False labor: How can you tell?

You're having contractions and, ouch, they are painful. You must be in labor, right? Not necessarily. It's easy to confuse pre-labor with true labor. Pre-labor is kind of like practice for the real thing. Actually these contractions aren't always painful. You may just notice a slight tightness in your tummy.

These contractions tend to occur in the afternoon or evening, after physical activity and when you are tired and the uterine contractions actually have a purpose. They help your body gear up for birth by softening, thinning and maybe even opening your cervix a bit. They tend to occur close to your delivery date. Here are some differences between pre- and true labor.

With true labor:

Contractions usually come at regular intervals and come closer and closer together. They last 30 to 70 seconds.

Contractions do not stop when you walk, rest or change positions. It doesn't matter what you do the contractions keep coming.

Contractions gradually increase in strength.

Usually, with true labor the pain of the contraction starts in the back and moves to the front.

With pre-labor:

The timing of contractions is often irregular, and they don't get closer together as time goes on.

The contractions may stop when you walk, rest, take a bath, get hydrated or change your body position.

The pain of the contractions is often felt only in the front.

How can I tell?

Time the contraction intervals; that means writing down how long they last and the length of time between contractions. You can walk around and do household tasks while you are timing them.

Many women are so sure they are having true labor that they go to the hospital, only to be sent home again. If this happens to you, don't be embarrassed. Pre-labor is easy to confuse with true labor, and even your doctor can have trouble determining if you are having the real thing. Your physician may want to observe you for a few hours. You'll probably have a vaginal exam so your provider can see if your cervix is dilating.

If you aren't sure what kind of labor you are having, call your doctor. The truth is that some women are in true labor and having painless contractions. Other women have very painful contractions that turn out to be pre-labor. And some women never feel any pain in labor, just intense pressure in the abdomen. Women experience labor pain in different ways. When in doubt, call your provider.

Date last reviewed: October 2002.

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