False Labor
Alternate Names : Prelabor, Braxton Hicks Contractions, Prodromal Labor, Latent Phase
What are the treatments for the condition?
The woman must be reassured that false labor is normal, and very common. Not all healthcare providers agree on the best approach to a prolonged and painful false labor. If the woman is exhausted, an anti-anxiety medication may be the only way to give the uterus some much-needed rest. This can space out the contractions and allow the woman to rest. A sedative or sleeping medication may also be prescribed.
What are the side effects of the treatments?
It is important to use the smallest possible dose of medication.
What happens after treatment for the condition?
After a few hours of rest and sleep, it is not unusual to have real labor begin.
How is the condition monitored?
The woman can monitor these symptoms to tell whether false labor is progressing into real labor:
Contractions in false labor are not regular and do not increase in severity. They also tend to subside on walking or changing position. In real labor, the contractions intensify with activity and are not relieved by a change in position.
In false labor, discharge from the vagina is brownish. In real labor, it is pinkish or blood-streaked.
If the contractions get closer together and increase in strength, it's important to call the healthcare provider.
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