium for
1:22.9	free for seven days. There's over 200 episodes that are exclusively available to premium members.
1:30.3	Those are in the private podcast feed you can listen to in your favorite podcast app or on the
1:35.8	website. All of the premium content is ad-free, so you never have to hear an advertisement.
1:42.3	Plus, when you sign up, you get instant access to a digital
1:45.8	copy of the Your Birth Plan book. That walks you step by step on how to create a plan for the
1:51.9	birth experience that you want. There are sample plans for everything from a home birth to a
1:57.3	plan cesarean, plus a master template that you can download and customize to your
2:02.5	own preferences. Try pregnancy podcast premium for free for seven days and get a copy of
	...

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