False Labor

Alternate Names : Prelabor, Braxton Hicks Contractions, Prodromal Labor, Latent Phase

What can be done to prevent the condition?

No prevention is needed because Braxton Hicks contractions are normal. The uterus contracts throughout pregnancy.

What are the long-term effects of the condition?

False labor can cause pain severe enough to create breathlessness and the need to sit down. It is not uncommon for a woman to think she is in labor, and go to the hospital, only to be sent home again.

Sometimes Braxton Hicks contractions can last for several weeks, and the woman can become anxious and exhausted. This can lead to a vicious cycle that makes progress into labor more difficult.