How Will I Know Labour Has Really Started?

For the past few weeks you've been trying to read your body like a weather report.

The cramp in the car: was that something? The tightening across your belly this morning, the third time today: should you be timing these? You've been told you'll know when labour starts. You're starting to wonder if everyone who said that was overconfident.

Signs of labour are genuinely hard to read the first time around, and not because you're missing something obvious. They're hard because early labour overlaps with a lot of late-pregnancy discomfort, and because Braxton Hicks contractions can feel convincingly real even when they're not the thing. This is the post that breaks it down into something you can actually use.

What your body has been practising: Braxton Hicks

Braxton Hicks contractions can start as early as the second trimester, but most people notice them in the final weeks. They're sometimes called "practice contractions", which is accurate, though that name doesn't quite capture how convincing they can feel on a long day at 38 weeks.

Here is what Braxton Hicks tend to do:

They come without a pattern. You might feel three in an hour, then nothing for the rest of the day. They don't build toward anything and they don't get closer together over time.

They ease when you move or rest. A change of position, a warm shower, a glass of water: any of these tends to settle Braxton Hicks down. If you lie down and they fade within a few minutes, that's a strong signal you're in Braxton Hicks territory.

They feel like tightening rather than pain. Most people describe them as the whole uterus going firm for 30 to 60 seconds and then relaxing again. Pressure, not pain. Uncomfortable, sometimes alarming, but not the kind of thing that stops you mid-sentence.

They don't escalate. One contraction feels much like the last. They don't get longer or stronger as the hour goes on.

None of this is a rule you can apply with certainty. Some people have Braxton Hicks that are genuinely uncomfortable. Some early real contractions feel mild. The patterns are useful, not diagnostic.

The difference between Braxton Hicks and labour contractions is mostly a question of progression: Braxton Hicks stays flat, labour builds.

What labour contractions feel like

Labour contractions feel different, and usually in a way that becomes unmistakable over the course of an hour or two. Not necessarily the first one, but the sequence.

They often begin in your back. Many people describe labour contractions as starting in the lower back and wrapping around to the front. Some feel them mostly at the front, but the low-back element is a common early sign.

They peak. A labour contraction has a shape: it builds, reaches a point of maximum intensity, and then eases. That arc is different from the blunt clamp of a Braxton Hicks.

They get in the way. When a contraction is strong enough that you stop what you're doing, breathe through it, and can't carry on a normal conversation until it passes, that's meaningful. Braxton Hicks are interruptible. Labour contractions increasingly aren't.

They follow a pattern that tightens. This is the key thing. Labour contractions come in a rhythm, and that rhythm gradually compresses. Every 20 minutes, then every 15, then every 10. They get longer. They get stronger. Each one is a little more than the last.

If you watch contractions over an hour and they aren't getting more frequent or more intense, you're more likely in Braxton Hicks territory or very early latent labour that may pause. If they're progressively closer together and each one is harder to breathe through, something is starting.

Other signs labour is near or beginning

Contractions aren't the only thing to pay attention to in the final weeks.

The show. The mucus plug seals your cervix during pregnancy. As the cervix begins to soften and open, the plug passes out. It looks like a blob of mucus, sometimes streaked with a little pink or brown blood. This is called the show. It can happen days before labour begins, or right as contractions are starting. It means things are moving.

Your waters breaking. Less like the films and more like a slow trickle in most cases. Some people have a definite gush, but many describe it as a continuous drip they can't stop, different from needing the bathroom. Amniotic fluid is clear or very pale, with a faint sweet smell. If you're not sure what you're feeling, call your midwife. If your waters have broken, let your care team know even if contractions haven't started yet.

Pelvic pressure and persistent low-back ache. As the baby moves deeper into the pelvis in the final weeks, the pressure changes. A backache that's more present and persistent than usual, combined with a sense of heaviness low down, can signal that labour is approaching.

A shift in how you feel. Some people describe a burst of restless energy in the final days before labour. Others feel slow and heavy. Neither is a reliable predictor, but many people notice something changes.

When to head to the hospital or call your midwife

Every unit and care team has its own guidance, and what your provider tells you takes precedence over anything here. But the pattern most use is called the 4-1-1 rule.

