Month 9: Am I in labour yet?

An early baby faces certain dangers. But how do you know if this is the real thing or if it’s a false alarm?

Even doctors find it tough to accurately call early labour. So how are you supposed to know if you’re really in labour or not – especially if it’s your first pregnancy?

In a nutshell: You’re in labour if you have regular painful contractions and your cervix dilates or your water breaks. True labour pains are painful and feel like they start from your back and then spread to your belly from both sides. True contractions can start with a tight feeling on your belly and/or lower back. At first, they may appear to be Braxton Hicks – or training – contractions, but they will continue and become stronger. If you really are in labour, a pattern will start. The contractions become stronger and stronger and also last longer, and the breaks between them become shorter. The strong muscles of the uterus are busy opening your cervix. This takes an average of 15 hours but could also be six hours more or fewer.

Labour is a long process and usually takes about two hours of regular contractions before you can claim the real thing and that it’s not a false alarm. You won’t be able to feel whether your cervix has dilated or not – your doctor or midwife will need to examine you to determine this. Premature labour is when you have painful contractions without your cervix dilating. Another sign that the labour ward calls is that a lump of gel detaches from your cervix and is discharged. It can be white or see-through, possibly lined with blood. If your waters have broken, you also need to get to the doctor or hospital – regardless of whether you’re having contractions. How do you know if this has happened?

The amniotic fluid does not always come gushing out. You might leak a few drops at a time. If it’s enough to wet your bed, chair or trousers, it’s amniotic fluid and not wee.

IN TOO MUCH OF A HURRY

If premature labour is threatening, your doctor can treat you to press the pause button for a bit.

Why is this so important? It gives the doctor a gap to administer steroids, so that your baby’s lungs can become stronger, and it also helps to prevent bleeding of the brain in premature babies. You’ll have to remain on strict bed rest, probably in hospital. Typical causes of premature labour include infection, bleeding, abnormalities of the uterus and an incompetent cervix. The best predictor of premature labour is, however, the fact that it’s happened before.

There’s precious little you can do to prevent early labour.

Smoking, alcohol and drug use could also lead to it, and if you do hard physical work, you’re also more prone to early labour.

BRAXTON HICKS: WHAT IS IT?

These are “training” contractions of your cervix that emerge because your body’s preparing for labour.

Some women don’t even feel them, but for most they feel like their belly becomes tight – it’s the cervix contracting. Look out for them especially in the third trimester. If you lie down for a bit, these contractions disappear. ●