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Labour: Is it the real thing?
My wife is eight months pregnant. How can you distinguish between real and false labour? I've been told to stay at home for as long as possible so that she can be comfortable, but I'm scared I’ll wait too long. When should I take her to hospital?
Much of early labour is spent thinning out the cervix. Active labour is consistent, persistent and intense. The contractions of false labour tend to be irregular - they vary in intensity, come and go and any activity changes their intensity. Real labour contractions will only become more regular. Active dilatation occurs when contractions are intense and two to three minutes apart.
The best approach is to follow your wife's instincts. During my first birth, after a day and a half of on-off contractions, I began “hard labour”. After three hours, I thought I'd be at least five centimetres dilated. When the midwife examined me and said “two to three”, I burst into tears. Even though it appeared to be too early for me, I'm glad I made the decision to go to hospital earlier, rather than later. Your wife may need to be reassured that things are progressing normally or she may find it comforting just to hear the baby’s heartbeat.
It may be helpful to know how effaced and dilated your wife’s cervix was on her last visit to the clinic. If she is three centimetres, 100 percent effaced and the baby's head is engaged, much of the work of early labour has been done and you could set off for the hospital as soon as the contractions become regular. On the other hand, if the cervix is long, thick and closed and the baby's head is not engaged, you'd be safe staying at home for longer.
If you suspect labour is beginning, your wife should eat a meal of nourishing, easily digestible food and go to bed! Fatigue is the biggest enemy of the labouring couple and they may not feed you when you get to hospital.
If your wife's waters break (or leak), she should go to the hospital right away. Generally, it is advisable to go to the hospital when the waters break, although this is rarely the first sign of labour.
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