Your Pregnancy: Is This Real Labor or False Labor?

As delivery day approaches after a long 9 months of pregnancy, many women are awaiting the day they will meet their new bundle of joy. The beginning of labor is a very exciting time, but yet it is full of new feelings and emotions. In the hustle of getting to the hospital, you should take some time out to make sure you are in true labor and not just false labor. Your body has a way of naturally preparing for labor, and in some women that means a trial run prior to the day of delivery. By knowing if you are experiencing only false labor you can avoid a trip to the hospital that will only result in you coming home still pregnant. I'll explain the symptoms of true labor verses the symptoms of false labor so you can tell if your labor is the real thing!

Contractions occur in both true and false labor; however they are slightly different between the two. In true labor the contractions become regular and lengthen in the time they last. In false labor the contractions are very irregular and can last different lengths each time. In true labor your contractions will begin to follow a pattern such as coming every 4 minutes, lasting 30 seconds, then coming every 3 minutes, lasting 60 seconds, and so on. In false labor you may have a contraction 3 minutes apart, and then not another for 10 minutes. These contractions are not very efficient and generally are not enough to thin out and open the cervix.

False labor contractions tend to go away as you increase your activity. True labor contractions generally strengthen as you become more active. To test your contractions, try taking a walk or doing some light exercise. If the contractions go away while exercising you are probably not in labor, but if they get stronger and come closer together, you may be in true labor.