Can you experience intense regular contractions although you are not in true labor? Yes,
you can. It’s called prodromal labor and it can actually be quite a mean thing for women
to experience. Exactly. So, in this video, we are going to discuss what prodromal labor is
and how to find out if you are in prodromal labor or in true labor. Yes. And then we are also
going to discuss what you can do if you are in prodromal labor and if there is anything
that you can do to help transition into true labor. Yes. This is Nathalie a pregnancy
and birth consultant and TCM therapist and that’s Mathias a researcher and science
geek and we help expecting mommies and their babies naturally and science based. So, let’s
talk about another great pregnancy-related fun that unfortunately, some of you will experience.
Alright. So, what is prodromal labor? Well, usually, when you experience false labor
contractions, then it is quite easy to identify them as such, right? Very simply put: normally,
if your contractions don’t develop a regular pattern, for example, if they don’t come in
certain intervals, then chances are that you are not in true labor, right? However, when you are
in prodromal labor, that rule may no longer apply. Yes. Although prodromal labor contractions could
just come and go, in many cases, they may develop a regular pattern too.
For example, it could be that you experience prodromal labor contractions every 5 to 10
minutes. Moreover, those contractions are gonna be more intense than Braxton Hicks contractions.
In fact, in most cases, they will be as intense as early labor contractions. But in some cases,
they may even feel like the kind of contractions that you normally only experience in active labor.
Yes. Plus, most cases of prodromal labor are being reported during the 4 weeks leading up
to the expected due date. So, right about the time when you believe that you are going into labor,
right? And because of all that, it is no surprise that most women who are in prodromal labor
actually believe that they are in true labor. Exactly. As a result, they often go to the hospital,
expecting to soon deliver their baby. But then they are being sent home because the problem
with prodromal labor is that it does not have any effect on the cervix. Prodromal labor will neither
thin out your cervix nor will it dilate it. And it will also not help to move the cervix into a forward
position. Yes. We are not saying that prodromal labor contractions are entirely useless, right? Because
they too help tone your uterine muscles. However, they hardly have any effect on the cervix. And
that can make prodromal labor contractions really a mean thing, right? Because again you may experience
very strong contractions, but they don’t help you dilate your cervix. So, the question is:
how do you know that you are in prodromal labor without having your cervix checked? Yes. So,
there is one very important difference between prodromal labor and true labor. And that’s the
fact that when you are in prodromal labor, labor does not progress. So, what does this mean? Well,
when you are in true labor, your contractions will develop a certain pattern, most importantly,
in terms of intervals. For example, they may come every 5 to 6 minutes. And if you are indeed in
true labor, that pattern will progress over time. Which means that your contractions will come in
closer and closer intervals eventually. Yes. And as we already know, prodromal labor contractions
may also develop a pattern. However, those contractions will not progressively come in
closer intervals over time. In fact, we have never heard of any cases of prodromal labor contractions
that came in closer than 5 minute intervals. Maybe such cases do exist, right? But we are not aware
of them. Exactly. Another aspect is the duration of the contractions. When you are in true labor,
the duration of your contractions will increase over time. Prodromal labor contractions normally
don’t do that. They often consistently last for some 60 seconds. Yes. What prodromal labor
contractions can do though is, they could become more intense over time. As we said initially,
most of the times, prodromal labor contractions will be as intense as in early labor. However,
sometimes, they may even become as intense as in active labor. And so, when it comes to
distinguishing prodromal labor from true labor, it's best to observe the following two things
over a longer period if time: the interval and the duration of your contractions and if both
progresses over time! Exactly. And keep in mind: eventually, prodromal labor will stop. Yes. It may last
for hours or days only. In rare cases, it may also last for weeks without there being any progress at
all. Exactly. However, eventually those contractions will stop. They hardly ever transition into true labor
contractions. Yes. But we are gonna discuss in just a minute if there is anything that you can do
to help them do just that: transition into true labor contractions. But before we do that: let’s
say that you are in prodromal labor. What now? What can you do? Okay, so, in general, prodromal
labor is normally not considered an emergency. Moreover, because it does not dilate your cervix,
you will normally not be admitted to the hospital, unless of course there are medical problems. But
normally, they won’t admit you. And so, the only thing that you can do is finding a way to cope with
those contractions until they stop or until they indeed transition into true labor which, again,
normally they won’t do. Yes. And you would cope with those contractions the same way as you would
do when you are in true labor. So, for example: as long as they are quite mild, distraction can help.
Relaxation techniques such as yoga or mediation can help. But if your contractions are very
intense, then you may have to make use of breathing techniques, hypnobirthing mediations
or alternative ways to cope with your pain. For example, the treatments that we show you in our
birth preparation program. Right. And then of course, one thing that could help with both mild and intense
contractions is a warm bath of about 30 minutes. Yes. In most cases, applying strategies to cope
with the pain is the only thing that will help you get through this phase, however long it may take.
But an alternative strategy could be to help those contractions progress into true labor
contractions. Now, I am not gonna lie to you. This is not a simple task because in order to do that,
you would have to know why you are in prodromal labor. Yes. Scientists have not yet found a clear
answer to the question, why some women go into prodromal labor. Some say, there are physical
reasons such as when your uterus or pelvis have a certain shape. Others say it is caused by stress
and anxiety. However, sometimes, women also seem to go into prodromal labor when their
baby is not yet in a good position for labor and is now trying to find a better position,
particularly if baby is facing your front instead of your back. Yes. Accordingly,
the treatment protocols that we normally use to help a woman dilate faster, for example, with the
help of acupuncture or acupressure or reflexology, will almost never help in case of prodromal labor.
We have to work on the underlying cause why a woman goes into prodromal labor first. And again,
this is not a simple task because we can never be sure why you are in prodromal labor. However,
there is one thing that we found could help. Exactly. So, at this point, Nathalie is still
trying different things at the clinic to help women with prodromal labor transition into true
labor. However, one strategy which has resulted in some success is when Nathalie treats those women
for stress. And when they do exercises to help baby into a better position at the same time. I
mean, not literally at the same time. I just mean as a combined strategy, right? Exactly. In terms of
relaxation, I apply alternative treatments such as acupuncture, moxa or reflexology. But it can
also be yoga or meditation. Whatever helps you relax. Yes. And if you follow our channel, then
you already know what you could do to help your baby into a better position. For example, sitting
in a good position could help which we show you in the video that pops up now. Yes. Or other things,
including exercises to help baby into a better position which we show you in the video that pops
up now. Yes. Again, focusing on stress and baby’s position at the same time is one strategy
that has led to some success in some women. Just keep in mind that we are not able to tell you if
it could help you too when you are in prodromal labor because again it very much depends on the
underlying cause. And so, unfortunately, in many cases, prodromal labor is just another nasty thing
that can come with a pregnancy. Right. If you have found this video helpful, we would be super
grateful if you could leave us a like below this video! Yes. And for more useful tips and tools
on pregnancy- and baby-related topics, make sure to subscribe to our channel and to hit the bell!