How Does False Labour Feel Like?

Braxton Hicks contractions can make the abdomen feel firm and tense, then relax. The sensation may be uncomfortable or pressure-like rather than steadily painful. They can occur after activity, a full bladder, sex or dehydration, and may stop when you rest, drink fluids or move differently.

True labour contractions tend to develop a more regular pattern, become stronger and last longer, with less relief from changing position. The sensations alone cannot always distinguish the two. Cervical change, which requires assessment, is what confirms whether labour is progressing.

Pause and rest on your side, drink water if you have not been advised to restrict fluids, and note when each tightening starts, how long it lasts and whether the pattern changes. A warm shower may be soothing if your maternity team has said it is suitable. Keep your maternity unit's contact details available and follow any personalised instructions.

Call your maternity unit promptly if contractions become regular or increasingly painful, your waters break, you have vaginal bleeding, your baby is moving less than usual, or you feel unwell. Before term, repeated tightenings with pelvic pressure, backache, fluid leakage or bleeding need urgent assessment because they can be signs of preterm labour.

Ask when to call, how to time contractions, which symptoms require immediate assessment, and how your pregnancy history changes the advice. If contractions are difficult to interpret, describe their pattern rather than trying to label them yourself.