Which description best defines True Labor?

Which description best defines True Labor?

• A. Braxton Hicks Contractions
• B. Crowning
• C. Regular contractions causing cervical dilation
• D. Supine Hypotensive Syndrome

Answer: (C)

Regular contractions that cause cervical dilation define true labor. As labor begins, these contractions become rhythmic and progressively intensify, lasting longer and coming more frequently. The key feature is that they actively change the cervix—thinning (effacement) and opening (dilation) from closed toward full dilation. This cervical change is what marks true labor and drives the labor process forward. Braxton Hicks contractions are the body's false alarms—irregular, sometimes weakening, and they don’t produce lasting cervical dilation. Crowning is a sign of labor progression, occurring when the baby’s head becomes visible at the vaginal opening, indicating that labor is well underway but not the defining sole feature. Supine hypotensive syndrome is a separate condition from lying on the back that reduces venous return and can cause dizziness or faintness, not a description of true labor.

Regular contractions that cause cervical dilation define true labor. As labor begins, these contractions become rhythmic and progressively intensify, lasting longer and coming more frequently. The key feature is that they actively change the cervix—thinning (effacement) and opening (dilation) from closed toward full dilation. This cervical change is what marks true labor and drives the labor process forward.

Braxton Hicks contractions are the body's false alarms—irregular, sometimes weakening, and they don’t produce lasting cervical dilation. Crowning is a sign of labor progression, occurring when the baby’s head becomes visible at the vaginal opening, indicating that labor is well underway but not the defining sole feature. Supine hypotensive syndrome is a separate condition from lying on the back that reduces venous return and can cause dizziness or faintness, not a description of true labor.