How to Deal with False Labour?

Entering to third trimester of pregnancy brings more curiosity to a mother. You are just few months or days away to hold your baby in your arms. While you must be preparing your baby’s room or spending days in thoughts of life would be post baby, your body is preparing for the delivery. You can feel contractions months, weeks or just only hours before your childbirth.

What is False Labour?

Your baby is fully grown and developed in your belly and now is trying hard to come out into the real world. Your body may start giving you signs few months ahead of your delivery or just few hours before childbirth. This condition varies from person to person. Also same lady can have all different symptoms in her two different pregnancies.False labour is nothing but slow contractions felt in uterus. These contractions are known as Braxton Hick’s contractions named by Dr Braxton Hicks himself who discovered it first. Pregnant ladies often feel mild contractions in uterus where the muscles of uterus are preparing themselves for childbirth. These contractions may sometimes increase to much high intensity giving false alarm to mother of being in labour. False labour pain can be frequent in a day or sometimes observed rarely.

Difference between False Labour and Actual Labour

Actual labour pain comes with many symptoms to know. So it is easier to identify between false labour and actual labour.False labour can be painless at times. They just give you pinching effect in your uterus area without pain. So it is easy to differentiate them clearly as false labour. They are unpredictable and irregular. False labour is never consistent or constant. They come and go either in a minute or stay little longer. On other hand, actual labour may start with inconsistent frequency. But they increase with time giving more pain gradually.Braxton Hicks contractions may happen in your lower abdomen or inner uterus area. Whereas actual labour pain has got their centre point at lower back and slowly wrapping your belly into severe pain.As already said, false labour contractions are irregular. Changing your current activity position can suddenly stop contractions. If you are in seated position, start walking as it can help relaxing from false labour. If you have entered in actual labour then changing position or walking would not help anyhow. The pain would never subside in real labour with whatever you do.

Signs of False Labour

Sometimes a mother can feel more intense pain. You may be thrown in tensed condition considering this intense pain as active labour pain. So first of all try not to be baffled and relax even with that pain. There are signs to know if you are actually in labour or these are just contractions preparing you for delivery.Irregular or inconsistent contractions are the first sign to identify false labour. Little movement of your big baby in your belly can also bring such contractions and there is nothing to worry about it.Finding yourself surrounded by fluid which has got no smell can bring tense moments. But this can be just fluid discharge and it stops automatically. It is like urinating without your control over it. But if it does not stop, you must immediately contact your doctor.If your water bag ruptures, the fluid would never stop on its own. So that is how you can easily know if it is actual or false labour.Finding yourself in wet panties due to some vaginal discharge is again normal with these contractions. Sometimes these discharges turn into brown or pink colour. But you must also report this to your doctor. If actual labour pain has started, you may find blood stains.

What can be done during False Labour?

It is natural to become hyper and restless for pregnant women when such contractions are felt. But the most important thing to do in such situation is to relax and be calm. Of course it is difficult to stay cool. Deep breathing is helpful in such condition and contractions may slow down after a while.Drinking lots of fluid or water is another way to deal with false labour. Sometimes dehydration or constipation during pregnancy can bring false labour pain. Gulping lots of water is helpful. If you are having painful contractions, try changing your activity position. Start walking if you are in sitting position or sit for a while if you have felt pain while being active. However, if the pain and contractions do not subside, you must immediately contact your doctor.