Q: How common is false labor? How do I know if I am experiencing false labor or real labor?

A: Many women, especially first-time moms, but not only first-time moms, will have episodes of contractions towards their due date that, rather than progress into true labor, go away. This, by definition, is false labor. It may happen more than once for some women, or not at all for others.

Part of a woman's experience of false labor may have to do with her experience with previous labor. If she has never experienced labor she may be more apt to think that her contractions are labor only to find out after they go away that it was false. On the other hand, women who know what the real thing feels like, may not even pay attention to the contractions that a first-time mom might have considered false labor.

In general, you can assume that you're experiencing false labor as opposed to true labor if:

• Your contractions tend to be irregular and are not increasing in either frequency (which is the interval from the start of one contraction to the next) or severity (when the contractions are sufficiently severe that you have to use coping techniques in order to manage them).
• The contractions subside all together when you change position or have two large glasses of any nonalcoholic beverages.
• The pain is centered in your lower abdomen rather than in your lower back.
• Your show is brownish rather than bright red.

On the other hand, you can be fairly confident that you are experiencing true labor as opposed to false labor if:

• Your contractions tend to fall into some sort of regular pattern. They're getting longer, stronger, more painful, and more frequent.
• The contractions intensify when you move around.
• They don't ease up when you change position or drink two large nonalcoholic beverages.
• The pain begins in your lower back and spreads to your lower abdomen and may also radiate to your legs.
• You feel like you have a gastrointestinal upset and you experience some diarrhea.
• If your show is either pinkish or blood-streaked.
• Your membranes have ruptured. (As mentioned earlier, for some women the membranes won't rupture until further on in labor.)

Don't be embarrassed if you have to call your doctor or midwife convinced you're in labor, only to find out it's a false alarm

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• How long after the water breaks is the baby born?
• What are the three stages of labor?