False labour is common during pregnancy and they are actually your body’s way of getting ready for the ‘real thing’.
You might experience false labour a month before or a day before you give birth. The closer you get to your due date, the harder it can be to differentiate between false labour from true labour.
To ease discomfort of false labour, you can try these measures:
•Take a warm bath to help your body relax
• Drink plenty of fluids
Differentiating False Labour from True Labour
- Time Them: Use a watch to keep track of the time when the first contraction starts to the time the next contraction starts. Also, note how long each contraction lasts. True contractions last 30–90 seconds.
- Observe Whether Your Contractions Continue Regardless of Your Activity Level or Position. In case of false labour, the contractions might stop when you walk, lie down or change position, which does not happen in case of true labour.
- Regularity: False labour does not follow any particular pattern. False labour can be short or long, strong or weak. It is irregular and may come and go.
- Strength of the Contractions: False labour may not feel stronger or more intense over time, but with true labour, contractions become regular, stronger and more frequent over time.
Even after knowing these guidelines, it will be harder to know if labour is real, especially for the first time mom. Do not be afraid to call your doctor if you are not sure as to what you are feeling.
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