What causes false labour contractions?

These tightenings are part of normal uterine activity during pregnancy and may become more noticeable as birth approaches. Activity, dehydration, a full bladder, sex or the baby moving can make them easier to feel. They tend to be irregular, do not steadily become longer, stronger and closer together, and may ease after rest, hydration or a change of position. Sensations alone cannot always distinguish practice contractions from early labour, particularly before term.

Pause and time the contractions from the start of one tightening to the start of the next. Drink water, empty your bladder and try changing position or resting. Pay attention to whether they settle or develop a regular, intensifying pattern. Follow the personalised instructions from your maternity team about when to call, since advice can differ according to your stage of pregnancy, previous births, travel time to hospital and any pregnancy complications.

Contact your maternity unit if contractions become regular, stronger or increasingly painful, or if you are unsure whether labour has begun. Seek prompt assessment for contractions before term, leaking fluid, vaginal bleeding, reduced baby movement, fever, persistent abdominal pain, severe headache or visual disturbance. Preterm labour can present with repeated tightenings, pelvic pressure, period-like cramps or backache, so do not dismiss those changes as false labour when they occur early.

Ask which contraction pattern should prompt a call at your current stage, where you should attend outside clinic hours, and how to monitor the baby's usual movements. If you have previously given birth quickly or live far from the maternity unit, request a clear arrival plan. Also clarify what to do if contractions occur alongside discharge, backache or pelvic pressure.