As your due date approaches, it is natural to wonder how you will know when labour has begun. Will it be obvious? Will you leave it too late to call? Will you turn up at the hospital only to be sent home again? These questions sit quietly in the minds of many expectant parents, especially first-timers, and they are all completely reasonable.

The good news is that labour usually announces itself gradually, with signs that build over hours or sometimes days. Every birth is unique, but there are common patterns your body tends to follow, and learning them now can help you feel calmer and more prepared when the time comes. Your job is never to diagnose yourself. It is simply to notice what is happening and reach out for guidance when you need it.

How Labour Often Begins

In the days or weeks before labour, you might notice period-like cramps or a heavy feeling in your pelvis, a change in backache, or more frequent Braxton Hicks contractions, sometimes called practice contractions. Some people feel a sudden burst of energy and an urge to organise everything in sight, while others feel unusually tired. All of this can be normal as your body prepares.

The NHS guide to signs that labour has begun lists the main signs to look out for: contractions or tightenings, a show, backache, an urge to go to the toilet caused by your baby's head pressing on your bowel, and your waters breaking. You may experience one or several of these, and they can arrive in any order. For many first-time parents, early labour feels more like strong period pains or a tightening band across the bump than the dramatic gush of waters you see in films.

Contractions And Braxton Hicks

Braxton Hicks contractions are your womb's way of practising. They are often irregular, may ease if you rest or change position, and do not usually become stronger or closer together. They can feel uncomfortable, but they generally do not last long and they do not build into a pattern.

True labour contractions behave differently. During a contraction, your womb tightens and then relaxes; if you place a hand on your bump you will feel it become hard, then soften as the contraction fades. Over time, labour contractions tend to become longer, stronger, and closer together, and they continue even if you rest, move about, or have a warm bath. Many people find it reassuring to time contractions over an hour or so to see how the pattern is changing. NHS guidance suggests calling your midwife or maternity unit for advice once contractions are coming regularly, around every five minutes or more often.

The Show

Throughout pregnancy, a plug of mucus sits in your cervix, helping to protect your baby from infection. As the cervix begins to soften and open, this plug can come away. This is known as a show. It looks like sticky, jelly-like discharge, often pink-tinged because it contains a small amount of blood, and it can come away in one piece or in several smaller pieces over a few days.

A show is a sign that your body is getting ready, but it is not a starting pistol. Labour may follow quickly, or it may still be a few days away, and some people never notice a show at all. If you see fresh, bright red bleeding rather than pink-streaked mucus, phone your hospital or midwife straight away, as heavier blood loss always needs checking.

When Your Waters Break

Your baby grows inside a sac of amniotic fluid, and when this sac ruptures, the fluid drains out through the vagina. This might be a sudden gush you cannot control or a slow, steady trickle that is easy to mistake for urine. Amniotic fluid is usually clear and pale, sometimes slightly bloodstained at first.

If your waters break, call your midwife or maternity unit, even if you have no contractions yet. Use a period pad rather than a tampon so your midwife can check the colour of the fluid. Tell them immediately if the waters are smelly, green, or brown, as this can mean you and your baby need to be seen urgently. Most people go into labour within 24 hours of their waters breaking; if labour does not start on its own, you will usually be offered an induction to reduce the small risk of infection for your baby.

The Latent Phase: Early Labour At Home

The start of labour is called the latent phase. This is when your cervix softens, thins, and begins to open, and it can take hours or sometimes days, particularly with a first baby. Contractions during this phase may be irregular, stop and start, and vary in strength. This is normal, and it does not mean something is wrong or that your body is not working. Important groundwork is happening.

Most people are advised to stay at home during the latent phase, where you are likely to feel more comfortable and relaxed. Gentle ways to cope include walking or moving about, resting when you can, eating light snacks and keeping your fluids up, warm baths, back rubs from your birth partner, and paracetamol taken according to the packet instructions, which is safe in labour. Breathing techniques really come into their own here too; if you have not already explored them, our guide to up breathing and down breathing for labour explains two simple patterns you can practise before the day arrives. This approach to early labour is echoed in international guidance on care during childbirth, which emphasises helping women feel calm, informed, and involved in decisions about their care.

When To Call Your Midwife Or Maternity Unit

Local advice can vary, so follow the guidance your own midwife or hospital has given you. As a general rule, call your maternity unit if you think you are in labour, if contractions are coming regularly every five minutes or more often, or any time you feel unsure and would like reassurance.

Call urgently, without waiting until morning, if your waters break, you have vaginal bleeding, your baby is moving less than usual, you are less than 37 weeks pregnant and think you might be in labour, any contraction lasts longer than two minutes, or you are having six or more contractions every ten minutes. If you cannot reach your midwife or maternity unit, call 111. And if you feel a strong urge to push and think your baby is coming right now, call 999 for an ambulance.

Reduced movements deserve a special mention: they should always be checked promptly, whatever else is or is not happening. You are never wasting anyone's time by calling, and you are always allowed to call again if things change.

If You Are Asked To Wait At Home

One of the most common worries is being assessed and then told it is too early. If this happens, it can help to reframe it. Your team is not turning you away; they are telling you that your body is in an early phase, that home is likely to be the most comfortable place for now, and that they will be ready for you when things move on. Many people find early labour passes more gently in familiar surroundings, with their own bath, bed, and snacks close at hand.

Your birth partner can be a huge support during this stage: timing contractions, making the phone calls if talking through contractions is hard, keeping drinks topped up, and remembering the advice given over the phone so you do not have to hold it all in your head.

Trusting Yourself As Labour Begins

However your labour starts, with a show, a trickle, a gush, or a slow crescendo of tightenings, your body is doing something remarkable. Learn the signs, save your maternity unit's number somewhere easy to find, and trust the instinct that tells you when to pick up the phone. Midwives would always rather hear from you early than have you sitting at home worrying. Soon, one of these signs will mark the beginning of the story you will tell about meeting your baby.

How Do You Know When Labour Has Started?