Any advice about False Labour??

I am 37 weeks pregnant.. On Monday I had a bloody show( lost mucous plug) ..Had a Doc appointment later that day and he said labour could be a week or 4 weeks away.. Baby's head hasnt even engaged.. Since Monday I have experienced on going contractions ( tightening of the stomach, period like pains and bad lower back pain.) that last a few hours at best then subside for up to 12 hours.. Then they come again.. I am assuming it is false labour.. Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else and how long it went on before True Labour actually began. ThanksAny advice about False Labour??
Sounds like your body is practicing! I personally gave birth two days after losing the mucus plug at 38 weeks. Sometimes a baby's head doesn't even engage until labor begins. You want to watch for the time between contractions to get consistently shorter, and the pain to increase in intensity.





There is no mistaking the kind of labor pains that will eventually push the baby out. You'll probably have been at the hospital for a couple hours before those start. The chances are practically zero that the cab driver will end up delivering your baby! Especially if it's your first. Think about how many women complain about having been at the hospital for hours before the baby came versus the number who say, ';geez, I really wish I had been at the hospital sooner and waited longer.';





The waiting is awful, but your body will tell you when it's the real deal. In the meantime, I suggest having a HOT meal, watching a WHOLE movie and talking on the phone for AS LONG as you want. It'll be a long time before you do any of those things again!





Best of luck!Any advice about False Labour??
Pains like this can be caused by a number of things: impending labor of course can be one, but slight dehydration can be another. Both of my sisters went into the hospital before their due dates thinking they were in labor when in fact they were only a bit dehydrated. The nurses at our hospital put you on a drip first thing when you come in to rule out false labor from true labor. Try drinking more water and stay away from overly salty/sugary foods, as well as pop (which, though seemingly quenching, actually dehydrates you). False labor should stop by doing this. It won't stop you from have braxton hicks contractions, though, which can occur in the last weeks (even the last couple months) of pregnancy.


As far as the show, it can be several weeks before you go into labor or you could go within hours of a bloody show. There is nothing wrong with not going into labor after 40 weeks...as a matter of fact, most doctors will let you go 41, 42, or sometimes a bit longer if everything is going well and there is still enough fluid around the baby, though you could be induced usually after 41 weeks if you choose.


Just hang in there hon! Drink plenty of water and enjoy your last days or weeks of pregnancy! Good luck!!
I started hurting like that at 33 weeks and finally had my baby at 35 weeks.


Sometimes you can;t listen to the doctor you are going to because the one i was seeing told me that all these pains were normal and gave me an appointment on august 18 and i had my baby on august 16 so you see doctors don't know everything. I went to a different doctor and found out i was in true labor. My water never did break or anything like that. I went to the hospital when i started hurting every 5 minutes.





4 weeks? That would make you 41 weeks....I would see a different doctor and it can be done no matter how late into your pregnancy.





Good luck and congrats