What to do if Prelabor Lasts for Weeks

It’s not uncommon for women to ease into labor. Most women start experiencing Braxton-Hicks or prelabor contractions around 7-8 months along. These are non-painful, unrhythmic contractions that don’t cause a lot of cervical change. But as her due date starts getting closer these Braxton-hicks contractions start transitioning to true labor contractions. She’ll gradually cycle off the Braxton-hicks contractions and into true labor contractions. And this transition may take weeks. This may be very confusing for both of you, resulting in many trips to the hospital.

So here’s what to do if she’s having a lot of contractions, but isn’t in true labor yet.

• Talk to her care provider. Find out when the hospital wants to see you and stick to it. If the hospital says come in when contractions are 3 to 5 minutes apart, lasting 60 seconds and been that way for 1-2 hours then they want you to wait until contractions are like that. Don’t jump the gun and come in too early because they’ll probably send you home. And no one likes being sent home.

• Keep her mind off the contractions. If these contractions aren’t uncomfortable they probably aren’t the real thing. Keep her busy with meals out, games, visitors, shopping trips and fun activities like picnics and movies. When she can’t stay busy anymore and has to focus on the contractions to get through them, it’s a signal these are real contractions.

• Have sex. Unless your doctor has told you otherwise, feel free to have plenty of sex. It’ll be the last time for a while, so enjoy it; you can’t harm the baby. Need another reason? Sex produces a hormone called oxytocin that causes contractions! In addition, semen contains prostaglandins (hormones) that can ripen the cervix. And if she’s not in the mood for intercourse, that’s fine too. There are other things you both can do that provide nearly the same effects as intercourse.

• Don’t obsess about timing the contractions. It’s not that big of a deal. She will let you know when contractions are getting stronger and closer together.

• Wait for the frown. Each time she experiences a cycle of contractions she’ll probably think this is the real thing. But when the contractions change to true labor contractions she’ll probably frown and comment how these contractions feel different than the other ones she was experiencing. When that happens, you’ll probably find those contractions are the real deal and they’ll get stronger, longer and closer together.

• Encourage her to relax. Relaxation may make the contractions go away, or it may make them into true labor contractions. Pamper her as much as is humanly possible, while making sure you’re not too worn out during this process.

• Schedule fun activities. Encourage her to schedule something fun to do every single day for a week past her due date. That way she’ll wake up in the morning excited because she’s got something fun scheduled that day. And she’ll be okay (or at least a little better) if the baby doesn’t come that day.

• Rest. Make sure you’re resting and taking care of yourself as much as possible. If you wear yourself out stressing in the few weeks before labor begins, you won’t be as much help to your partner.

• Enjoy this time. While you’ve been waiting months to meet your baby, you’ll look back wishing you had a few more days without baby. Enjoy being able to watch a movie all the way through, have a conversation with your partner and sleeping entirely through the night—because those days are almost done.