What to do if I’m experiencing false labour pain?

 

Pregnant women frequently suffer false labour pain, also referred to as Braxton Hicks contractions, before they experience true labour contractions. These Braxton Hicks contractions usually start as early as the fourth month to as late as the third trimester of pregnancy. Your body is preparing for the big day when you give birth by going through these contractions.

Here is what you need to know to recognise the symptoms of false labour pain and seek medical help if necessary. It can be very challenging to determine whether they are feeling a false alarm or if it is a true labour contraction.

What does false labour feel like?

According to some women, false labour feels like an occasional tightening of their abdomen. Usually, there is no pain felt. Others claim that they are similar to light menstrual cramps. Although they are uncomfortable, Braxton Hicks contractions do not start labour or widen the cervix.1 False labour contractions can feel strong at one moment and weak at the next due to the fluctuating strength of each contraction. They do not show up in a regular pattern. They can soften or stop abruptly when you move or walk. False labour contractions usually become less frequent and eventually vanish over time.2

What are the causes of false labour?

The most common causes of Braxton Hicks contractions are physical exercise, tiredness (fatigue), or dehydration. Other causes include illnesses that result in vomiting or diarrhea, fetus movement, and the activities done by the mother, especially when she lifts anything or engages in sexual intercourse.3

How do I know if it is false labour?

The first and most crucial thing to remember is that Braxton Hicks contractions or false labour pain are usually painless or mildly painful. True labour pains are painful, get worse over time, and the contractions get faster. They occur at regular intervals and last between 30 and 70 seconds. As time goes on, the spacing between the contractions also gets smaller. False labour pain does not become more intense over time, and the contractions do not become more closely spaced as time passes.4

What is the difference between true labour and false labour?

False labour contractions frequently feel like your abdomen is tightening, but there is little to no pain or mild discomfort. True labour contractions, on the other hand, are marked by a slow increase in the intensity of the contractions and a gradual decrease in the time between each contraction. Start monitoring your contractions, and if you notice the pattern mentioned above, you will know that it is the right time to start planning your trip to the hospital!

True labour contractions can at first feel like terrible menstruation cramps, but they soon become evident when one realises that there is also some activity in the cervical region. True labour pain symptoms include mucus plug release, water breaking, and dull sensations in the lower belly, pelvis, back, sides, and thighs among others. They vary in their exact nature according to each individual. Additionally, false labour pains go away when you change positions, move, rest, or drink a glass of water, but true labour pains do not go away easily.

How long do false labour pains last?

Contractions during false labour typically range between 15 and 30 seconds, although they can last for as long as two minutes.5

Why does false labour happen at night?

You may be familiar with oxytocin, also known as the love hormone is the primary hormone that causes your uterine muscle contract. Oxytocin and melatonin hormones are complementary to each other in many ways. Melatonin and oxytocin work together to increase the contractility of the uterine muscles. As melatonin is released only in the dark, it is fascinating to consider it the leader of nighttime contraction-inducing chemicals. As oxytocin and melatonin levels rise during the night, contractions keep getting stronger.

Because melatonin is oxytocin's companion hormone, oxytocin is more efficient at causing more frequent contractions.

As your pregnancy progresses, your body produces more melatonin and oxytocin, and the uterine muscle also develops more melatonin and oxytocin receptors. It implies that during the last few weeks of pregnancy, your uterus will not only get melatonin and oxytocin, but it will also be better able to respond to them.6

Can labour start while sleeping?

Yes! Labour can happen any time, when you are in the shower, at work, or waiting for a doctor's appointment. In any case, your body cannot prevent labour from starting. It is common for labour to begin in the middle of the night while you are sleeping. The melatonin theory discussed above applies here too!

Does lying down slow labour?

According to a study, women in industrialised countries often lie in bed during labour, maybe because doing so makes it easier for doctors to monitor the development of labour and the health of the baby inside. Also, when a pregnant woman lies down, the weight of her growing belly presses against her abdominal blood vessels. That pressure may decrease the intensity of her contractions, delaying the dilation of her vagina and the baby's passage down the birth canal.

Research has found that getting up and moving around could help a woman feel a sense of control or help her forget about how painful her contractions are. Both of these characteristics might reduce her need for painkillers. Most women can move around freely during the early stages of giving birth, standing up or walking as they like. Although women should use their preferred positions that make them feel more comfortable, they should specifically avoid lying down.

How long after false labour is true labour?

False labour pain can start weeks or months before the start of true labour pain. They take place while your uterine muscles prepare to deliver the baby. False labour contractions are moderately painful, although they are often short and less painful than those felt during true labour.

True labour contractions, on the other hand, occur more frequently, are more painful, and may last more than a minute. You can use the timing of your contractions to determine if you are actually in labour or just having false labour contractions.

When you think you are in labour, start timing your contractions. You can do this by writing down the start and stop times of every contraction on paper or by having someone else do it for you. This is the duration. Also, take note of the interval between each contraction. This is known as the interval.

Mild contractions often begin 15–20 minutes apart and last 60–90 seconds. Contractions become more regular and eventually spread apart by less than 5 minutes. Active labour is indicated by strong contractions that last 45 to 60 seconds and occur every 4 to 5 minutes; at this point, you should go to a hospital.9

Where do labour pains start?

False labour pains are mostly felt at the front of the abdomen or pelvis. True labour pain, however, might start in the lower back and move forward to the front of the abdomen. They might even start in your stomach and progress to your back.10 The cervical plug comes out in what is referred to as a bloody show during true labour. Early in pregnancy, a clump of mucus called the cervical plug (or mucus plug) grows to create a barrier between the developing child, vagina and other areas. The cervical plug will fall out when it's time for your baby to come out, which means that your cervix is dilating and preparing to let the baby come through it.

Generally, false labour pain in pregnancy can be experienced by a second (and more) time moms! You do not need to be concerned about these contractions. You can try drinking water, walking (because frequent exercising stops false labour contractions), taking a nap, and resting by listening to music. You might also take a warm bath to relax or get a massage. However, you need to see a doctor if you experience any vaginal bleeding, have painful contractions that resemble true labour pain, if your water breaks, or have contractions that make even walking difficult.