Learn More About Your Pregnancy
Getting Ready for Labor
Q:
How many different types of contractions are there?
Two
Correct!
There are two different kinds of contractions. Braxton-Hicks contractions, and labor contractions. Braxton-Hicks contractions (also called false labor), prepare your body for labor and delivery. Labor contractions signal the beginning of the birth process.
Three
Incorrect!
There are two different kinds of contractions. Braxton-Hicks contractions, and labor contractions. Braxton-Hicks contractions (also called false labor), prepare your body for labor and delivery. Labor contractions signal the beginning of the birth process.
Signs of labor
Your body may go through physical changes several days before labor starts. You may notice that the baby has dropped and given you more room to breathe. You may also notice that the baby is now pressing on your bladder, sending you running to the bathroom more often. You may pass a mucus plug (a thick, jelly-like substance) that was in your cervix and protected your baby from infections.
Symptoms of labor
It helps to learn the signs and symptoms of labor. You may experience some of the following when your labor is preparing to start.
- Lower back ache.
- Menstrual-like cramps (contractions, pains, or waves) that become regular and stronger.
- A sudden gush or slow trickle of clear vaginal fluid.
- Pinkish vaginal discharge.
- Passing a thick mucus plug.
Sometimes people have these signs and rush to the hospital only to be sent home to wait because they are not in true labor. With false labor, your contractions will be inconsistent, and your provider will notice that your cervix isn’t opening or changing.
Braxton-Hicks contractions (false labor)
These contractions tend to increase in the weeks right before your due date. With Braxton-Hicks:
- You may feel tightening of your uterus muscles at irregular intervals or a squeezing sensation in your lower abdomen and groin.
- Sometimes you can just barely feel these contractions, and at other times the contractions can be strong or painful.
- These contractions tend to come and go unpredictably and tend to show up in the afternoon or evening.
Labor contractions
Labor contractions signal the beginning of childbirth. These contractions come at regular intervals, usually move from the back to the lower abdomen, last between 30-70 seconds, and get stronger and closer together over time. For some women, there is no advance sign that labor is near. Others experience cramps, contractions, and discomfort for weeks before delivery.
Nobody knows exactly what causes labor to begin, but the following signs may signal that labor is near:
- The feeling that the baby has settled lower in your belly. This can occur a few weeks or a few hours before labor.
- Increased vaginal discharge that is clear, pink, or slightly bloody. This can occur a few days or immediately before labor.
- Your water “breaks” (fluid leaks or gushes from your vagina). This occurs at the start of or during labor.
When to contact your provider
Contact your health care provider right away if you are having contractions that trouble you, especially if they become very painful or if you think you are having preterm labor (labor before the 37th week of pregnancy).
Other signs to contact your health care provider:
- Your contractions are between 5 and 10 minutes apart.
- Your water breaks, especially if the fluid is stained dark, greenish–brown.
- You experience vaginal bleeding.
- You can no longer walk or talk during contractions.
- Persistent headache, vision changes, or heartburn that doesn’t go away.
- Your baby seems to be moving less than usual.
- You are concerned about your health or the health and well-being of your baby.
