34 Weeks Pregnant: Understanding Labor Signs & Symptoms

Question
I am 19 years old, pregnant with my first child, my last menstrual period was Feb 25 and im about 34 weeks pregnant right now. the past week or so i have been experiencing extrem back and hip pain, bowel movements very frequently almost like diarhhea, my sleep patterns are spuratic, and pains in my abdomen (not normal pains) could labour be approaching?

Answer
If your last period was February 25, you are now only 22 weeks pregnant (unless that was not your last period). Usually, for your first pregnancy, you will not go into labor until you reach 40 weeks (or within two weeks after that). When you start to go into labor, you will start to have contractions at the level of your belly button that occur every 3 minutes (from the start of one to the start of the next one) and each contraction lasts (remains hard) for at least 45 seconds. Before then, throughout the pregnancy you may have some irregular contractions or pain in your back or low down (near your pubic bone).  The hip pain may be firing of the sciatic nerve, which also can give you pain radiating down the outside of your legs. Tylenol or a warm shower may help alleviate the discomfort. If you start to have contractions at the level of your belly button that come more than every 10 minutes before your due date, contact your doctor. First drink plenty of water. That usually will stop any contractions if they are "false" labor.