Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

Expecting women, especially in the first pregnancy, will often worry that their contractions will stop when they go to the hospital and that they will be sent home. Many will also worry that if they don’t go to the hospital at the moment they feel a contraction, they will spontaneously deliver at home or in the car. To alleviate this concern, an expecting woman should understand how to determine if the contractions they are feeling are a true labor contraction or a false, Braxton-Hicks, contraction.

Braxton Hicks contractions, known as false labor contractions, are irregular contractions. False labor contractions are generally noticed in the third trimester of the pregnancy as an uncomfortable tightness in the tummy, but can develop in earlier stages of pregnancy without being noticeable or felt. They are usually painless. Braxton-Hicks contractions will create a hardening of your abdomen as well as a tightening of the tummy, which can often be seen as well as felt. True labor contractions will give a similar tightening of the abdomen but in a true labor contraction, they will be felt on the entire abdomen as well as in the back and painful.

Additionally, False labor contractions can, and most often do, disappear during rest. True labor contractions will not diminish during rest.  False labor contractions occur infrequently and do not last long. True labor contractions will be regulated and will come five minutes apart in the beginning stage of labor. For these reasons, it is suggested that you start timing the contractions and lay down and try to rest, to determine if your contractions are true or false.

If you feel the contractions before your due date and the contractions come five minutes apart and do not disappear when you rest, you should call your doctor. This is preterm labor and can result in a dangerous situation for you and your baby. Your doctor may advise you to go to the hospital or other center  where you will be giving birth. Once there, if it is determined that you are in fact experiencing a preterm birth, medicine can be administered to stop the preterm contractions and delay the delivery longer, in order to give the unborn baby the best chance of developing.

Whether it is true or false labor contractions, during the third trimester, the uterus will begin to contract, either to give birth or to prepare for the awaiting birth. False labor contractions can be brought on during the ‘nesting’ stage, during activities performed to prepare the home for the baby’s arrival. If this occurs, stop the activity and rest, if they are false labor contractions they will stop when you do. False labor contractions can also occur, for some women, only during rest. If this happens, get up and do some activity; go for a walk, do some type of housework. If the contractions stop during activity but are only present during rest, this too is false labor contractions.

Sometimes, even false labor contractions can come in regular intervals, at 5 minutes apart and last for up to thirty seconds each. A common scenario for women experiencing their first pregnancy will often rush to the hospital, so sure they are in labor.  After the doctor has examined and monitored them they will be sent home. Plan  and arrange to go to the hospital  or center when the contractions appear closer than 5 minutes apart for over an hour and you encounter notable pain in either the abdomen or the lower back, similar to strong menstrual cramps.

Many doctors and midwives have said that false labor pains play a role in strengthening the uterine muscle, to prepare the womb for the birthing experience, which is coming soon. Whats more, false labor contractions can play a role in preparing the cervix; aiding in dilation and effacement.

How can the expecting woman be completely sure if the contractions are true or false? There are many tale- tale signs to look for from the onset of the contractions. Follow the breakdown below to compare the differences present in each contraction.

Signs of True Labor Contractions

• Will become stronger and more intense.
• Contractions are regular and will become stronger as the labor progresses.
• Cervix will soften and thin
• Felt throughout the entire abdomen and often in the lower back.
• Walking can result in stronger contractions.
• Become quite painful

Signs of False Labor Contractions

• Doesn’t get stronger.
• Contractions are irregular and do not become stronger.
• No cervical changes.
• Usually only felt in the front of the tummy.
• Walking will not increase the contractions strength in most cases.
• Uncomfortable but not overly painful

If you are expecting and concerned about the beginning of labor; if you have heard horrifying stories of women giving birth in the back of a car or at home, unattended to by a doctor; or if you are experiencing contractions but you are not exactly sure how you can know with certainty that your labor has begun, before you make those frantic phone calls to your loved ones and your doctor, know the differences of a true or false labor.