You’re likely to recognise the signs of labour when the time comes, but if you’re in any doubt, don’t hesitate to contact your midwife. Even so, Alex’s question is a good excuse to talk about how to use contractions again. Use contractions in formal writing if it will sound stranger to avoid them than to use them. The first few weeks I would end up sitting on the commode fifteen to twenty times a day.
Secondly, the cervix only shows us one piece of the picture – contractions may have done a fantastic job of rotating a baby and moving him down but not opened the cervix much (eg. During the active phase that usually lasts for 3-5 hours, contractions may be about 60 seconds long.
Formerly, gl’ was used before words beginning with i, however it is no longer in common use. In general, it’s best to use your own judgment when deciding if contractions are appropriate for a particular piece. You may want to start timing your contractions when you think labor has started to see if there is a pattern.
It’s also true that contractions during different stages of childbirth have different feelings; as the baby’s head presses down, most women will experience strong pressure in the rectal area, as though they need to use the bathroom. As labor progresses, your contractions become more frequent and regular, so timing them is a good way to figure out when it’s time to head to the hospital.
I ended up on partial bedrest and did make it to 37.5 weeks at delivery but it’s important to check with your doctor if you have them with any regularity. Contractions during the third stage of labour detach the placenta so that it can be pushed out. Because some possessives and contractions sound alike (you’re/your, they’re/their, it’s/its), you have to be very careful not to confuse these words (see the homonyms section below).