Contractions can be regular, painful and frequent, but that does not always mean that labour is active. In the early phase, the body may show clear signs without having entered established labour. Contractions may feel strong and come at consistent intervals, but still belong to the preparatory stage if they do not yet affect the cervix.

Therefore, assessment focuses not only on how contractions feel, but how they develop. In active labour, contractions become more coordinated and gradually lead to cervical change and dilation. If the strength, interval or duration of contractions varies, it may indicate that labour is still in an early phase.

During assessment, the contraction pattern, cervical status and fetal heartbeat are checked. If the cervix has not begun to open or shows only early changes, labour is not yet considered active. In such cases, it may be safe to wait at home, provided there are no medical reasons for hospital care.

The early phase can last for different lengths of time and may develop gradually. This means contractions can feel strong without requiring admission yet. The assessment only applies at that moment and may change at the next contact.

Alma’s tips 🌿

• You can ask what typically indicates active labour rather than early contractions.

• You may ask what usually changes when it becomes appropriate to stay at the hospital.