If you have contractions every 5 minutes and it lasts for one minute, you must go to your nearest hospital. Sometimes, as the labor is nearing, you may feel strong and painful but consistent contractions, and wonder if you are already in labor.

If the intensity of contractions is not increasing, you may be experiencing what is known as 'false labor'. Breathing in a rhythm, or lying down on your left side, can relieve the discomfort caused due to contractions. Drink a lot of water and try urinating. It will release some pressure and reduce cramping. Change in Cervix: In your prenatal check-up in the third trimester, your physician may do a vaginal exam to check for changes in your cervix. You will notice that during the 40th week of pregnancy, your cervix starts to soften. This is to assist in delivery. If you have given birth before, your cervix may be dilated to 1 - 2 centimeter, and may not mean start of labor. Bloody Show: A jelly-like substance called mucus, seals your cervical canal during the nine months of pregnancy, to avoid any kind of bacteria from entering into the uterus. Loosening of this mucus plug, often referred to as 'bloody show', can be a sign for onset of labor. The plug may come out as a lump or as increased discharge over several days. 

A vaginal exam can also cause you to Black Diamond Force loosen the plug, and may not actually indicate labor. Baby Monitoring Tests It is always best to consult your doctor if you detect any of the above-mentioned signs. Your doctor will suggest some tests to monitor fetal development. Kick-count: A Cardiff Count to Ten is the most common method that the doctors resort to, for checking baby movements in the 40th week of pregnancy. In this method, you monitor your baby's movement and record the start and stop time on the kick chart, until you reach ten kicks. On an average, if your baby's kicks reaches ten movements in less than two hours, you can relax. Your baby is absolutely healthy. Biophysical Profile: The doctor will measure your baby's heart rate, movements, breathing, muscle tone, and the amount of amniotic fluid around him/her, through a non-stress test and an ultrasound. Non-stress Test: Two belts will be placed on your abdomen to monitor the baby's heart rate and your contractions. You will be given a button to press whenever you have a contraction, and a paper will simultaneously print out your baby's reaction. This will help the doctor to gain an insight of your baby's well-being. Inducing Labor or Contractions There are many medical and natural ways to induce labor. However, before you resort to any of these methods, do not forget to consult your physician. After 40 weeks of pregnancy, if you still have no signs of labor, your doctor may suggest inducing labor medically by: Stripping the membrane Breaking water using a plastic hook Hormone prost aglandin through IV Hormone pinto through IV However, the choice is yours. 

You can refuse, and wait to start contractions naturally. Walking: Gravity, moving of your hips, and pressure of the baby's weight might induce your cervix to efface. But, remember not to tire yourself out, you need the energy for the D-day (delivery day). Sex: May seem impossible, but it can actually assist in starting labor. Sperms contain the hormone prostaglandin, that can dilate the cervix and trigger contractions. Alternative Therapies: Acupuncture or Acupressure can also stimulate contractions. Massage: Studies show that massages release Oxycontin, a hormone that is very important to kick start a labor. If it doesn't work for you, at least you will feel relaxed and refreshed just in time to face the gruesome labor. Herbs and Natural Supplements: Evening primrose oil capsules or red raspberry leaves are believed to trigger contractions. Dealing with Overdue Pregnancy In the 40th week of pregnancy, everyday you fell that 'this is the day' and it just passes by. You are not alone. As per studies, less than 10% births actually happen on due date. Rest are either pre term or post-term or around 1-2 weeks around the due date. So, you belong to a very broad category. However, it is important that you patiently, and without any stress, prepare yourself for the forthcoming (and very tiring!) motherhood. Relax: Avoid being alone. Spend time with your friends and family. Take up some DIY project or rent some movies that you have always wanted to see. Whatever you do, the goal must be to distract yourself from worrying too much. Nap: Sleep as much as you can, because once your sweet little angel is born, you are deemed to be sleep-deprived. 

Meditate: Try sitting in an open area and meditate. It will relax you and your baby. Also, some fresh air has the magical power of energizing, and will help you in having positive thoughts. Shop: Nothing like shopping to keep yourself busy. Shop for things for your tiny tot or to decorate his/her room and prepare to give him a very warm welcome. Important Checklist at 40 Weeks of Pregnancy Keep your cell phone and camera battery charged. Have your doctor's number on speed dial. Arrange for child and pet care. Make sure you are full on gasoline. Make sure that your hospital-stay-bag has everything you need. Relax. Hence, being 40 weeks pregnant and still having no signs of labor is something that shouldn't bother you now. Till the time your labor starts, try to keep yourself happy and healthy by following a healthy diet. All the best!!! A mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside... when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone. ~ Anonymous Breathing Exercises for Anxiety Breathing exercises are the best to control a restless and anxious mind. This article discusses a few of them to deal with anxiety. TAGGED UNDER: Anxiety Breathing Exercises Advertisement Anxiety may be defined as an emotional state, wherein the body reacts to the mental stress. Sometimes, it helps you deal with stressful situations and brings out your best performances; however, it may become an alarming condition if it goes beyond your control and starts disrupting your daily life. 

This is because, in such a situation, anxiety may lead to depression, fatigue, sleep deprivation, or even some illness. When you are anxious, you start breathing very fast. As a result your heart rate increases abnormally. Therefore, it is necessary to normalize the rate of heartbeat to overcome the anxiety, and this may be achieved with the help of some simple breathing exercises. These exercises often yield the benefits of meditation since you focus on the process of breathing. Following are some effective exercises which you may perform at home: Exercise #1 Stand straight, keeping your feet shoulder width apart. Maintain a normal comfortable position of your body. Concentrate on your breathing. When you inhale, slowly raise your hands over your head with your palms in the upward position. Hold your breath, and your arms in the raised position for a few seconds. Now exhale and slowly bring your arms down. Repeat this till you start feeling a calming effect within you. Exercise #2 When you breathe normally, the lungs and diaphragm expand during inhalation. On the other hand, when you are anxious, you take shallow breaths. With the help of this exercise, you may slow down your breathing and bring it back to normal. Sit straight on a chair. Put one hand on the chest and the other one on the stomach. Close your eyes, and focus on the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe. You may feel the air entering your lungs and coming out. Perform this for at least five minutes, or until you feel relaxed. 

When you feel that the anxiety is taking a toll on your health and mind, then you should practice this form of exercise daily. Lie down on the floor with your arms and legs comfortably stretched. As you inhale, let your abdominal muscles swell up like a balloon. Hold the stomach in the expanded condition for a few seconds. Now exhale and suck the muscles inward as much as you can. Hold this position of deflated stomach for a few seconds. Repeat this a number of times. The coordination between the movement of the abdominal muscles and breathing promotes oxygen supply to the muscles, and thereby it leads to relaxation. Exercise #4 This is one of the most common form of yoga exercises. Sit comfortably in an upright position. Bring your right hand near the nose. Now, place your ring and pink finger on the left nostril and the thumb on your right nostril. First of all, close your right nostril with the help of your right thumb and breathe in with the left nostril till you finish counting up to 4. Then close the left nostril with the ring finger and remove the thumb from the right nostril and exhale through it. Similarly, in the next step, inhale with the right nostril and exhale with the left nostril. Continue this as long as you feel comfortable.