At the end of your pregnancy, you have regular, painful contractions. And then nothing. This is bogus work. How do you recognize it? How to react ? The essentials to know about bogus work.

The first episode of uterine contractions can be that of childbirth but it happens that future mothers experience one or more “false labor” or “false start of labor”: they have contractions more or less regular, painful, with even sometimes slight changes to the cervix … But it is not yet the real labor of childbirth. True labor is characterized by regular, close contractions and dilation of the erased cervix.

The false start of labor would concern 5 to 12% of pregnant women.

You are at the end of your pregnancy and you have painful contractions, more or less regular … You think you are going to give birth. But in the maternity ward, you are told that it is a false start to labor. The cervix has not changed significantly, a sign of real labor. This episode of false labor can occur several times before the actual labor. This can start during the day or several days after the false job.

What happens when you are in bogus labor? This episode of contractions can stop spontaneously within a few hours, or with the help of medication. Depending on the situation, you can return home after being in the maternity ward or be hospitalized to be monitored and your baby and to relieve your pain.

The drugs used to stop uterine contractions or reduce the pain associated with these contractions during false labor? Spasfon, an antispasmodic, Salbutamol, a B-mimetic which allows uterine contractions to disappear. Tranquilizers and analgesic drugs (to relieve pain) may be given.

If an abnormal fetal heart rate is detected during monitoring (the baby is in pain), labor is initiated.

False labor contractions are indeed real contractions. Simply, they do not cause any noticeable change in the cervix. Uterine contractions of real labor cause frank and repeated changes in the cervix. Not to be confused with false contractions or Braxton-Hicks contractions that do not induce labor. They cause a feeling of stretching in the abdomen but are not painful. It is normal to experience these types of contractions several times a day during the third trimester of pregnancy. They occur especially during changes of position.

Difference between false labor and real labor contractions

• False labor contractions are irregular or regular only temporarily
• True labor contractions are regular, increase in duration and frequency
• The intensity, duration, frequency of real labor contractions increase when you move, which is not the case with false labor contractions

Rest promotes stopping or decreasing false labor contractions, not those signaling true labor

If in doubt, it is better to go to the maternity ward.

At home you can try the Spasfon test: take two Spasfon tablets and see if the contractions have stopped or gone down. Of course, if you have any doubts, go to the maternity ward.

To know: The Spasfon has no radical action on the real contractions of the beginning of childbirth.

At the maternity ward, monitoring and vaginal examination will allow you to know if your cervix has lost its tone and thickness, if it has started to open or if it is already dilated a few centimeters.