trickle, so even if you're not sure, play safe and ring your midwife or the labour ward as you'll need to be examined.Consultant obstetrician Dr Virginia Beckett, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, says, 'If your waters break early

) isn’t necessarily the best way to give birth.The most important thing during the first stage of labour is to stay as upright and mobile as possible to enable your baby’s head to descend. This puts pressure on the cervix, stimulating the release of the hormone

the cervix and stimulate contractions. An oxytocin drip, containing a synthetic version of a hormone naturally produced in labour, may also be used to stimulate contractions. Your doctor may perform an artificial rupture of the membranes (ARM) too, for which

your cervix. This also stimulates the natural hormones that trigger contractions. This can be done by your midwife at your 41-weel appointment.If labour doesn't start within a few days, you'll be booked into hospital. There, a prostaglandin pessary gel

While being told your baby is ‘breech’ – bottom down instead of head first – is worrying, remember, babies move around a lot, so yours may turn as your due date nears. However, around 3% of babies are still breech at 37 weeks. Here, we answer some