So you've finally made it! You are now what we call 'term', and you are term from 37 weeks of pregnancy. By now your baby is perfectly capable of coping in the outside world, and would not need any special help if born.

So, how do you know that it's time to make your way to hospital or call the midwife for your home delivery? Labour can start in a few different ways, but ultimately the one thing you DO need are contractions.

You may experience something called a show several weeks before labour begins.

A show is the mucoid, sticky plug that fills your cervix and protects your baby from the outside world. It is more often than not blood stained, but is nothing to worry about. Having a show does not always mean that labour is about to begin. Some women may not experience a show until labour has begun.

It does mean that there are changes afoot. Your cervix is beginning to open up in preparation for labour and you are definitely on the last stretch!

It could be that your 'waters break or membranes rupture'. You may notice this as a bug gush or a small trickle of fluid from your vagina.

It's when the bag (membranes) that surrounds your baby breaks allowing amniotic fluid to escape. Again, this doesn't always mean that labour is imminent. Although most labours will start within 48 hours of this happening.

If you are not sure about it because it's a very light trickle, put a towel on for a while and check in a couple hours. If the

In any case, always contact your midwife if you even think your waters may have broken. She will ask you questions and direct you from there.

Contractions either on their own or combined with a show, waters breaking or both are a sure sign that labour has started.

Many women will say that early contractions feel like period pains. They are low in your abdomen and feel 'crampy'. For some women labour pains start in their back. Initially, they can be irregular, but over a period of time, they should even out and start to come closer together. They will get more painful and it's a good idea if you time them before you call your midwife to let her know you are in labour. See how many contractions you have in a ten minute period and how long each one lasts.

Sometimes as you get closer to the end of your pregnancy, Braxton Hicks, the practice contractions, can become quite strong with your uterus exercising for labour. However, they are not normally regular, and will eventually stop. It's possible these contractions can be mistaken for labour, but it's better to go to hospital for a false alarm if you are not sure.

There are three stages of labour. The first stage is where your cervix opens and becomes fully dilated. As it opens it is measured in centimetres and it needs to reach 10 centimetres to be 'fully', and your baby can be delivered. The midwife looking after you in labour will ask your permission to carry out a 'vaginal

With first babies especially, it can sometimes take a while to get to 3 centimetres, which is when labour is considered to be established. Don't be too disheartened if you have been having contractions for a while, only to get to hospital and find out you are 1-2 centimetres dilated. The uterus contracting has a lot of work to do. Not only does your cervix dilate, but it also effaces. Your cervix is long, around 3cm, and curls towards your back. It needs to uncurl and become short so that it is flat against your baby's' head.

The length of the first stage of labour really depends on the woman, but we expect that once you have reached 3 cms that you would continue to dilate at a centimetre an hour. This is a rough guide only though. On average, for a first baby labour lasts around 12 hours and subsequent babies normally arrive quicker.

The second stage of labour is from full dilatation to the birth of the baby. You need all your energy here, and sometimes at the end of a long labour it can all seem a bit too much, but the midwife is there to encourage you and you can do it!

Again, it's difficult to know exactly how long the second stage will take, for first babies it could take up to a couple of hours, maybe only a few pushes for subsequent babies.

It's important that you and the midwife work together at this point. She will guide you through the pushing, trying to minimise any tearing that may occur.

The third stage of labour is when the placenta is delivered. You have a choice in the third stage.

You can have an actively managed third stage, where following delivery of your baby you will be given an injection called Syntometrine. It gives the uterus some extra help to contract, meaning that the placenta is delivered faster. It also helps to control blood loss by sustaining the contraction. This is because when the placenta comes away from the wall of the uterus it leaves behind an area of open blood vessels. The uterus contracting hard helps to close these vessels. You don't need to push, you just relax and let the midwife deliver your placenta for you. If you choose to have syntometrine, the third stage should take no longer than 10 mins. Occasionally it can take longer.

If you want to, you could decide to have a physiological third stage. This is the natural option with no drugs to aid the placental delivery. It can take upwards of an hour, sometimes quicker. It will require you to push the placenta out. You will have contractions and an urge to push, but not as painful as the contractions you experienced in labour.

There maybe occasion where the midwife suggests active management. So discuss your decisions with her.