Parturition or Childbirth is the process of delivering the baby and placenta from the uterus to the outside world through the vaginal route. Since, it involves painful, laborous efforts of the mother, it is also called as Labor pains.

Classification of True Labor Pains:

1- Eutocia/Normal/Physiological Labor.

2- Dystocia/Abnormal/Pathological Labor.

Normal Labor-

The normal labor is defined as one in which:

• The fetus is Full term i.e. 37 Completed weeks to 41 weeks of Gestational Age,
• Baby’s lie is longitudinal, presentation cephalic, vertex position with flex attitude,
• Labor begins Spontaneous,
• Baby delivers vaginally,
• Requires minimum intervention,
• Without Maternal or Fetal Complications,
• Within Stipulated Time Frame.

Abnormal Labor:

Any deviation in childbirth from above criteria are considered as Dystocia or Abnormal Labor.

What are False Labor Pains?

The false labor pains are the irregular uterine contractions that a mother may experience before the true labor begins. These are also known as Braxton Hicks contractions. These are perfectly normal and might start to occur from mid of pregnancy onwards. They do not cause any changes in cervix or descent of baby. They are body’s way of getting ready for the “real thing.”

False vs True Labor Pains?

Disclaimer:

The information is shared to create awareness towards Pregnancy and Childcare to reduce maternal and child deaths. Atmost care has been taken by the author to include the verified information from authentic sources. However, kindly discuss the same with your health care provider before implementation.