Childbirth is a natural process, and the body begins to prepare for it weeks before labor begins.

A woman may be confused - especially during her first pregnancy - when she realizes the signs of childbirth, and whether these signs are false or real.

Specialists reveal that labor usually consists of two parts, early labor and actual labor, and each has different signs from the other.

premature labour

Mostly, a normal pregnancy lasts from 37 to 42 weeks.

At that time, some women may suffer from symptoms of early or “false” labor as it is called, which means that the pregnant woman feels the symptoms of childbirth, but they are not real, as there is still some time before the actual birth, which may take from hours to days.

There are some signs of false labor that a woman can recognize, including:

  • Mild contractions that stop when you move or change position, and do not last more than one hour.

  • Contractions are not particularly painful and it is possible to talk and sleep while they occur.

  • The pain is felt only in the front of the abdomen, not in the back, and the contractions do not last for more than one hour.

  • The contractions are episodic or irregular and do not come close together.

  • The contractions do not get worse or quicken over time.

At that stage, the mother feels that the fetus is moving and kicking more than it usually does, and the Mayoclinic advises the mother to relax at that stage and not worry, and there is no need to go to the doctor because it is still early, but it is important to practice any activity that Come to calm down:

  • Walking.

  • Bathing.

  • Listen to calm music, and breathe calmly through inhalation and exhalation with each contraction, while maintaining a regular rhythm so that the inhale is through the nose and the long exhalation is through the mouth.

At the same time, drinking water and eating food at that time is essential.

Some women suffer from symptoms of premature labor, which is also called "false" (Shutterstock)

When do you go to the doctor?

A woman may be surprised by the symptoms of labor and not know when to go to the doctor.

According to "Healthline", the symptoms of early labor do not require going to the doctor because the matter may take hours or days, but if the woman notices that there is significant bleeding or that the child's movement has decreased significantly, then it is necessary to go to the doctor. to assess the situation.

A woman can distinguish false labor by the lack of intensity of contractions after walking, the time between contractions is not accelerated, and the presence of light secretions that do not contain blood.

After the examination, if the cervical dilatation is less than 4 cm, this means that the birth date is still early, because labor is not actual enough to enter the hospital, but if the cervix is ​​more than 4 cm, this is an indication that the time has come. .

real labor

There are some signs that occur to a woman in preparation for childbirth, and each case differs from the other, and not all women may have the same signs, but some signs of actual labor are common and at least one of them may occur, and at that time the doctor must be contacted because the time for childbirth has come, according to " Verywellfamily, and among these signs:

  • Regular contractions

It is one of the most accurate signs, and if within one hour there are regular and repeated contractions every 4 minutes, and they last for one minute, then it means that it is time to give birth.

  • water bag

If the waters break, whether with contractions or not, you should go to the hospital immediately.

  • more intense contractions

With entering the state of childbirth, the contractions increase in intensity and strength, and the woman feels pain in the back and in the front of the abdomen and pelvis.

Beginning with labor, there is some time before the actual birth, which may reach hours or days (Getty Images)

  • bleeding

Changes in the cervix in preparation for childbirth lead to bleeding that may be bright red or brown, and at that time the doctor should be contacted.

  • Symptoms of preeclampsia

Some women who go into labor experience symptoms similar to those of pre-eclampsia, such as severe stomach pain, dizziness, headaches or blurred vision.

This may be a strong indication of entering into a state of childbirth, especially with the approaching date, and you must go to the doctor immediately to conduct examinations and make sure that the date of delivery has already come.