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From the types of contractions you may experience during pregnancy to when to call your practitioner, here's the 411 on the all-important spasms that bring your baby into your arms.
Back to Top In This Article What do labor contractions feel like? What are the different types of contractions? Real contractions vs. Braxton Hicks Where do you feel labor contractions? How long is the average labor contraction? When to call your practitioner about contractions Early labor contractions When to head to the hospital immediately What causes labor contractions? Is it okay to have contractions after sex? How to start labor contractions show all show lessEven if you didn’t know much about pregnancy and birth when you conceived, you're no doubt familiar with contractions — your body's uncomfortable but essential means of pushing your baby down the birth canal and out into the world.
But you may not have known that there are several types of contractions, and experiencing them doesn’t always mean you’re about to give birth.
From what contractions feel like to how to tell whether you’re actually in labor, here's what you need to know before delivery.
Early labor contractions can feel like gastrointestinal discomfort, heavy menstrual cramps or lower abdominal pressure.
You may feel pain in just the lower abdomen or in both the lower back and abdomen, and the pain may radiate down the legs, particularly the upper thighs.
The location of contraction pain often depends on the direction the baby is facing. For example, when a baby is head down but has his face looking forward (known as occiput posterior), a mom would likely experience intense back labor with each contraction. As active labor progresses, the contraction pain will change as the baby rotates within the birth canal.
Keep in mind, however, that location of your contractions is not the most reliable indication of whether you’re really in labor, since you can feel false labor contractions in those places too. More accurate signs include the frequency, intensity and regularity of your contractions.
Your practitioner has likely told you when to call if you think you're in labor (a good rule of thumb: when contractions are five to seven minutes apart).
If you're not sure if you're in real labor but the contractions are coming pretty regularly, pick up the phone anyway. Just don’t wait for perfectly even intervals, which may never come.
Concerned it’s the middle of the night? Don’t feel guilty about waking your doctor — people who deliver babies for a living get plenty of 3 a.m. phone calls and are used to them.
And don’t be embarrassed if it’s a false alarm — you won't be the first (or last) expecting mom to misjudge her labor signs. Besides, it’s always best to err on the side of caution.
Your practitioner will want you to answer a few questions, not only to provide information, but also to hear the tone of your voice. As you talk through the contraction, your doctor or midwife will probably be able to tell whether it’s the real thing — so don’t try to cover up the pain in the name of good phone manners.
Early contractions are real labor contractions that come before you're 37 weeks pregnant. If you experience them and they're getting stronger and more frequent, call your doctor right away and/or head to the hospital if you can't immediately reach your practitioner. It may be a sign that you've gone into labor prematurely.
No one knows for sure what triggers real labor contractions — it is likely a complicated cascade of various factors originating in the fetus, the placenta and the mother. Wherever they begin, they kick off a chain reaction in the mother that paves the way for the work of prostaglandins and oxytocin, substances that kickstart contractions.
You might have noticed that your uterus contracts after you orgasm. Try not to worry — orgasm itself is a contraction of the uterus, after all. Many moms experience contractions after sex that can be powerful and last as long as a half hour.
Unless your practitioner has advised that you avoid orgasm during pregnancy (often because you’re at risk for preterm labor or miscarriage), sex is safe during pregnancy and there’s no reason to be concerned about these types of contractions.
If you've passed the 40-week mark and are officially overdue, you might be wondering how you can start contractions and get this show on the road, already. There are a few techniques that may induce labor naturally, including acupuncture and walking.
While none of these methods are guaranteed to work, you might want to consider giving them a shot, but only with the okay of your practitioner.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
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