How To Tell Real Labour From False Labour - Discover The Facts From The Myths
Distinguishing the differences from true labour and false labour is not always an easy task.
There are some characteristics though that can help determine whether your current symptoms actually mean you are in labour.
Let us see some general rules regarding false labour.
It is considered a false labour if your contractions are; 1.
Irregular without increasing in their frequency.
2.
Disappear entirely if you go for a walk or sleep and change position.
3.
Not particularly uncomfortable.
4.
They only occur in your lower abdomen.
5.
Do not become increasingly more uncomfortable as they persist.
Now to tell if you could be in actual labour your contractions will; 1.
Get steadily more and more frequent, uncomfortable and intense.
2.
Duration of between forty and sixty seconds.
3.
Do not go away when you go for a walk, sleep or change position.
4.
Occur along with some leak of fluid, this would be due to a rupture of your membranes.
5.
Make conversation and talking in general difficult to impossible.
6.
Stretch across your abdomen, back and upper body.
Unfortunately sometimes the only way to know for sure if you are in labour is by seeing your midwife or going straight to the hospital.
I know when my wife was pregnant on two occasions we drove to the hospital in a hurry only to find that it was a false alarm.
When you do arrive at the hospital the doctor will perform a pelvic examination to determine if you are in labour or when you could likely be.
They will almost always hook you up to a monitor to see how often your body is contracting and to check on the progress of the foetal heart, to see if it is responding well.
By these tests you will ultimately find out if you are in labour.
But you may find that your midwife will want to keep you under observation for several hours to keep an eye on your situation.
Never be embarrassed if you doubt you are in labour and have to ring the labour ward at your local hospital, this happens to many women.
If your contractions are between five and ten minutes apart call your labour ward and explain this to them.
They will then make decision as to whether you should be admitted.
Even if you are less than 37 weeks still call the labour ward as premature births are quite common, let's face it i am sure you would rather keep ringing up the labour ward or midwife than being caught short having to give birth at home.
There are some characteristics though that can help determine whether your current symptoms actually mean you are in labour.
Let us see some general rules regarding false labour.
It is considered a false labour if your contractions are; 1.
Irregular without increasing in their frequency.
2.
Disappear entirely if you go for a walk or sleep and change position.
3.
Not particularly uncomfortable.
4.
They only occur in your lower abdomen.
5.
Do not become increasingly more uncomfortable as they persist.
Now to tell if you could be in actual labour your contractions will; 1.
Get steadily more and more frequent, uncomfortable and intense.
2.
Duration of between forty and sixty seconds.
3.
Do not go away when you go for a walk, sleep or change position.
4.
Occur along with some leak of fluid, this would be due to a rupture of your membranes.
5.
Make conversation and talking in general difficult to impossible.
6.
Stretch across your abdomen, back and upper body.
Unfortunately sometimes the only way to know for sure if you are in labour is by seeing your midwife or going straight to the hospital.
I know when my wife was pregnant on two occasions we drove to the hospital in a hurry only to find that it was a false alarm.
When you do arrive at the hospital the doctor will perform a pelvic examination to determine if you are in labour or when you could likely be.
They will almost always hook you up to a monitor to see how often your body is contracting and to check on the progress of the foetal heart, to see if it is responding well.
By these tests you will ultimately find out if you are in labour.
But you may find that your midwife will want to keep you under observation for several hours to keep an eye on your situation.
Never be embarrassed if you doubt you are in labour and have to ring the labour ward at your local hospital, this happens to many women.
If your contractions are between five and ten minutes apart call your labour ward and explain this to them.
They will then make decision as to whether you should be admitted.
Even if you are less than 37 weeks still call the labour ward as premature births are quite common, let's face it i am sure you would rather keep ringing up the labour ward or midwife than being caught short having to give birth at home.
