Tomorrow is my firstborn's 10th birthday! In honor of our happy memories, the topic of this post is how to recognize you're in labor the first time around! Believe it or not, it's not always immediately apparent, especially if you've never been through it, but there are some clues that it's on its way. This post is in honor of the birthday girl, Miranda.

The Nesting Instinct
Books like "What to Expect" describe the nesting instinct as an overwhelming urge to clean your house, paint the walls, etc. That's true, but it can manifest itself in different ways if cleaning and painting aren't in your vocabulary. Basically it's a burst of sudden energy at the very end of pregnancy that gets channeled into preparing for the baby in some way.

I am a huge shopper. The afternoon I went into labor, my husband was with a coworker who has five kids. Over the phone I told my husband I hadn't found the right bassinet for the baby but had driven to five separate counties looking for it and planned on visiting three more. After I hung up, he conferred with the experienced dad, who correctly told him, "Go home early, you'll be at the hospital by midnight."

Minor Back Pains or "Gas"
Labor doesn't start as immediate excruciating pain (and even when it gets excruciating, you have periods of rest in between). The night of my labor, I had a very minor, dull backache - not really even distinguishable from the usual pregnancy backache. (With my second daughter, I had what I thought was gas.) It wasn't even noticeable enough to alarm me, but I lay down on the floor while watching TV to relieve some pain. When my husband asked me what I was doing, I said, "I have a small backache and it's nothing more than a nuisance but it comes and goes." It was only when he made me time my "backaches" that I realized they were exactly six minutes apart. He made me call the doctor, who said, "Mother to be, come on down!"

Being pregnant doesn't mean you have to stay home for nine months with your feet up on the couch. If you're an executive experiencing her first pregnancy, you won't want to call off the annual sales meeting in Mazatlan due to morning sickness, and if you're a stay-at-home mom with number three on the way, numbers one and two aren't going to want to see Disney World over Columbus Day weekend any less. With a few precautions, though, travel during pregnancy can be both safe and comfortable.

The easiest time to travel during pregnancy, like the easiest time to do most things during pregnancy, is the second trimester, when you are feeling great, but travel can occur during the other trimesters as well. (I took a long car trip during the first trimester of my second pregnancy while suffering from horrendous morning sickness and unexplained bleeding. It was doctor-approved and the micro-brewed ginger ale I picked up in South Carolina helped with the nausea, while the sight-seeing helped distract me from the worry.) Of course, air travel for women in their third trimester is not recommended unless it's absolutely necessary, but other than that, you can pretty much do as you please.

When travelling by car, bus, plane or train, limit the amount of travel time to six hours at a time and be sure to take walks or stretch periodically to keep your circulation stimulated. Travelling by sea is not recommended due to the potential for seasickness and the fact that anti-nausea medications may not be approved for use during pregnancy.

International travel is acceptable as well if your OB/GYN okays it, but be sure to make sure you're immunized properly before going and carry a copy of your health records with you in case of emergency. The potential for diarrhea in a foreign country is the worst concern for pregnant women; drinking bottled water, canned juices or soft drinks, avoiding raw fruits and vegetables, and making sure all dairy products are pasteurized will go a long way towards alleviating that concern.

Finally, dress comfortably in loose clothing made of natural fibers, wear comfortable shoes, and carry snack foods with you in order to keep your energy up and your nausea down.

comfortable shoes,