Health Tips for August 11

Health Tip: Detecting False Labor

You should speak with your doctor if you're concerned about the possibility that you've gone into labor, or whether you're experiencing a false alarm called "false labor," the American Pregnancy Association says.

The association offers this information that can help you decide whether a trip to the hospital is in order:

* False labor contractions occur at irregular, unpredictable intervals.
* False labor contractions are variable in duration and intensity, while true contractions last at least 30 seconds and become progressively longer.
* False labor contractions often stop no matter what you are doing, while true contractions continue during any activity.
* True labor pains start high in the abdomen, extend to the lower abdomen and around to the lower back. False labor pains, on the other hand, are usually concentrated in the lower abdomen and groin.

Health Tip: When to Induce Labor

Most pregnant women will go into labor naturally, but sometimes it's safer for doctors to induce labor.

Here are reasons for why a doctor might decide to induce labor, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Going two weeks or longer past the due date.
* Having no contractions after the woman's water breaks.
* Having high blood pressure.
* Having an infection in the uterus.
* Having diabetes.
* Having an insufficient amount of amniotic fluid surrounding the baby.