What Is Prelabour?
Prelabour, commonly mistaken for early labour, is the preparation stage that occurs prior to the beginning of early labour. Think of it like the test run service that car manufacturers use to determine the maximum speed, safety and efficiency of cars prior to putting them out in the market for public sale. It is your body testing itself, preparing itself and gearing itself up for the all important big show that is your labour.
Will I get prelabour?
An active prelabour phase isn’t experienced by every woman, and occurs more commonly in women who have already given birth to one or more children, it doesn’t discriminate between women who have had prior cesareans or vaginal deliveries as it can affect women who have only had one or the other or even both and it doesn’t discriminate between woman who have experienced labour and those who haven’t. For those women who don’t notice an active prelabour phase it doesn’t mean that their bodies aren’t preparing or that their bodies are broken, it just means that their body is working efficiently and in a way that doesn’t announce what is happening inside of them physically, hormonally and mentally.
What is happening within my body during this time?
During this phase your body is getting ready for a big change and influx of different hormone levels, your baby is beginning to produce increased levels of Oxytocin (Oxytocin is a hormone essential for both effective labour contractions and breast milk production) and your uterus is creating more Oxytocin receptors on its surface which can result in an increase in contractions of the uterine muscles (usually overnight when you are more likely to be resting and relaxed and the oxytocin is able to work more effectively) due to the extra sensitivity to Oxytocin and with your Estrogen levels also beginning to increase in relation to the high levels of Progesterone (which have been present within your body since the beginning of the pregnancy to prevent uterine contractions that could expel the growing baby from the womb), it can make for some very uncomfortable and frustrating times as your body works hard to make itself ready for labour to begin. During the last few weeks or so of your pregnancy the Prostaglandin levels in your body are also increasing, these increasing levels of Prostaglandins work to soften the cervix in preparation for dilation and also work in tandem with the hormone Relaxin to soften the ligaments of the pelvis to help it open more effectively during labour and birth. This can result in aches and pains around your pelvic area (pelvic girdle pain is a good example of one of the possible side effects of this influx of hormones) and also helps the baby to descend into the pelvis or “engage” (although engagement of the baby alone is not a guarantee that labour will be starting soon and many second or subsequent babies do not engage until active labour has already begun).
How can I recognise possible prelabour?
An active prelabour phase can be recognised by irregular or regular contractions (similar to Braxton Hicks contractions only usually more noticeable and lasting longer than Braxton Hicks contractions do) that continue for an hour or more, sometimes even for 12 hours or more, and then suddenly stop or slowly decline in strength and/or regularity. These prelabour contractions can last for days, weeks or even months on end before early labour itself starts, and can often be mistaken for early labour itself resulting in a woman becoming disappointed and upset when there is very little or no progress in cervical effacement and/or dilation and can even bring on the fear of a premature delivery if they start before 37 weeks gestation. Prelabour commonly starts in the evenings and at night and tends to wane or stop during the day and is often frustrating for a mum-to-be who has been hoping that labour was finally beginning, or a huge relief for a mum who is worried about going into premature labour.
What can I do to make this period in time easier for myself?
An extended prelabour lasting days, weeks or months, can make a mum-to-be very tired and reduce energy levels considerably and it is important for the woman experiencing it to relax and rest as often as possible (a seemingly impossible thing to do when you have other children to look after as well or you are still working), eat regular high energy meals and maintain your fluid intake to prevent dehydration.
If you are responsible for other children seek help from family and/or friends who can assist in caring for your other children so that you can get adequate rest. If you do not have family or friends close to you or none of them are able to help look into day care if you can afford it or research other avenues – eg work out an agreement with a local mum that you know who can care for your children for one or two days a week while you are experiencing this in return for you caring for her child/children (if she still have any living at home with her) or offer to help her out with other things later on for the same amount of time at a later date after your baby has been born and you have settled into the new routine with your new baby. Enlist your partner, if you have one, on weekends to watch your children while you get some more sleep, arrange for your partner to take care of the children and arrange dinner in the evenings so that you can lay down for a bit or have a long soak in a warm bath. If you are a single parent look into local support groups for single parents, most large populated areas will have some kind of single parenting support group available, even if it is only on Facebook, where you can meet others going through similar things and find support that is local to you. You can ask your local maternal and child health nurse or ring your local mother and child health line for advice as well, they have a lot of information available and can advise you on places to go to for assistance. If you are religious your local church may even be able to assist in arranging in home help for you, it doesn’t hurt to ask around for help and it doesn’t make you any less of a good mother to admit that you need help either, in fact it means that you are a great mother and you will always be a great mother regardless of if you need or not.
