Some sources have attributed the official choice of “Labor” to influence from King O’Malley, who was born in the United States and was reputedly an advocate of spelling reform; the spelling without a u is the standard form in American English.

Americans understand around 90% of Aussie English. Usually we can get the accent but the hardest part is random vocabulary that is Aussie specific. Check out our Aussie guests! Over the years we have done some great episodes with Australian guests.

But the Australian accents are different from the accents of America, or Canada, or New Zealand because those accents were created from kids growing up in those places with different communities and histories. Accents are all about the people we spend time with when we are young.

Z versus S While American English uses ‘ize’, ‘izi’ and ‘iza’ in words like ‘organize’, ‘organizing’ and ‘organization’, Australian/British English uses ‘ise’, ‘isi’ and ‘isa’, as in ‘organise’, ‘organising’ and ‘organisation’.

Australian English follows British spelling very closely but many common words are spelt differently in American English. Despite being spelt differently, the meaning of the word is the same. Australian and American English have different ways of spelling certain words, such as those ending with ‘yse’ or ‘ise’.

In contemporary Australian political culture, the Coalition (Liberal and National parties) is considered centre-right and the Australian Labor Party is considered centre-left.

Pain during labor is caused by contractions of the muscles of the uterus and by pressure on the cervix. This pain can be felt as strong cramping in the abdomen, groin, and back, as well as an achy feeling. Some women experience pain in their sides or thighs as well.

Now it’s official – males really do cause more problems during labour, according to Dr Eogan’s results. “We found that women who carried male infants had longer labours, more foetal distress and were more likely to require assistance during delivery.

There were 35 cases of bone injuries giving an incidence of 1 per 1,000 live births. Clavicle was the commonest bone fractured (45.7%) followed by humerus (20%), femur (14.3%) and depressed skull fracture (11.4%) in the order of frequency.

Yes, childbirth is painful. But it’s manageable. In fact, nearly half of first-time moms (46 percent) said the pain they experienced with their first child was better than they expected, according to a nationwide survey commissioned by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) in honor of Mother’s Day.

Painless delivery refers to the use of an epidural injection which is given by an anaesthesiologist for pain relief during labour. It is injected in the lower back, and a plastic tube is placed through which drugs are released around the spinal cord.

The needle used to deliver the epidural can hit a nerve, leading to temporary or permanent loss of feeling in your lower body. Bleeding around the area of the spinal cord and using the wrong medication in the epidural can also cause nerve damage. This side effect is extremely rare.

To many women, crowning feels like an intense burning or stinging sensation. This is where that “ring of fire” term comes from. Others share that crowning didn’t feel at all like they had expected.

Most women are able to use the bathroom during labor — to urinate and to have a bowel movement. Your health care provider will probably encourage you to do so because it’s possible that a full bladder might slow down your baby’s descent.

The length of this stage varies with the position and size of the baby and your ability to push with the contractions. For first-time mothers the average length of pushing is one-to-two hours. In some instances, pushing can last longer than two hours if mother and baby are tolerating it.

How long it lasts: Active labor often lasts four to eight hours or more. On average, your cervix will dilate at approximately one centimeter per hour.

In general, infants that are born very early are not considered to be viable until after 24 weeks gestation. This means that if you give birth to an infant before they are 24 weeks old, their chance of surviving is usually less than 50 percent. Some infants are born before 24 weeks gestation and do survive.

Early Signs of Labor that Mean Your Body Is Getting Ready:

1. The baby drops.
2. You feel the urge to nest.
3. No more weight gain.
4. Your cervix dilates.
5. Fatigue.
6. Worsening back pain.
7. Diarrhea.
8. Loose joints and increased clumsiness.

There are four stages of labor.

• First stage of labor. Thinning (effacement) and opening (dilation) of the cervix.
• Second stage of labor. Your baby moves through the birth canal.
• Third stage of labor. Afterbirth.
• Fourth stage of labor. Recovery.

You know you’re in true labor when:

1. You have strong and regular contractions. A contraction is when the muscles of your uterus tighten up like a fist and then relax.
2. You feel pain in your belly and lower back.
3. You have a bloody (brownish or reddish) mucus discharge.
4. Your water breaks.

As the countdown to birth begins, some signs that labor is 24 to 48 hours away can include low back pain, weight loss, diarrhea — and of course, your water breaking.

Where do you feel the pain? Contractions are usually only felt in the front of the abdomen or pelvic region. Contractions usually start in the lower back and move to the front of the abdomen.

You can tell that you’re in true labor when the contractions are evenly spaced (for example, five minutes apart), and the time between them gets shorter and shorter (three minutes apart, then two minutes, then one). Real contractions also get more intense and painful over time.

Typically, real labor contractions feel like a pain or pressure that starts in the back and moves to the front of your lower abdomen. Unlike the ebb and flow of Braxton Hicks, true labor contractions feel steadily more intense over time. During true labor contractions your belly will tighten and feel very hard.

Labour can start very quickly, but is often slow at the start (particularly if it’s your first baby). Sometimes it can start without you realising it. Labour may be starting if: you have a show.

Natural ways to induce labor

1. Get moving. Movement may help start labor.
2. Have sex. Sex is often recommended for getting labor started.
3. Try to relax.
4. Eat something spicy.
5. Down a little castor oil.
6. Schedule an acupuncture session.
7. Ask your doctor to strip your membranes.
8. Go herbal.

Your baby moves less: Women often notice that their baby is less active the day before labor begins. No one is sure why. It may be that the baby is saving up energy for the birth.

Extreme fatigue is one of the early signs of labor, and you may notice that you are much more tired than usual. Rest as needed, and don’t over exert yourself.