A
female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:Hi there, I have a quick question. I'm 20 years old and 36 weeks pregnant soon to be 37. This is my first baby. How do you tell between real labor and false labor? I think I may be in prelabor right now, but I'm not sure. After my boyfriend and I had sex, I started to get kind of a dull pain in my lower back. Its been sort of irregular, but it does get just a bit worse when I walk. Keep in mind that I just started to get this pain at about 10:30 Pacific Coast time ( California, US) It doesn't hurt badly, its just kind of there. Like right now I'm sitting and its just this tightening feeling in my lower back and it kind of creeps around my hips. It does come and go, but I can't quite put a time to it. ( how many minutes in between) If I felt more pain then I would call my doctor right now, but it just isn't painful. So what are your opinions? Could it be prelabor? or does it sound more like false labor? If it IS labor how can I "get it going" so to speak? All opinions and advice is greatly appreciated. (I KNOW that you are not doctors and if I feel stronger pains or my water breaks, I know to call my doc. and go to the hospital.) Reply to this Question
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female
reader, Country Woman  +, writes (10 January 2010):
 Ahh well that is good news. Things are progressing but at the right pace and the longer your baby continues to be finished off in the womb (so to speak), the better it is as my daughter was born at 38 weeks and she was only 6lb 1oz and went jaundice day 2 which is not a massive problem at all but everything hadn't been finished off in a sense. They said it she had gone full term then it is unusual for that to happen but her palate was not formed as much as it could have been for suckling and whilst she was fine all these extra things are finalised in the womb over the next couple of weeks, so remember to put your feet up and watch daytime TV or catch up on some DVD's and just plenty of rest for now.
If you do too much you can get the swollen ankles and they can be quite uncomfortable and you might as well get as much TLC while you can as once the baby is born your time is never your own so enjoy this chill out time OK.
Wait for the updates OK.
BFN
Country Woman
x
A
reader, anonymous, writes (9 January 2010): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionI went to the doctor today and Im 38 weeks and dialated one centimeter!!! lol now only 9 more to go... it could be a few weeks.
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A
female
reader, Country Woman +, writes (5 January 2010):
Well you could have had braxten hichs pain (sorry can't spell it), but like Angzw has said it may be prudent to just get yourself checked over by even a midwife as you could be dialated without knowing it.
If you are having a thorough check up on the 8th then tell your doctor everything that happened and make sure you keep your bags packed just to play safe.
Keep us posted OK.
BFN
Country Woman
x
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A
female
reader, Angzw  +, writes (5 January 2010):
It might be good to still get checked by a nurse because although my contractions stopped too, I was found to be 3cm dilated. After that they stopped. I slept in the hospital and next morning without having felt anything all night I was only 4 cm. Spent the whole day without progress. Then they decided to inject oxytocin to induce labour because they felt the baby was under distress. That's when I started feeling the painful ones. For babies one and 3 I was in labour for 3 days like this for each one. Something in my body didn't allow labour to progress naturally so they felt it was dangerous to let the baby stay in my uterus after so many hours of labour in case the baby pooped that black meconium and inhaled it. Everything is probably fine but you have to get checked by a professional for a first baby. For my 3rd, my doctor told me during one of my office visits that I was already 1cm dilated but I hadn't felt anything at all. Good luck and I hope all goes well.
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reader, anonymous, writes (5 January 2010): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionSo as we were leaving for the hospital the contractions completly stop. Flat out stop. I tried walking and jumping and moving all around, but absolutly nothing. Except he's been kicking and punching rolling around in me all day! So now its just more waiting lol. I called the hospital and they said it was most likely false labor, even though it seemed to start out as prelabor. So I'm just going ot have to wait for my dr appt on the 8th. Unless of course it happens again and the contractions actually keep progressing instead of just stopping!!! lol.
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A
female
reader, Country Woman +, writes (4 January 2010):
Know that you are now possibly in the midst of things and not online but just hope everything goes smoothly for you and please just do one thing for me when you get home again.
Don't try to be a super mum OK, I tried and it doesn't work.
Sleep when your baby sleeps and allow others to help you, there is no way you can do it all and if someone offers to do your ironing, washing, hoovering or cooking, just let them.
If you try to do everything that is when you become exhausted and at times like this your hormones are all over the place and you need to just be a mum and enjoy your baby, they grow up so fast that this is a precious time for you so enjoy it. All the mundane stuff will still be there tomorrow and let your partner help to, he also needs to bond with your baby and he won't break him/her at all.
If you breast feed then you can always express some so that your partner can help out when you need to rest OK.
Look forward to hearing from you when you get a chance OK. No rush though fully understand.
BFN
Country Woman
x
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reader, anonymous, writes (4 January 2010): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionThankyou for your advice!!! My lowerback pain, which I'm now realizing are contractions starting have progressively gotten a bit worse and have now crept from my back to my hips, and are just making it to the front of my belly. It's not horribly painful, but it IS getting pretty uncomfortable, they seem to be going and coming more steadily, but still are kind of irregular. They started at about 10:30 pm, it is now 3:25 and we decided that we chould go to the hospital. Just to see if I'm even barely starting to dialate and see how the baby is doing. Even if I'm not having him, its better to check and see how things are going! Thank you everyone and I will keep you posted!
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female
reader, Country Woman +, writes (4 January 2010):
You cannot exactly time when your baby is going to come but a lot of doctors like you to try and wait as long as possible.
I started labour at 36 weeks after I caught a sickness bug and they monitored me and my daughter in hospital for a few days and everything calmed down but she still came at 38 weeks instead of full time and she was my first baby. I only have the one though.
I cannot give you the same definite answers as Angzw but I know I had lower back pain and I would certainly be getting yourself to the hospital if possible.
They are much better equipped than your local GP and they can start monitoring your baby's heartbeat. Moving around is always much more preferred than staying still and being strapped to a table. If you have a midwife, maybe call her and she can always check you over. However, don't leave this dull pain as it sounds like early stage labour at this stage in your pregnancy.
Maybe the sex kick started everything off and so go with it. Don't panic first and foremost. You may be scared but millions of women have babies every day and when you hold your little baby in your arms any pain you go through now is well worth it believe me.
Let your partner know what is going on to as you will need his support but confirm that you are in labour first of all before you have him driving like a lunatic to get to you OK. He needs to be safe to.
If your mum or you have a close female relative or friend around, get them to be with you until you can get your partner there. Just confirm the labour part first before panicking OK.
Just plenty of breathing and take things with you that will help you stay calm.
Good luck and keep us posted OK.
BFN
Country Woman
x
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A
female
reader, Angzw +, writes (4 January 2010):
This definitely sounds like real labour. I have had 3 kids and all labours started with back pain and were irregular. For a first baby, I would go to the hospital because you don't know how quick you will be. You also need the baby monitored for distress. My first baby I was in labour for 3 days and ended up getting induced because the baby was getting stressed. Just get to the hospital or doctor so they can listen to see if the baby's heartbeat is fine. Once in the hospital, brisk walks in the long corridors might help you dilate quicker, but ofcourse check with your doctor. Congratulations!
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