Is Back Pain A Sign Of Labor?

Labor is like a ticking clock and you never really know for sure when it happens. Your bags are packed, car seats installed, and the due date is just around the corner. Your body is preparing for labor slowly, and every fluctuation which occurs in pre-labor and early labor may cause tell-tale indications and symptoms that labor is approaching. The slightest change can cause a flurry of concerns and confusions to surface. Even though labor is unpredictable, there are certain things which act as an indication for the expecting mommy to get geared up for the exciting ride ahead.
“Back labor” is a term used to refer to the distress and discomfort that laboring women undergo in their lower back area. Some women experience some degree of soreness or cramping in the back during labor, accompanied by severe discomfort in the lower back, which is most intense during contractions and between contractions. Back labor can often be characterized by an irregular contraction pattern, a labor that is slow to advance, along with a prolonged pushing stage.

Signs of labor
It goes without saying that the signs and symptoms of labor differ from woman to woman; however, there are certain signs which can help you detect that labor is not far away.

Pink show: Discharge of pink color which is of a jelly-like consistency, might appear as one blob, or in several pieces, which is perfectly normal. One might also lose a little bloody mucus along with it, although any amount of bleeding more than this needs a call to the doctor straight away.

Waters break: This means the breakage of the amniotic sac, and this may occur in the form of a trickle or a gush.

Lower back pain: a light throbbing pain or a sharp pain in the lower back while might feel like a pre-menstrual cramp might be another sign.

Contraction: The main sign is a series of strong, regular contractions along with a show of discharge, as discussed previously. This generally means that you are stepping into active labor now.

Back Pain and labor
Back Pain during pregnancy can mean many things according to the term of pregnancy that one is in. However, in most cases, back pain during the last trimester means the onset of labor. Hence, it is fair to say that back ache by itself does not mean labor is happening, but appended with other symptoms and signs of labor it just may be the real deal and might need you to rush to the doctors immediately, or at least, consult your doctor over the phone.

What to do to ease your discomfort:
Hot or cold compresses
Changing sitting or standing position
Strong counter-pressure
Hydrotherapy
Heated rice sock
Even with the above-mentioned ways, one can take to relieve one's distress, if the back pain is there as an indication of labor, chances are that one can't do anything to help them feel better. However, identifying what the real deal is and what is not is something that one needs to learn to distinguish. Back pain can just be a back pain or a gateway to labor pains. It is important to be intuitive about what your body is trying to tell you at the time of the labor.