How to tell the difference between Braxton Hicks and labour

Braxton Hicks contractions can feel like tightening across the abdomen. They may start and stop, vary in strength, and settle after changing position, resting, drinking water, or emptying your bladder. They do not usually produce a steady pattern of change.

Labour contractions tend to continue despite rest or movement. Over time, they commonly last longer, feel more intense, and arrive at shorter intervals. Labour may also involve a blood-streaked mucus discharge, pressure low in the pelvis, backache, or the waters breaking. These signs can occur in different combinations, so the pattern matters more than one symptom alone.

Use a clock or contraction-timing app to record when each tightening begins, how long it lasts, and whether the intervals are changing. Drink water, rest on your side if comfortable, and notice whether the contractions settle. Keep your maternity unit or clinician's instructions available, because the point at which they want you to call can depend on your pregnancy and previous births.

Do not rely on timing alone if you feel unwell or something seems different from the guidance you were given. If you are unsure whether this is labour, contact your maternity team for personalised advice.

Contact your maternity unit or seek urgent assessment if your waters break, you have vaginal bleeding, your baby is moving less than usual, or contractions are becoming regular and painful. Seek prompt advice for severe or constant abdominal pain, fever, faintness, or severe headache or visual changes.

If contractions begin before your expected due period, call promptly even if they are not yet strong. Preterm labour needs assessment because early contractions can be accompanied by pelvic pressure, low backache, fluid leakage, or a change in discharge.

Ask which contraction pattern should prompt a call for your pregnancy, what to do if your waters break, and how to count changes in your baby's movements. You can also ask how your maternity unit distinguishes early labour from Braxton Hicks contractions when you call.