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There are several different ways to tell if they are the real deal or B. Hicks ... Drink plenty of fluids, walk, warm bath/shower ... After doing some of these things and the contractions subside, then they are B.Hicks ... You can never be too paranoid about your contractions .. Because depending on the strength and duration of you contractions they can force your water to break and send you into preterm.. Happened to me :( .... Also hard constant contratctions are not good for the baby either ... At least going to the hosp, they can monitor the baby's heart beat, stress level etc ... And chances are they will stop your contractions there through IV's and such .. I know its a pain and a waste of time, but its better safe than sorry.

early labor lasts 8-10 hours, and possibly before you even feel a strong contraction. true labor is when the contractions start to dilate and thin the cervix more : ]

Actually, early labor is affecting the cervix. Braxton-Hicks contractions, by definition, do not. You are considered to be in early labor until your cervix is dilated to 4 cm - then you are in active labor. Everyone is different as far as how long this takes, and as krista-lee said, some women don't even really feel early labor contractions. I was in early labor for a little over 24 hours, but it was prolonged because of a UTI. I don't know what is average.

thank you for your answers, i appreciate it very much! :)