It feels like I’m the only one going through this, none of my friends have experienced it before, I feel like my body is broken because nothing is happening. When will it end?
Prelabour is stressful, tiring, disappointing, lonely, frustrating and can be very disheartening, but rest assured that you are not alone in experiencing it, there are many other women all around the world experiencing it with you and there are many things that you can do to help make things easier and less stressful for yourself. Remember to take time to rest during the day, eat a high energy diet to combat the energy drain that is can cause, and keep up your fluid intake to prevent dehydration, and soon you will be holding your new baby in your arms and the stress of the previous days, weeks or months will melt away and no longer matter. Your body is not broken even if there is no physical signs of progress like effacement or cervical dilation, your body is still working and changing and getting ready for labour to begin at the right time, and labour itself will start when your body and baby are both ready to be born, whether that ends up being in 24 hours time or in 4 weeks time, it will happen.
I hope this blog post has been helpful and as always feel free to share. If you wish to repost it please include the authors name and link back to this blog post.
Written by Jenna Edgley
Birth Doula and Placenta Encapsulator
FOOTPRINTS & RAINBOWS
Helpful Phone Numbers (Australia Only)
VIC
The Maternal and Child Health Line Tel: 132 229 – available 24 hours a day for the cost of a local call throughout Victoria.
Parent Line ph. 132 289
NURSE ON CALL ph. 1300 60 60 24 – for expert health advice 24/7
Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) - 03 9419 3000
Women’s Referral and Information Exchange (WRIE) - 1300 134 130 (cost of a local call), 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
NSW
Healthdirect Australia and Early Childhood Services - 1800 022 222
Parentline - 1300 130 052, 24/7
Karitane - 1300 227 464 (1300 CARING) 24 hours Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4:30pm Friday to Sunday
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (freecall) or 1800 639 327 (TTY Service for hearing or speech impaired), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
Tresillian Family Care Centers - (02) 9787 0855 or 1800 637 357 (free call in regional NSW), 24/7
Women’s Information and Referral Services - 1800 817 227 (free call), TTY Service 1800 673 304 (for hearing-impaired or speech-impaired callers), 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
QLD
Child and Baby Health Clinics - 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84), 24/7
Parentline - 1300 301 300 (cost of a local call, 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week
Ellen Barron Family Center - (07) 3139 6500
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (freecall) or 1800 639 327 (TTY Service for hearing or speech impaired), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
Women’s Infolink - 1800 177 577 (free call), 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday
ACT
Child Health Checks - (02) 6207 9977, 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
Healthdirect Australia - 1800 022 222
Parentline ACT - (02) 6287 3833, 9am to 9pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
ACT Community Health - (02) 6207 9977, 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
ParentLink - 13 34 27, 8:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
Queen Elizabeth II Family Center - (02) 6207 9977, 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (freecall) or 1800 639 327 (TTY Service for hearing or speech impaired), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
NT
Maternal and Child Health - (08) 9855 6106 (in Darwin) or (08) 8922 7712 (outside Darwin), 8am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday
Parentline - 1300 301 300 (cost of a local call), 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (free call) or TTY Service 1800 639 327 (for hearing-impaired or speech-impaired callers), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
SA
Child Health Checks - 1300 733 606 (cost of a local call), 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday
Healthdirect Australia - 1800 022 222, 24/7
Parenting SA - (08) 8303 1660, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (free call) or TTY Service 1800 639 327 (for hearing-impaired or speech-impaired callers), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
Women’s Information Service - 1800 188 158 (free call), 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
WA
Healthdirect Australia - 1800 022 222, 24/7
Parenting WA - (08) 6279 1200 or 1800 654 432 (free call from regional areas), 24/7
Ngala - 08) 9368 9368 or 1800 111 546 (free call from regional areas), 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (free call) or TTY Service 1800 639 327 (for hearing-impaired or speech-impaired callers), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
Women’s Information Service - (08) 6217 8230 or 1800 199 174 (free call from regional areas), Interpreting Service 131 450, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
TAS
Child Health Centers
· Burnie – (03) 6434 6451
· Devonport – (03) 6421 7800
· Hobart – (03) 6230 7899
· Launceston – (03) 6336 2130
The Parent Line - 1300 808 178 (cost of a local call) 24/7
My Child - 1800 670 305 (free call), or TTY Service1800 639 327 (for hearing-impaired or speech-impaired callers), 9am to 8pm Monday to Friday
Parenting Centers
· Hobart - (03) 6233 2700, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
· Burnie - (03) 6434 6201, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
· Launceston - (03) 6326 6188, 9:15am to 2:30pm (days not specified, but most likely Monday to Friday as well)
Prelabour, commonly mistaken for early labour, is the preparation stage that occurs prior to the beginning of early labour. Think of it like the test run service that car manufacturers use to determine the maximum speed, safety and efficiency of cars prior to putting them out in the market for public sale. It is your body testing itself, preparing itself and gearing itself up for the all important big show that is your labour.
