false labour pains

False Labour Pains

if you are going to be a first-time mum or have delivered before, there is always a fear of recognizing the difference between true labour pains and false labour pains. 

False labour pains can begin in the third trimester or sometimes in the second trimester even. the characteristics of false labour pains are

1 irregular contractions

2 contractions do not follow any particular pattern

3 they decrease when you rest or sleep

4 contractions remain of the same intensity, and it doesn’t increase with time

5 usually not strong to make you feel very uncomfortable

6 they will not increase in intensity as time passes by

7 you may or may not have back pain with false labour pains

characteristics of true labour-

1 contractions are felt as your tummy getting tight and then again, relaxing

2 contractions increase in frequency with time

3 contractions will get stronger and stronger, lasting more than 30 to 45 seconds as time passes by

4 contractions will not go away, no matter what activity you do

5 pain is felt in back and front of tummy both

other signs that could indicate true labour

1 sudden breaking of your waters

2 heavy mucous filled blood-stained discharge known as show

what to do if you start getting true labour pains-

1 try to stay calm and relaxed

2 try deep breathing exercises

3 move around and try to be active

4 change different positions

5 call your health care provider

you should call your health care provider if-

1 you start getting contractions every 3 in 10 minutes

2 contractions have increased in intensity, frequency, and duration

3 you noticed sudden wetting of your pants

4 you noticed blood-stained discharge or fresh red bleeding

5 you feel your baby is not moving as usual

6 for anything that is worrisome for you

What will your health care provider do?

Your health care provider assesses your condition on the phone and then will decide whether you need to come to the hospital or not. when you visit the hospital, your health care provider will-

1 take a relevant history

2 examine you from your tummy to assess the number of contractions you are having

3 may do an internal examination- this will be the deciding factor and will tell whether you are in labour. purpose of the internal examination is too

a check whether the neck of the womb is open or not

b assess how far dilated your cervix is

c check how thinned out the neck of the womb is

d check the position of the baby

Internal examination is a guide to tell whether you are in labour or not. the further plan will be made accordingly, keeping other factors as your obstetric history, your baby’s health, etc. in mind