Signs & Stages of Labor

Let me just share this especially to those first-time moms out there. You see, I never had a proper tutor because my own mom never experienced 'labor'. She had scheduled C-sec for all three of us. Although on her first born (my sister) she just went up to a whooping 1cm. Anyway, she wasn't able to tell me exactly what to expect when D-day comes. I didn't even realize that the sensation where your pregnant tummy tightens and relaxes every so often mostly when you enter your 23rd week was already contractions! They are actually called Braxton Hicks contractions which helps in preparing the body for the upcoming event of labor. Yes, for a long long time I thought those uncomfortable tightening was because the baby stretched and moved. Boink.

Some Signs of Labor from Baby Center:

Your baby "drops."
If this is your first pregnancy, you may feel what's known as "lightening" a few weeks before labor starts. You might detect a heaviness in your pelvis as this happens and notice less pressure just below your ribcage, making it easier to catch your breath.

You note more Braxton Hicks contractions.
More frequent and intense Braxton Hicks contractions can signal pre-labor, during which your cervix ripens (see below) and the stage is set for true labor. Some women experience a crampy, menstrual-like feeling during this time. Sometimes, as true labor draws near, Braxton Hicks contractions become relatively painful and strike as often as every ten to 20 minutes, making you wonder whether true labor has started. But if the contractions don't get longer, stronger, and closer together and cause your cervix to dilate progressively, then what you're feeling is probably so-called false labor.

Your cervix starts to ripen.
In the days and weeks before delivery, Braxton Hicks contractions may do the preliminary work of softening, thinning, and perhaps opening your cervix a bit. (If you've given birth before, your cervix is more likely to dilate a centimeter or two before labor starts, but keep in mind that even being 40 weeks pregnant with your first baby and 1 centimeter dilated is no guarantee that labor is imminent.)
When you're at or near your due date, your practitioner may do a vaginal exam during your prenatal visit to see whether your cervix has started to change.

You pass your mucus plug or notice "bloody show."
You may pass your mucus plug — the small amount of thickened mucus that has sealed your cervical canal during the last nine months — if your cervix begins to dilate as you get close to labor. The plug may come out in a lump or as increased vaginal discharge over the course of several days. The mucus may be tinged with brown, pink, or red blood, which is why it's referred to as "bloody show." Having sex or a vaginal exam can also disturb your mucus plug and cause you to see some blood-tinged discharge, even when labor isn't going to start in the next few days.

Your water breaks.
When the fluid-filled amniotic sac surrounding your baby ruptures, fluid leaks from your vagina. And whether it comes out in a large gush or a small trickle, you should call your doctor or midwife. Most women start having regular contractions before their water breaks, but in some cases, the water breaks first. When this happens, labor usually follows soon. If you don't start having contractions on your own within a certain amount of time, you'll need to be induced, since your baby's more likely to get an infection without the amniotic sac's protection against germs. Read the rest here.

Here the Stages of Labor from Baby Center:

The process of labor and birth is divided into three stages:

The first stage begins with the onset of contractions that cause progressive changes in your cervix and ends when your cervix is fully dilated. This stage is divided into two phases: early (or latent) and active labor.

During early labor, your cervix gradually effaces (thins out) and dilates (opens).

During active labor, your cervix begins to dilate more rapidly and contractions are longer, stronger, and closer together. People often refer to the last part of active labor as "transition."

The second stage of labor begins once you're fully dilated and ends with the birth of your baby. This is sometimes referred to as the "pushing" stage.

The third and final stage begins right after the birth of your baby and ends with the separation and subsequent delivery of the placenta.

Every pregnancy is different, and there's wide variation in the length of labor. For first-time moms who are at least 37 weeks along, labor often takes between ten and 20 hours. For some women, though, it lasts much longer, while for others it's over much sooner. Labor generally progresses more quickly for women who've already given birth vaginally.