labor pains, in labor

Definition:

A woman who is "in labor" is experiencing the pains that lead up to the birth of her child. These are called "labor pains."

In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul used this term figuratively to describe his own intense striving to help his fellow believers become more and more like Christ.
The analogy of labor pains is also used in the Bible to describe how disasters in the last days will happen with increasing frequency and intensity.