This is the question we get from almost every mom-to-be, and sometimes even from moms who’ve already had their firstborn. You might be wondering about the same thing, with questions about when specifically should you rush to the hospital to welcome your little one.

Are my contractions real?

A sudden ache in your back or belly may leave you confused about whether your labour has begun. You might get nervous and want to rush to the birth center immediately – But it’ll be so unfair if you hurried to the hospital only to find that it was a false alarm. So how can you tell if your contractions are false? Here are a few symptoms to look out for.

Your contractions don’t follow a pattern. Braxton-Hicks contractions can easily fool moms into thinking that the real thing has started. Here are some key differences to tell if it’s false or real:

• The intensity doesn’t get stronger and stronger: In real labours, the power of contractions usually level up as your baby is pushed closer to your pelvic cavity and your cervix starts dilating. If your contractions aren’t progressing, that’s one cue to say that it might not be real.
• The time in between doesn’t get shorter and shorter: Similar to the intensity of contractions, if the time between contractions doesn’t get shorter but stays the same, you’re probably not having real labour yet.

TIPS: Use 5-1-1 to check if your contractions are real! If your contractions continue to be 5-min apart and 1-min long for at least 1-hour, you should be on your way to the hospital!

• You only feel pain in your lower abdomen, not the lower back: When real labour starts, during “Baby Dropping”, your baby’s weight shifts to lower down and starts pressuring your spine. The pain will spread to your abdomen at the same time. However, for Braxton-Hicks contractions you’ll most likely only feel pain in your lower abdomen than your back.

• It eases when you move around: False labour pains can be soothed when you try to walk or move around the room, and change your position. But real labour will only get stronger.

No fluid trickling out from under. You may find that you’ve wet your bed in your sleep accidentally and you are not sure if that was urine or if your water just broke. An easy way to check is to see if the liquid continues to leak and if the water smells like ammonia. If both apply, then that’s probably urine only since the amniotic fluid has no odor and you won’t be able to stop the trickling as you can when you’re urinating if your water breaks.

How to deal with false labour?

• Take in deep breaths to relax your body
• Change the position you’re in by lying or sitting in a different posture for a while
• Get yourself up and move around the room to freshen up
• Take a warm shower to relieve your stress
• Listen to soothing music (I recommend piano!)
• Place a warm water bottle against your belly
• Drink a glass of warm milk or cool apple/orange juice
• Use a birthing ball or sit in a rocking chair to move your body back and forth

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: If you are experiencing any bleeding or consistent contractions before you’re 37 weeks pregnant, or if you’re unsure about your symptoms – Contact your doctor immediately to get yourself checked!