22/11/2025
Know When It’s Go Time!
True vs. False Labor Explained
🔶 FALSE LABOR (Braxton Hicks)
Your body practicing for the real thing.
• Comes and goes — no regular pattern
• Usually mild
• Stops when you rest, drink water, or change position
• Felt mostly in the front of your belly
🔶 TRUE LABOR
This is when baby is actually getting ready to come out. Here’s what it looks like — with simple examples:
✔️ Contractions are regular & getting stronger
Example: They start every 10 minutes, later become 7 minutes, then 5 minutes apart — each one feels stronger.
✔️ Contractions get closer together
Example: Earlier they were every 15 minutes, now they’re every 8, then 6 minutes.
✔️ They don’t stop with rest or movement
Example: You try lying down, walking, or taking a warm bath — but contractions continue and even intensify.
✔️ Pain starts in the back then moves to the front
Example: A strong cramp begins in your lower back and wraps around your tummy like a tightening wave.
✔️ Water leaking or breaking
Example: A sudden gush, or a slow trickle you can’t control, like you’re peeing unintentionally.
✔️ Pink or bloody discharge (bloody show)
Example: You wipe and see pink mucus or a small amount of bloody mucus.
✔️ Heavy downward pressure
Example: Feels like the baby is pushing down — similar to the urge to p**p, but stronger and lower.
🔶 When to Go to the Hospital
• Contractions are 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, for 1 hour
• Water breaks
• Baby is moving less
• Heavy bleeding
