What is Prodromal Labor?

Let’s learn about prodromal labor today!

Picture this...around 6pm you start feeling some small contractions. You think "maybe this is it!" They are only 10 minutes apart, so no need to go to the hospital yet. Just wait. But they don't get any stronger...all night. By morning they have fizzled out.

6pm rolls around again and you start noticing those contractions again, this time 7-8 minutes apart. You have to stop and breathe through some of these. This really must be baby day...right?

Another restless night with contractions that stop by morning.

Repeat and repeat...

This scenario is called prodromal labor and it's actually fairly common. When you are super pregnant, exhausted, and really ready for this baby to come, it's easy to see why prodromal labor can feel very frustrating.

What is prodromal labor?

Prodromal labor is when the early stage of labor is extended over a period of days, or starts and stops, rather than seamlessly turning into active labor within 12-24 hours. It is characterized by contractions that are usually milder and shorter than active labor and which may not be regularly timeable.

Prodromal labor is not necessarily a sign that anything is "wrong". Sometimes it just is.

What should you do if you are having prodromal labor?

First of all, I encourage trying to rest when you can and not wearing yourself out trying to bounce on a ball and climb up and down stairs. If your body is not ready to go into active labor, those activities will not force active labor to happen.

Stay hydrated. Dehydration can make the uterus more "irritable" and cause more small and unproductive contractions.

Try the Miles Circuit. It's 3 simple positions which take about 90 minutes to do. If there is a fetal positioning issue holding up active labor, this should help strengthen labor without overexerting yourself. If it does not help, you can try it again after several hours.

Have you ever experienced prodromal labor? How long did it last?