Birth · Labor
How will I know it's time?
Practice contractions, real contractions and everything in between. Here's how to tell the difference, and when to pick up the phone.
The bag is by the door. The car seat is in. Every twinge makes you pause and wonder: is this it? Soon, one of those moments really will be the one, and you're going to meet her. Here's how you'll know.
The warm-up act: Braxton Hicks
Many moms feel practice contractions, called Braxton Hicks, in the second or third trimester. They can feel like mild menstrual cramps or a random tightening across your belly. They're your body getting ready, but they don't mean labor is coming yet. You can have them weeks or even months before the real thing.
Braxton Hicks tend to:
- Come and go with no pattern. They don't get closer together.
- Ease when you change what you're doing. A walk, a rest or a new position often stops them.
- Stay manageable. You can still talk and walk through them.
- Sit in the front of your belly.
If you're getting them, try a glass of water, a snack, a trip to the bathroom, or a warm bath. If they fade, that's your answer for now.
The real thing
True labor contractions have a direction: they get longer, stronger and closer together over time, no matter what you do. They don't stop when you rest or change position. Each one lasts about 60 to 90 seconds, and as labor builds, it becomes hard to talk through them. You might feel them in your belly, your lower back or both.
Most moms go into labor between 37 and 42 weeks.
Other signs she's on her way
Labor doesn't always start with contractions. You might also notice:
- Bloody show. More discharge that's clear, pink or slightly bloody, as your cervix begins to open. It can appear days before labor or right as it starts.
- Your water breaking. A gush or a steady trickle of fluid. Some moms feel a pop, others feel nothing at all, and it doesn't hurt. Amniotic fluid is usually clear or light yellow and has no odor.
- Lightening. Your baby settles lower in your pelvis, sometimes weeks before labor, sometimes just hours.
- A low, dull backache, cramps or pelvic pressure.
Timing it: the 5-1-1 guide
To time contractions, note when one starts and when the next one starts, and watch the pattern for about an hour.
Many hospitals share a simple guide for first babies called 5-1-1: contractions about 5 minutes apart, each lasting about 1 minute, for 1 hour. That's often a good time to call and head in. Your doctor or midwife may give you their own plan, especially if this isn't your first baby or you live far from the hospital, so ask at an upcoming visit and follow their advice first.
Your water breaking means call
If you think your water has broken, call your doctor or midwife right away, even if you're not having contractions and even if you're not sure it's your water. Note the time, how much fluid there was, and its color and smell, so you can share the details.
Call right away if
Don't wait for a pattern if you notice any of these. Call your doctor or midwife, or go in:
- Any signs of labor before 37 weeks.
- Bright red bleeding, or bleeding as heavy as a period.
- Fluid leaking, whether a gush or a steady trickle.
- Your baby moving less than usual, or a noticeable change in her movements.
- Severe pain, or contractions so strong you can't walk or talk through them.
- A headache that won't go away, changes in your vision, or sudden swelling of your face or hands.
- A fever, or fluid that smells bad.
And if something just feels off, call. Your care team would always rather hear from you. That's what they're there for.
Packing the bag
A calm way to spend those last weeks is getting your bag ready, so when the moment comes, you can just go. Keep it simple:
- For you. Your ID and insurance card, any hospital paperwork, a phone charger, comfy clothes, a robe, slippers, toiletries and something soft to wear home.
- For her. A going-home outfit, a blanket, and a properly installed car seat for the ride home.
- For comfort. Snacks for your partner, a favorite pillow, lip balm, a playlist.
Your hospital or birth center may have its own list, too.
You'll know
It's normal to wonder about every twinge. But when real labor comes, it builds in a way that's hard to miss. Trust your body, trust your care team, and trust yourself.
Any day now, Mama. Soon all this waiting turns into holding her.
One big button and the 5-1-1 guide, for the moment you've been waiting for.
Tap what matters and your plan writes itself. Then pack, one checkmark at a time.
Where this comes from
This article draws on guidance from Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic labor guidance. It's here to help, not to replace your own doctor, midwife or pediatrician. If you have questions, ask them.
- Signs of labor: Know what to expect, Mayo Clinic
- Braxton Hicks Contractions: Overview & What They Feel Like, Cleveland Clinic
- Water Breaking: Labor Sign, What It Feels Like & What's Next, Cleveland Clinic
- When does labor usually start?, NICHD (National Institutes of Health)
- When to Come to the Hospital, Center for Women's Health, OHSU
- Urgent Maternal Warning Signs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Hear Her)