Contractions are 4 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute each, for at least 1 hour. That pattern, progressing and consistent, is the general signal for first-time parents to head in.

If you've given birth before, your care team will likely advise going in earlier. Labour tends to move faster second time around.

Call your midwife or go to the hospital sooner if:

• Your waters break, even without contractions
• There is any bright red bleeding (different from the bloody show)
• Your baby's movements seem to have reduced or changed
• Contractions are very intense and painful earlier than expected
• You have a health condition your care team has flagged as a reason to go in sooner
• Something feels wrong, even if you can't name exactly what

The triage line exists for these questions. You are not bothering anyone by calling.

When to go straight away

Go to hospital immediately if you have:

• Heavy bleeding
• Severe headache, sudden visual changes, or swelling in your face and hands
• The umbilical cord visible outside the body
• No fetal movement for several hours despite trying to count

These aren't common. But they are urgent and they don't wait.

The part nobody tells you in birth classes

Early labour can be long, and it can stop. Latent labour, the phase before active labour properly begins, can involve contractions that build for several hours and then ease off before things restart. This can happen more than once. It is not a malfunction. It is how many labours begin.

If you go to the hospital in early latent labour, you may be sent home. This is not a failure. It means things are starting, but not yet at the point where being there is better than resting at home. Most people are more comfortable in their own space in early labour anyway.

If you're 38 weeks, your contractions have started and stopped twice this week, and you don't know what to make of any of it, Seri Bloom is in your WhatsApp and can help you think through what the pattern sounds like and whether it's worth a call to your care team. She knows your weeks, remembers what you've told her, and will tell you clearly when you need to ring the hospital rather than keep describing things to her.

For the full picture on what your baby is doing in those final weeks, including the movement patterns that should stay consistent right up until birth, How Much Should Your Baby Move? is worth reading alongside this one.

Questions that come up a lot

How do I know if it's Braxton Hicks or real labour?

Braxton Hicks contractions are typically irregular, ease when you change position or have a drink of water, and don't get stronger over time. Real labour contractions come in a progressively tighter pattern, build in intensity with each wave, and don't stop when you lie down or rest. If you track contractions over an hour and they're getting closer together and harder to breathe through, that's labour. If they drift off after you change position, it's more likely Braxton Hicks.

What are the first signs of labour?

The most common early signs are regular contractions that gradually get closer together and stronger, a mucus plug or bloody show, and waters breaking. Some people also notice a persistent low backache, increased pelvic pressure, or a shift in how they feel in the day or two before labour begins properly. Not everyone gets all of these, and they don't always arrive in the same order.

When should I go to the hospital for contractions?

Most first-time parents are advised to head in when contractions are around 4 minutes apart, lasting about 1 minute, for at least 1 hour. If you've given birth before, your care team may say to come in sooner. Always follow your specific provider's guidance, and call the triage line whenever something feels wrong, regardless of where you are in the pattern.

What does it feel like when your waters break?

For most people it's a trickle rather than a dramatic gush. Amniotic fluid is clear or very pale with a faint sweet smell, different from urine. If you feel something and aren't sure, call your midwife to describe it. If your waters have definitely broken, let your care team know straight away, even if contractions haven't started.

Can labour start and stop?

Yes, and it's more common than many people expect. Latent labour can involve contractions that build for several hours and then ease before active labour fully begins. This can happen more than once. If you've been sent home from hospital in early labour, rest as much as you can and contact your care team again when contractions are closer together, stronger, and harder to manage at home.

What is the mucus plug and does losing it mean labour is starting?

The mucus plug is a thick discharge that seals the cervix during pregnancy. As the cervix begins to soften, the plug passes out. It can be clear, yellow, pink, or lightly blood-streaked. Losing it means your body is preparing for labour, but things could still be hours or days away. It is a sign of progress, not a countdown timer.

Seri Bloom shares general guidance and is not a substitute for your doctor, midwife, or care team. If you are experiencing heavy bleeding, reduced fetal movement, severe pain, or anything that concerns you, please contact your healthcare provider or go to your nearest hospital unit.