There is nothing worse than anticipation when it comes to the arrival of a new baby. New moms are often told that they can tell how long they have until the baby is born by the way the belly button appears or the drop of the tummy. These signs are not proven to determine when active labor will begin, though they can be an indication that the baby is getting closer to the birth canal.

When the belly button pops out, most expectant mothers are told they are getting closer to the day when active labor will begin. However, a protruding belly button may appear as early as the second trimester. As the baby is growing larger and pushing out on the underlying tissues of the abdomen, the belly button can pop out leaving the woman with a temporary “outy” where an “inny” was once found. A protruding navel does not mean labor is any closer, just that the baby is growing.

The dropping of the belly can be a sign that the pregnancy is nearing an end. As the baby drops, pressure is placed on the cervix. This is just part of the process by which the cervical mucus plug loosens and rinses out of the vagina. Once the plug has fallen out, the baby will place more and more pressure on the birth canal.

There are no physical signs that will give any specific time frame in which the baby will be born. Pregnancy is an ever-changing system of symptoms and mechanisms that mom’s body controls. When the baby and your body are ready for birth, that is when labor will begin.