How to recognise labour: practice vs real contractions

In the final weeks of pregnancy your belly speaks up more and more: a quick tightening here, a moment of hardness there. But are these contractions? And if so — which kind? This calm overview helps you tell practice contractions, lightening and real labour apart, without talking yourself into a panic.

Not every contraction means it’s time

Your body rehearses for birth, often for weeks beforehand. A belly that goes hard now and then is usually completely normal and no cause for worry. What matters isn’t that you feel something — it’s how what you feel behaves over time.

Practice contractions (Braxton Hicks)

Braxton Hicks are your uterus warming up. You can usually spot them because they:

• come irregularly and follow no pattern,
• don’t get stronger and don’t get closer together,
• often ease off when you lie down, change position, move around or have a drink,
• are felt mostly at the front of the belly — uncomfortable, but rarely truly painful.

Lightening

Lightening often happens from around weeks 34 to 36, as your baby settles lower into your pelvis. Many people then feel more downward pressure but can breathe more freely again. This still isn’t labour — more a sign that your body is getting ready.

Real labour contractions

Real contractions behave differently. Typically they:

• come regularly and gradually get closer together,
• last longer and grow noticeably stronger,
• don’t stop when you rest or have a drink,
• often start in the back and wrap around to the front.

Practice

Real labour

The simplest test: watch and count

When you’re unsure, observing beats overthinking. Lie down, drink a glass of water and notice the rhythm. If the contractions fade, they were probably practice ones. If they keep getting more regular and stronger despite rest, labour may be starting.

How to measure spacing and length properly — and when it’s time to head in — is covered in Timing contractions: spacing, length and when to go to hospital.

When not to wait and see

Some signs always need checking, no matter how your contractions feel. Please call your midwife, your hospital or your local emergency number if:

• your waters break,
• you notice bright red bleeding,
• you feel your baby move noticeably less,
• contractions become regular before 37 weeks,
• you have severe headache, vision changes or upper-tummy pain.

Trust your instincts

You know your body best. When in doubt, a call to your midwife is always the right move — that’s what they’re there for. And if you’d like to get ready now, our hospital bag checklist helps you walk into the big day calmly packed.