Will I get prelabour?
An active prelabour phase isn’t experienced by every woman, and occurs more commonly in women who have already given birth to one or more children, it doesn’t discriminate between women who have had prior cesareans or vaginal deliveries as it can affect women who have only had one or the other or even both and it doesn’t discriminate between woman who have experienced labour and those who haven’t. For those women who don’t notice an active prelabour phase it doesn’t mean that their bodies aren’t preparing or that their bodies are broken, it just means that their body is working efficiently and in a way that doesn’t announce what is happening inside of them physically, hormonally and mentally.
What is happening within my body during this time?
During this phase your body is getting ready for a big change and influx of different hormone levels, your baby is beginning to produce increased levels of Oxytocin (Oxytocin is a hormone essential for both effective labour contractions and breast milk production) and your uterus is creating more Oxytocin receptors on its surface which can result in an increase in contractions of the uterine muscles (usually overnight when you are more likely to be resting and relaxed and the oxytocin is able to work more effectively) due to the extra sensitivity to Oxytocin and with your Estrogen levels also beginning to increase in relation to the high levels of Progesterone (which have been present within your body since the beginning of the pregnancy to prevent uterine contractions that could expel the growing baby from the womb), it can make for some very uncomfortable and frustrating times as your body works hard to make itself ready for labour to begin. During the last few weeks or so of your pregnancy the Prostaglandin levels in your body are also increasing, these increasing levels of Prostaglandins work to soften the cervix in preparation for dilation and also work in tandem with the hormone Relaxin to soften the ligaments of the pelvis to help it open more effectively during labour and birth. This can result in aches and pains around your pelvic area (pelvic girdle pain is a good example of one of the possible side effects of this influx of hormones) and also helps the baby to descend into the pelvis or “engage” (although engagement of the baby alone is not a guarantee that labour will be starting soon and many second or subsequent babies do not engage until active labour has already begun).
How can I recognise possible prelabour?
An active prelabour phase can be recognised by irregular or regular contractions (similar to Braxton Hicks contractions only usually more noticeable and lasting longer than Braxton Hicks contractions do) that continue for an hour or more, sometimes even for 12 hours or more, and then suddenly stop or slowly decline in strength and/or regularity. These prelabour contractions can last for days, weeks or even months on end before early labour itself starts, and can often be mistaken for early labour itself resulting in a woman becoming disappointed and upset when there is very little or no progress in cervical effacement and/or dilation and can even bring on the fear of a premature delivery if they start before 37 weeks gestation. Prelabour commonly starts in the evenings and at night and tends to wane or stop during the day and is often frustrating for a mum-to-be who has been hoping that labour was finally beginning, or a huge relief for a mum who is worried about going into premature labour.
What can I do to make this period in time easier for myself?
An extended prelabour lasting days, weeks or months, can make a mum-to-be very tired and reduce energy levels considerably and it is important for the woman experiencing it to relax and rest as often as possible (a seemingly impossible thing to do when you have other children to look after as well or you are still working), eat regular high energy meals and maintain your fluid intake to prevent dehydration.
If you are responsible for other children seek help from family and/or friends who can assist in caring for your other children so that you can get adequate rest. If you do not have family or friends close to you or none of them are able to help look into day care if you can afford it or research other avenues – eg work out an agreement with a local mum that you know who can care for your children for one or two days a week while you are experiencing this in return for you caring for her child/children (if she still have any living at home with her) or offer to help her out with other things later on for the same amount of time at a later date after your baby has been born and you have settled into the new routine with your new baby. Enlist your partner, if you have one, on weekends to watch your children while you get some more sleep, arrange for your partner to take care of the children and arrange dinner in the evenings so that you can lay down for a bit or have a long soak in a warm bath. If you are a single parent look into local support groups for single parents, most large populated areas will have some kind of single parenting support group available, even if it is only on Facebook, where you can meet others going through similar things and find support that is local to you. You can ask your local maternal and child health nurse or ring your local mother and child health line for advice as well, they have a lot of information available and can advise you on places to go to for assistance. If you are religious your local church may even be able to assist in arranging in home help for you, it doesn’t hurt to ask around for help and it doesn’t make you any less of a good mother to admit that you need help either, in fact it means that you are a great mother and you will always be a great mother regardless of if you need or not.
It feels like I’m the only one going through this, none of my friends have experienced it before, I feel like my body is broken because nothing is happening. When will it end?
