All the pregnant women are generally curious about the big day when they are going to be the mother of the baby. But, it is really a challenge to go through the labour. Though they may be happy to receive the baby in hand after the
delivery, they would be highly worried and confused about how they are going to go through the labour.
What is False Labour?
The false labour also called the
preterm labour that occurs often during the second and third trimester of pregnancy, especially, during the last few days before the delivery. The false labour is actually the contractions or pain similar to the menstrual pain felt during the periods and occurs in the lower abdominal area of the pregnant women. These false labour pains are sometimes misunderstood for actual labour.
Difference between False Labour and the True Labour
The false labour contractions are usually called
Braxton-Hicks contractions. They are not regular and the pain due to the false labour does not last for a long duration of time. When it comes to the true labour, the pain occurs in the lower back and then reaches the abdominal area and the pain also occurs at regular intervals of time.
The true labour pain lasts for a longer duration of time and it does not tend to go after sometime and becomes highly unbearable and intense after a few hours. Mucus discharge or any sort of bloody or pigmented vaginal discharge would not be there in the false
labour which would not be the case of the actual labour, where the amniotic fluid or the pigmented discharge may be there.
How to Not to Get Disappointed with False Labour?
Many pregnant women get bored with the waiting time or the pregnancy period which they need to pass through to hold their baby in their hands. So when the false labour starts occurring frequently, due to the anxiety they tend to misunderstand the
false labour or the preterm labour for the actual labour and rush to the hospital. But, when they realize that it is not the actual labour they get disappointed. But this tendency should definitely be avoided.
It is good to know that the false labour pains are likely to appear and they indicate that the labour is fast approaching and the big day for holding their baby in hand is definitely nearing.
Tips to Handle False Labour
In the false labour contractions, the pain may vanish when the position changes. So, it is good to have a slow walk or change the positions of the body or give slight movement to the parts of the body. It is also good to take a bath in warm water.
Having a massage done by the antenatal massage specialist and after consulting a doctor also would help the pregnant women to handle the false labour. In order to just divert the mind from the false labour pain being experienced, the pregnant women can also try drinking some juices or warm water or eat some healthy snacks.
Steps to Be Taken If in Doubt When the Contractions Occur
Sometimes even the true labour pain can be misunderstood for a false labour pain, which may eventually lead to a big problem to both mother and the child. So, if the pregnant women are not able to identify whether the contractions are true or false, they can contact the doctor immediately to get it clarified.
Even if the pregnancy is less than 37 weeks also, there may be true contractions. So, it is not a rule that the contractions occurring before 37 weeks are false contractions. So, it is important for the pregnant women to have a good knowledge about the false and true labour by speaking to the doctor so as to deal with the labour pain bravely.
