A pregnant woman’s health care provider can be a source of
information on all aspects of labor, delivery, and postpartum
care. Some specific concerns that may arise include the
following1: - Knowing when labor begins. This includes
understanding and interpreting signs that a woman is approaching
labor. One of these signs is when a woman’s "water breaks,"
which refers to the release of a watery substance that occurs
when the fluid-filled sac surrounding the fetus ruptures. In
contrast to popular belief, contractions are not always a sign
that a woman will go into labor soon; they can sometimes occur
weeks before a woman goes into labor. Because contractions are
not always a sign of labor, a woman’s health care provider needs
to determine whether she is experiencing labor contractions.
Recommending when labor should be induced. Labor may need to be
induced (or started artificially) for a variety of reasons: -
When complications develop or result from the presence of other
high-risk factors, such as hypertension