Prelabour is stressful, tiring, disappointing, lonely, frustrating and can be very disheartening, but rest assured that you are not alone in experiencing it, there are many other women all around the world experiencing it with you and there are many things that you can do to help make things easier and less stressful for yourself. Remember to take time to rest during the day, eat a high energy diet to combat the energy drain that is can cause, and keep up your fluid intake to prevent dehydration, and soon you will be holding your new baby in your arms and the stress of the previous days, weeks or months will melt away and no longer matter. Your body is not broken even if there is no physical signs of progress like effacement or cervical dilation, your body is still working and changing and getting ready for labour to begin at the right time, and labour itself will start when your body and baby are both ready to be born, whether that ends up being in 24 hours time or in 4 weeks time, it will happen.
I hope this blog post has been helpful and as always feel free to share. If you wish to repost it please include the authors name and link back to this blog post.
Written by Jenna Edgley
Birth Doula and Placenta Encapsulator
FOOTPRINTS & RAINBOWS
Helpful Phone Numbers (Australia Only)
VIC
The Maternal and Child Health Line Tel: 132 229 – available 24 hours a day for the cost of a local call throughout Victoria.
Parent Line ph. 132 289
NURSE ON CALL ph. 1300 60 60 24 – for expert health advice 24/7
Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) - 03 9419 3000
Women’s Referral and Information Exchange (WRIE) - 1300 134 130 (cost of a local call), 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
NSW
Healthdirect Australia and Early Childhood Services - 1800 022 222
Parentline - 1300 130 052, 24/7
Karitane - 1300 227 464 (1300 CARING) 24 hours Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4:30pm Friday to Sunday
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (freecall) or 1800 639 327 (TTY Service for hearing or speech impaired), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
Tresillian Family Care Centers - (02) 9787 0855 or 1800 637 357 (free call in regional NSW), 24/7
Women’s Information and Referral Services - 1800 817 227 (free call), TTY Service 1800 673 304 (for hearing-impaired or speech-impaired callers), 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
QLD
Child and Baby Health Clinics - 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84), 24/7
Parentline - 1300 301 300 (cost of a local call, 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week
Ellen Barron Family Center - (07) 3139 6500
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (freecall) or 1800 639 327 (TTY Service for hearing or speech impaired), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
Women’s Infolink - 1800 177 577 (free call), 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday
ACT
Child Health Checks - (02) 6207 9977, 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
Healthdirect Australia - 1800 022 222
Parentline ACT - (02) 6287 3833, 9am to 9pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
ACT Community Health - (02) 6207 9977, 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
ParentLink - 13 34 27, 8:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
Queen Elizabeth II Family Center - (02) 6207 9977, 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays)
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (freecall) or 1800 639 327 (TTY Service for hearing or speech impaired), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
NT
Maternal and Child Health - (08) 9855 6106 (in Darwin) or (08) 8922 7712 (outside Darwin), 8am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday
Parentline - 1300 301 300 (cost of a local call), 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (free call) or TTY Service 1800 639 327 (for hearing-impaired or speech-impaired callers), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
SA
Child Health Checks - 1300 733 606 (cost of a local call), 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday
Healthdirect Australia - 1800 022 222, 24/7
Parenting SA - (08) 8303 1660, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (free call) or TTY Service 1800 639 327 (for hearing-impaired or speech-impaired callers), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
Women’s Information Service - 1800 188 158 (free call), 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
WA
Healthdirect Australia - 1800 022 222, 24/7
Parenting WA - (08) 6279 1200 or 1800 654 432 (free call from regional areas), 24/7
Ngala - 08) 9368 9368 or 1800 111 546 (free call from regional areas), 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week
MyChild - 1800 670 305 (free call) or TTY Service 1800 639 327 (for hearing-impaired or speech-impaired callers), 9am to 8pm, Monday to Friday
Women’s Information Service - (08) 6217 8230 or 1800 199 174 (free call from regional areas), Interpreting Service 131 450, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
TAS
Child Health Centers
· Burnie – (03) 6434 6451
· Devonport – (03) 6421 7800
· Hobart – (03) 6230 7899
· Launceston – (03) 6336 2130
The Parent Line - 1300 808 178 (cost of a local call) 24/7
My Child - 1800 670 305 (free call), or TTY Service1800 639 327 (for hearing-impaired or speech-impaired callers), 9am to 8pm Monday to Friday
Parenting Centers
· Hobart - (03) 6233 2700, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
· Burnie - (03) 6434 6201, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
· Launceston - (03) 6326 6188, 9:15am to 2:30pm (days not specified, but most likely Monday to Friday as well)
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