Braxton Hicks or real labor?

Noticing your belly tighten and relax from time to time is very common, especially in the last months. These are usually false contractions, but it's still important to know how to tell them apart from real labor and when not to wait.

What are false contractions?

Braxton Hicks contractions are “practice” contractions your uterus makes as it prepares for labor; they don't mean labor has started. They usually begin in the second or third trimester, and some women never feel them. They can appear weeks or even months before real labor, so having them doesn't on its own mean labor is near. They can feel like mild period cramps or a random tightening in your belly, usually at the front. They're usually painless or just uncomfortable, and you can talk and walk through them. Dehydration, a full bladder, a lot of activity, sex or lifting something heavy can bring them on. To ease them, you can try:

• Change position or walk a little; if you've been active, lie down and rest.
• Drink water and have a light snack.
• Empty your bladder.
• Do something relaxing, like taking a warm shower.

How they differ from real labor contractions

• Pattern: False contractions are irregular. Real contractions come at regular intervals and get closer together.
• Strength: False contractions don't get stronger. Real contractions get longer and stronger, and it becomes hard to talk or walk through them.
• Response to movement: False contractions often stop when you rest, walk or change position. Real contractions keep going no matter what you do.
• Location: False contractions are usually felt at the front of the belly. Real labor pain can also spread to your lower back and upper belly.

Real labor contractions open the cervix; false contractions don't. Real labor may also come with other signs, such as the bloody show or your water breaking. If you're not sure what you're feeling, don't hesitate to call your doctor or the hospital where you plan to give birth.

How can you track your contractions?

To see whether your contractions are regular, note for about an hour how long each one lasts and how much time passes from the start of one contraction to the start of the next. With the contraction timer in the app, you just tap when a contraction starts and when it ends; the timer calculates the length and interval of each one for you. When your contractions have become regular, are getting closer together and have reached the interval your doctor gave you, call your doctor or the hospital. Agree on this interval, and on who to contact after hours, with your doctor before the final weeks. Keep the timer's log at hand when you call; knowing how often your contractions come and how long they last makes it easier to assess your situation.

“When you're not sure, calling is always better than waiting.”

Go to the hospital without waiting

In any of the following situations, go to the hospital without waiting for your contractions to become regular:

• Your water has broken or fluid keeps leaking from your vagina
• You have vaginal bleeding (more than the light pink spotting of the bloody show)
• Your baby is moving less or their usual pattern of movement has changed; don't wait to count kicks
• You have a fever of 38°C or higher
• You have severe or constant belly pain that doesn't ease between contractions
• Before 37 weeks, you have regular contractions, period-like pain or a backache that's unusual for you
• A contraction lasts longer than 2 minutes, or you have 6 or more contractions in 10 minutes

If the baby seems to be coming and you feel a strong urge to push, call your local emergency number.