Prelabor is the time before actual labor when the body prepares
for childbirth. Every day this month your body is preparing for
labor so that when the moment actually arrives, your body is
ready. Prelabor signals that you're in the getting-ready-for-
labor stage include: Birth contractions are muscle spasms of the
uterus that will eventually help push the baby through the birth
canal. False labor is contractions that make you think you are
in real labor when you're not. They are a false alarm. On the TV
sitcoms, the pregnant woman always grabs her big belly with a
look of wide-eyed surprise and announces, "It's time."
Unfortunately, labor doesn't usually come on like that. You
might spend a lot of time this month timing contractions,
grabbing your suitcase, and then stopping short, realizing the
contractions have stopped—false labor! False labor feels just
like the real thing. That's why thousands of pregnant women who
rush to the hospital are sent home again to wait just a little
longer. This is embarrassing,