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Track your pregnancy day by day.

Think you're having false labor? False labor is believed by some to be the body's way of preparing for what's soon to come. Understanding what false labor is, what causes it and what you can do about it will help you feel more at ease should it happen to you.

False labor is common – and commonly called Braxton Hicks contractions. That's right, while most people refer to it as false labor, the technical term for what you may be experiencing is Braxton Hicks contractions. They are characterized by taking place mostly during the third trimester. If you haven't felt them before or are experiencing them for the first time, it feels a lot as if your stomach or the baby is balling up, and you may experience some dull, menstrual-like cramping.

At this point, you may be wondering how you will know the difference between Braxton Hicks contractions and the real thing, to spare yourself the embarrassment and frustration of going to the hospital, only to be told it's not the real thing and be sent home.

Don't worry so much! Even if you do go to the hospital and it turns out to not be the real thing, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Just think of it as a practice run for when the real thing does happen. You aren't going to be the first person they have seen with false labor; indeed, they probably see it every day. In the meantime, here are some ways that the American Pregnancy Association suggests you can try to tell the two apart:

Braxton Hicks contractions are characterized as follows:

• They are irregular in intensity and frequency.
• They are unpredictable and non-rhythmic.
• Rather than being painful, they are usually no more than uncomfortable.
• They don't increase in frequency or intensity.
• They diminish and ultimately go away.
• They are usually only felt in the front.
• Membranes have not ruptured and there is no bloody show.

On the other hand, contractions that signify the real thing are characterized by the following:

• They are regular and move closer together.
• They become stronger as time goes on.
• They cause vaginal pressure.
• They are felt in the back.
• They do not stop, regardless of your efforts to diminish them.