Nerve Stimulation Stimulation of nerve endings in the cervix and uterus by all that added pressure from the growing baby, create those sensations of electricity-like shooting pains and tingling.
Is Lightning Crotch a Sign of Labor? Some women feel these pains throughout their pregnancy, when a swift kick from baby's foot or elbow hits the bundle of nerves by the cervix. That said, as baby continues to move towards the birth canal, their head will put more pressure on the area, causing more shooting pains.
Expecting mamas usually experience lightning crotch later in the third trimester, when baby is larger and has moved down into the pelvis. When baby's head is low in the pelvis, also known as "engaged," the resulting pressure on the cervix and nerves lower in your uterus can cause this sporadic discomfort.
As the baby's head drops down into the pelvis, it pushes against the cervix. This causes the cervix to relax and thin out, or efface. During pregnancy, your cervix has been closed and protected by a plug of mucus.
Also called lightening, baby dropping is a sign that a baby is nearly ready to be born. Before dropping, the baby may rotate, so the back of its head is toward the front of the tummy, head facing down. Then, the baby may drop down into the pelvis. When the baby has settled in the pelvis, doctors describe it as engaged.
When the baby drops into the pelvis, your abdomen may feel lighter, and your appetite may improve since you no longer feel full. Apart from these symptoms, there is no way to check at home whether the baby's head has engaged.
Pressure on your pelvis: When the baby drops, his head will rest more heavily on top of the cervix and will take up more space in the lower part of the birth canal. It may feel as if there's a bowling bowl between your legs and even cause you to walk oddly.
If they occur low down, just above your pubic bone, this can be a sign your cervix is dilating. It might feel something like the cramping ache you have just before, or at the start of your period. You might also feel a dull ache in the lower part of your back, which comes at regular intervals.
As baby descends and applies pressure to the cervix, back pain can begin or worsen. Early dilation often feels like menstrual cramps as the cervical changes cause pain and cramping noticed in the lower part of the uterus. It is the same sensation and location as menstrual cramps.
This piece is important because when a baby's head is low, it adds more pressure to the cervix and helps with dilation and thinning out. This is measured in centimeters in relation to the ischial spines of your pelvis (the narrowest part of your pelvis), with the level of the ischial spines being 0 station.
Other, early signs labor is close (anywhere from a month to mere hours away from active labor) include: Baby drops. Cervix begins to dilate. Cramps and increased back pain.
Labor contractions usually cause discomfort or a dull ache in your back and lower abdomen, along with pressure in the pelvis.
The movement of a baby stretching, turning, or kicking during pregnancy can put pressure on a nerve. This can cause sudden, sharp pain in the pelvis, vagina, or rectum. As the baby grows, the force behind the movements gets stronger, which may cause an increase in pain.
This is the prelabour phase. Feel the tip of your nose: it's firm and resists your touch. Now feel your lips: they're soft and stretchy. Your cervix starts out firm like your nose, and has to become soft and stretchy, like your lips.
Cervicitis or Cervix pain can be recognized as a form of the pre-cancerous condition that occurs due to the inflammation of the cervix, which is the lower end of the uterus entering the vagina.
Is it possible to dilate and not lose your mucus plug? You can dilate to a certain degree and not lose the mucus plug, but it will come out eventually. All pregnant people will have a mucus plug protecting the uterus from bacteria. It will always fall out before the baby is delivered.
The cervix generally needs to be dilated to 10 centimeters before it's ready for the baby to pass through. Your cervix can be dilated to a couple of centimeters for a few weeks before delivery. This softening can cause the mucus plug to be dislodged and come out.
Baby dropping signs and symptoms
You need to urinate even more often than before because of increased pressure on your bladder. You have increasing discomfort when you walk. (You may waddle.) You may have back pain as your baby puts increased pressure on the muscles and joints in your lower back.
In first-time mothers, dropping usually occurs 2 to 4 weeks before delivery, but it can happen earlier. In women who have already had children, the baby may not drop until labor begins. You may or may not notice a change in the shape of your abdomen after dropping.
Insert your index and middle finger and push your fingers deep inside as far as you can to reach your cervix. Be as gentle as possible to prevent bruising or complications. Assess dilation. You're considered 1 centimeter dilated if one fingertip fits through your cervix, or 2 centimeters if you can fit two fingers.
If your baby's head has 'engaged' (entered the pelvic cavity), you might be feeling more pressure lower down in your pelvis. You might even feel baby's head putting pressure on your cervix, which can be quite uncomfortable. You'll probably need to go to the toilet even more often.
Your midwife will note how many fifths of your baby's head they can feel above the edge of your pelvis. So 5/5 or 4/5 in your notes means that your baby hasn't dropped all the way down yet, while 3/5, 2/5, or less means that your baby is engaged.
Figure 11.5 Press firmly with your fingers just above the pubic bone to see if you can feel the baby's head. 3 If the shape is not clearly round, it may be the baby's face or the baby's bottom that you can feel. Or sometimes the baby's bottom is up, but the head is not straight down (Figure 11.6a and b).
PGP is usually caused by the joints moving unevenly, which can lead to the pelvic girdle becoming less stable and therefore painful. As your baby grows in the womb, the extra weight and the change in the way you sit or stand will put more strain on your pelvis.