I have a dull pain in my lower abdomen a few days before my due date. Is this the beginning of my birth?

If you experience lower abdominal pain a few days before the due date, it is generally due to uterine contractions, which means the fetus is about to be born. At this time, you can go to the hospital to wait for delivery. You should pay attention to getting enough rest, not overwork, and pay attention to your diet. At this moment, as a pregnant mother, you must maintain good physical strength, which will help with natural delivery. You should also exercise appropriately. In order to promote natural delivery, you can take more walks, climb stairs, etc.

Precautions for prenatal care

1. Pay attention to fetal movement

Pay attention to fetal movements every day. If the baby does not move, you should walk more, change your position, or gently pat your belly to see if the baby moves. If the baby still does not move, go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible.

2. Take more walks and climb stairs

If you want a natural birth, you should take more walks and climb stairs more often. It is recommended that you go shopping in a large supermarket after dinner and spend more time there. There is air conditioning so you won’t feel hot, but you should pay attention to safety and try to go shopping at a time when there are fewer people to avoid accidents. You can also choose to go shopping in the garden and breathe fresh air, which is also good for the fetus.

3. Seek medical attention immediately if your water breaks

If the pregnant mother finds that her water has broken (that is, she suddenly urinates and cannot hold it back), or has regular labor pains every 3-5 minutes (like menstrual cramps), she needs to go to the hospital immediately to prepare for delivery, because the baby may no longer be able to stay in the belly and needs to come out to meet you immediately.

4. Prepare your delivery bag

Things you need to buy: restraints, maternity pads, extra-large sanitary napkins, toiletries, a breast pump and nursing pads, a 125ML bottle (if you want to breastfeed), gauze clothes for your baby, and a swaddle (if the hospital does not provide milk powder, you will have to prepare it yourself). Because each hospital provides different things, you need to consult the hospital. Other items not listed can be purchased after the birth.

Precautions for diet during the due date

Before and after the due date, pregnant women should ensure a balanced nutritional intake. Although it is necessary to supplement enough nutrition during pregnancy to avoid malnutrition that affects the normal development of the fetus, in the late pregnancy, the diet should be relatively restrained, because if you eat too much, the baby in the belly will grow too large, and there is a risk of macrosomia.

Starting from the eighth month of pregnancy, the fetus's body grows very fast. Its main characteristics are that the brain, bones, blood vessels, and muscles are fully formed at this time, various internal organs are mature, the skin gradually becomes tough, and subcutaneous fat increases. If a pregnant woman's nutritional intake is unreasonable or excessive, the fetus will grow too large and cause dystocia at birth. Therefore, the diet of pregnant women during this period must be arranged reasonably.

The diet during this period should be small, rich and varied. Generally, small meals should be taken, and the amount of food consumed should be appropriately controlled, especially high-protein and high-fat foods.