What is false labor?


In a gist false labor is a trial run where your body gets to practice contractions, after which the labor fades away. Brief periods of any one of these, achy back, pressure and menstrual cramp, doesn't necessarily mean you are in labor. These start-again-stop-again contractions can seem to 'go on forever' without changing in strength and intensity. They can be tiring and frustrating. Unlike real contractions, these contractions are short, last less than half a minute, and are less frequent. False labor contractions tend to stay the same or get weaker and farther apart, especially when you hydrate or move around. The contractions can be genuine ones or Braxton Hicks contractions. Because they can sometimes be painful and uncomfortable these contractions have been termed false labor but unlike real labor they do not impact the cervix.