1. How do the contractions feel? Labor contractions are felt low in the groin or in the lower back. They may radiate from front to back or back to front or down your legs. They are dull and crampy like menstrual or gas cramps. Prelabor contractions, which you may have been experiencing for months, feel like a tightening across your belly or like the baby suddenly stretched in all directions.
2. How strong are they? A good, business-like labor contraction is strong enough that you cannot walk or talk while you are having it.
3. How close together? To measure the contraction interval, time from the beginning of one to the beginning of the next. You are looking for a mostly regular pattern three to five minutes apart. The usual advice, barring special considerations, is to make your move when they have been this close together for a couple of hours if this is a first baby and an hour if you have given birth before.
4. How long do they last? Contractions should last roughly a minute from start to finish. Sometimes in early labor they may seem to last much longer but that's generally because they are mild enough that it's hard to tell when they begin and end.
5. Has the pattern changed over time? Labor contractions will get longer, stronger, and closer together over time. Often contractions go along at one level and then intensify over a fairly short time period, say, an hour or two, as labor shifts gears from early to active phase. Prelabor contractions can sometimes be quite regular over several hours, but the pattern stays the same.
6. Does changing your activity affect them? Prelabor contractions usually peter out if you get them while you are active and switch to something relaxing such as taking a warm bath. Likewise, if you have been resting and get up and move around, they generally go away. You may be able to get labor contractions to back off somewhat, but with rare exceptions, nothing makes them go away short of having the baby.
7. Did your bag of waters break? If they broke with a pop or gush, the contractions that follow will almost certainly develop into progressive labor. With a slow leak, contractions may or may not lead anywhere.
Source: IVillage.com
Hopefully I'll know when I'm in labor. Ahhh...I think I'm getting scared and nervous because I had induction for both of my pregnancies and I'm afraid I won't know if I'm in labor this time around.
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