Article: If you wish to find out for certain whether you are in true labor or not, there are some advanced diagnostic procedures that you can opt for such as FFN or Fetal Fibro Nectin Test. This test won't be able to tell you if you are currently in labor, but it will definitely confirm if you are not. This test is useful because when you are in your initial stages of preterm labor, telling labor can be very difficult using symptoms or pelvic examinations alone. A negative FFN Report will relax you and reassure you that you won't deliver your baby for at least another week or two. The nurse or midwife will be able to feel how much you have dilated by examining your cervix. In most cases, when your midwife finds that your cervix has dilated to between 1 to 3 centimeters (0.4 to 1.2in), she will inform you that you are in the first stage of labor. When she feels that your cervix has opened up to an extent ranging between 4 to 7 centimeters (1.6 to 2.8in), she will probably tell you that you have entered your active or second labor stage. When she feels that your cervix dilation is ranging to between 8 to 10 centimeters (3.1 to 3.9in), she will definitely tell you that it's time for the baby to come out! Your midwife also has experience in understanding whether your baby is pointing downwards and whether its head is engaged in the pelvis. The midwife may get down on her knees and feel your lower belly, above your bladder or insert her fingers around your groins to feel the baby's head and assess what percentage has been engaged. These examinations will help to confirm the fact that you are in labor and even tell you what stage of labor you're at.
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Consider getting an FFN. Have your midwife or nurse check your cervix. Have your midwife or nurse assess the position of your baby.