They don’t call it “labor” for nothing because it is exactly that. Actually being in labor for most of the population, is extremely painful and a lot of work. During your pregnancy you experience a lot of different aches and pains and the closer you get towards the end of your pregnancy you may find yourself having some pretty uncomfortable contractions. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you are in or going into labor though. Your body is working hard and around the clock to prepare you for what is to come very soon.

Braxton Hicks are very common and almost every woman I know, including myself, had these false contractions. With my daughter they weren’t all that bad. On the other hand, with my son, they were much worse and went on for three weeks before I actually went into labor. This resulted in a grand total of two false alarm trips to the hospital, including one right as my baby shower was ending. Since my first pregnancy was a planned C-Section (due to complications with baby) I had no clue what “real” contractions felt like and trust me, they are nothing like the sweet Braxton Hicks.

Upon leaving the hospital for the second false alarm, my nurse gave me some of the greatest advise before leaving: “When you are in labor, you will KNOW that it is not a false alarm. There will be no question in your mind.” Let me tell you, she was more than right. Soon, not even two weeks later, my Braxton Hicks turned into actual labor and I immediately knew the difference. My then five year old was curled up with me watching TV in bed when they set in. Such a sweetheart, she knew what was going on and took it upon herself to coach me. Stroking my hair and face, she tells me that it’s all going to be okay, that this is just part of the process for the baby to get here (I couldn’t believe how cool and collected she was).

These “false contractions” can be bothersome but there are some ways to get them to stop. One of the best cures is to take a warm bath. The warm water will help to relax you and in turn ease or stop the Braxton Hicks. This is also one way to tell if you are in labor or not. If the contractions do stop, then you are definitely not in labor and you have saved yourself a trip to the hospital. Just remember, you will know when it’s the real deal.