Hi Mummies!
Been quite awhile since I last logged-in. Wow, so many mummies popped liao and so many engaged too. Same here, my last visit to Dr Cheng, baby engaged too. So, its wait,wait, and wait now.
One can never make a mistake when real contractions starts. Here's a write-up from a website call family education.
Real Contractions
In comparison to Braxton Hicks contractions, real contractions are regular in duration and regular in their interval spacing. As labor progresses, they get more intense and last longer. For example, they may start off lasting a few seconds and occurring 10 minutes apart, but every hour they get closer and closer together and last longer. On average, a real contraction lasts from 30 seconds to one minute each. Typically, you'll start off with four to six contractions in one hour. When you have four to six contractions for two hours in a row, it's time to call the doctor. Chances are good that you're in labor!
Real contractions can be anything from a dull ache and a tightening of the uterus (à la Braxton Hicks) to all-out, excruciating, gut-wrenching, eye-popping pain. Believe me when I say that you'll know it's the real thing when you experience them.
When contractions start, you should time them with a stopwatch to see how long they last. Then time them again to see how far apart they are. The doctors, nurses, and hospital personnel will all ask you these questions. "How far apart are they? How long do they last?" Get your partner to keep a chart of the contractions. This will often help the doctor determine over the phone if you need to get to a hospital, and if you're close to delivery. Nobody wants you to have that baby in the car, least of all your partner.
Be prepared for the contractions to change quickly, meaning that they can go from easy and manageable pain to over-the-top and unremitting, wrenching pain in what seems like an instant. When this happens, it means that the baby is progressing down the birth canal.