Contractions: what they feel like and when to go to the hospital

Contractions are the tightening and relaxing of your womb that open your cervix and push your baby down for birth. HealthHub says they come in waves, a muscular pulling feeling often compared to period cramps, that build, peak and fade. Practice tightenings can start weeks earlier. Labour contractions get longer, stronger and closer together, and that pattern tells you when to head to the hospital.

What contractions feel like

HealthHub describes contractions as waves of muscular pulling, like period cramps or the feeling of needing to go to the toilet. Labour often starts with a low backache and contractions that come and go. KKH doctors, writing on HealthXchange, say the cramping gets steadily more intense and your bump can feel hard like a rock.

The NHS says that if you put your hand on your tummy during a contraction, you feel it harden; as the muscles relax, the pain fades and the hardness eases. Each wave helps open the cervix, which is what the midwife measures as dilation.

Practice tightenings or real labour

Many women feel Braxton Hicks contractions late in pregnancy. KKH says these rehearsal tightenings can feel real, but they are irregular and do not open the cervix. The NHS says they are usually painless, short and do not build up.

Real contractions follow a pattern. KKH says they start briefly and more than 30 minutes apart, then come closer and last longer. Each one goes on for about a minute. Timing a few in a row with our contraction timer shows you which pattern you have.

When to go to the hospital in Singapore

SGH asks you to go to its 24-hour Labour Ward if you are 20 weeks pregnant or more and the pain is persistent and getting stronger, for example contractions every 10 to 15 minutes for more than 2 hours. KKH's guide on HealthXchange says that once contractions are about 5 minutes apart and have kept going for more than 2 hours, it is time to get ready.

At KKH, women 22 weeks or more with signs of labour go straight to the Delivery Suite on Level 2 of the Women's Tower. First labours tend to be longer, HealthHub says, so if you are unsure, wait a while and watch whether the pain keeps building. Our guide to what labour feels like walks through the early hours.

Contractions that need a call straight away

The NHS lists contraction patterns that need urgent advice from your hospital: any single contraction that goes on for more than 2 minutes, 6 or more contractions in 10 minutes, or contractions before 37 weeks. HealthHub says regular, painful contractions between 25 and 37 weeks can be a sign of preterm labour and you should go to the hospital as soon as possible.

Go in without waiting for a pattern if your waters break, you bleed as heavily as a period, or your baby moves less than usual. HealthHub and SGH give all three as reasons to go to the hospital.

Frequently asked questions

What do contractions feel like?

Like strong period cramps or the urge to open your bowels, coming in waves that build, peak and fade. HealthHub and SGH both describe them this way. Your tummy goes hard during each one.

How far apart should contractions be before I go to the hospital?

SGH gives the example of contractions every 10 to 15 minutes for more than 2 hours. KKH says about 5 minutes apart for more than 2 hours. Call your delivery suite if you are unsure.

Can contractions start and then stop?

Yes. The NHS says the early, latent phase can take hours or even days, with irregular contractions. If they fade away, you are probably not yet in established labour.

Do early contractions hurt?

Often not much. HealthHub says contractions in the latent phase are usually not so painful. They become stronger and more regular as you move into active labour.

Related terms

• Braxton Hicks Contractions: Irregular, usually painless tightenings of the womb before labour. They do not open the cervix or mean labour has started.
• Dilation: How far your cervix has opened in labour, measured in centimetres from closed to 10cm.
• Effacement: The thinning and shortening of your cervix before and during labour, given as a percentage from 0 to 100.
• Rupture of Membranes (Water Breaking): When the bag of fluid around your baby breaks and leaks out through the vagina, as a gush or a trickle.
• Epidural: Labour pain relief given through a fine tube in your lower back by an anaesthetist, numbing the womb and birth canal.
• Induction of Labour: Starting labour with medical help, such as a pessary, balloon or drip, instead of waiting for it to begin.

See every term in the glossary