As the pregnancy continues, these contractions may become more frequent and bothersome. They're referred to as false labor. False labor may feel like the real thing, but the contractions will still be irregular in intensity, frequency, and duration and can taper off. 

Health care providers believe that Braxton Hicks contractions are part of prelabor and serve to get the process of effacement and dilation moving in preparation for childbirth. (This is called "ripening.") In fact, some healthcare providers recommend you use Braxton Hicks contractions as an opportunity to practice the breathing exercises taught childbirth class.

When Braxton Hicks contractions feel uncomfortable, it sometimes helps to lie down, get up and take a walk,  a warm bath sometimes helps to calm the contractions.  Some healthcare practitioners recommend drinking a couple of glasses of water if the contractions bother you, since they can sometimes be brought on by dehydration. A lack of adequate fluids tends to make your uterus more irritable — another of the many reasons to drink plenty of fluids while you're pregnant.

Call your care provider when the contractions are accompanied by watery or bloody vaginal discharge. And until you reach term (37 weeks gestation), call your provider if contractions are accompanied by lower back pain, if you feel more than four contractions an hour, or if they're coming at regular intervals. These are all signs of premature labor. If you're past 37 weeks, there's no need to call your provider until your contractions last 60 seconds each and are five minutes apart.