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Lightening is an important sign that labor may be approaching. “Lightening is a term to describe baby moving down in the pelvis, getting into a position closer to delivery,” said Tania Lopez, CNM, a certified nurse-midwife at Pediatrix® OB Hospitalists of Texas. Your provider can confirm lightening by checking the baby’s fetal station, which measures how far the head has moved down into the pelvis. If lightening has not happened yet, Lopez said your provider may describe the baby as “still high,” “still floating” or “ballotable,” meaning the head can still move easily above the pelvis when touched. Even after the baby drops, you should still feel plenty of movement. “However, the movement will start to feel less pronounced than it was before. It may feel more like elbow jabs and knee pushes, and not as much as those full-on foot kicks or hand punches,” said Lopez.
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