All about childbirth and contractions. How to understand that contractions are starting? The onset of labor in multiparous

The first pregnancy and childbirth are new sensations for the mother and her body. A large number of experiences of primiparas relate to how to distinguish the so-called "training" from the real ones and not confuse such states? On time to the hospital or how to recognize contractions during the first birth: tips, recommendations, description of pain.

Why does labor begin at a specific time, what affects it, and how does the body itself determine the very readiness to give birth? There are real discussions around such a seemingly simple and elementary question, because it is known what causes contractions before childbirth, and how much this hormone should be. But, one thing is not known: how does the uterus “determine” the very moment of the onset of labor, what gives the signal?

Some scientists believe that the baby itself gives the signal to start labor activity, and the uterus only carries out the "order". Others put forward the theory that the onset of labor is inherent in every woman, and is established on the basis of the “biological clock”, the countdown of which begins from the moment of conception. Be that as it may, women in labor are more concerned not with the question of what causes contractions, but how to determine them, how to understand that it is really time to give birth?

In the first, second and subsequent births, they are radically different. In many ways, the degree of pain is determined by the height of the pain threshold, heredity, pregnancy (with or without complications), concomitant chronic diseases of the woman in labor. For example, it is generally accepted that the second birth is much easier than the first. But, this is only partly true, because if the second pregnancy occurs after the first in 8-10 years, then the uterus “learns” to give birth again, and therefore the pain is the same in this case for the primiparous and for the multiparous woman.

Prenatal activity is also different in primiparous and multiparous women. However, in both the first and second cases, preparation for childbirth occurs throughout the entire period of gestation. Such processes are especially noticeable in the third semester of pregnancy (after the 35th week): the cervix “erases”, becomes more elastic, the baby presses on the birth canal with weight, and the mucous plug is pushed out. All this is a preparatory period, which in the future will help the baby to overcome the birth canal as quickly as possible and without injury.

How to determine and understand that contractions have begun: the main signs of the onset of labor

Many pregnant women are worried about the very feeling of pain, what sensations during contractions, and how to determine that this is exactly “it” - the beginning? Many obstetricians say that a woman intuitively understands the onset of labor, but this can be argued. The onset of labor activity, in many respects, is no different from pain during the menstrual, premenstrual cycle. By and large, there is no pain as such, just discomfort in the lower abdomen, lack of sleep (if it is at night) and an increase in appetite.

All these processes begin long before the active phase of labor. For convenience, we will divide labor activity into three periods, each of which will be described separately:

1. Preparation before childbirth, hidden symptoms. Such preparation can be considered the day before childbirth. A woman on this day does not understand and does not feel any pain, heaviness, etc. In some women, the stomach may not even drop. The only signs:

• disturbed sleep, it actually does not exist, the woman sleeps lightly, wakes up from every rustle, cannot “find” a place for herself, while there is no fatigue in the morning;
• increased appetite. During this period, I really want to eat sweets, carbohydrates, cookies, sweets;
• there may be a discharge of the cork, if up to this point it has not yet departed;
• after each meal or water, the woman is emptied;
• increased thirst.

1. Prenatal activity, visible symptoms. This period occurs approximately 8-12 hours before the onset of active labor. Characteristic signs can be considered:

• aching constant back pain;
• pulling tolerable pain in the lower abdomen (right above the pubis);
• breast engorgement, increased sensitivity of the nipples;
• you constantly want to empty yourself, but when you go to the bathroom there is no discharge;
• there are no contractions as such, but the stomach begins to hurt more and more with every hour. Such pain can be described as severe pain during the menstrual cycle, cystitis.

1. Active labor activity. As a rule, before the onset of this period, a woman already understands what is happening and prepares for maternity ward. However, you should not panic, because in primiparous such a process does not take less than 8-12 hours, this is the most optimistic forecast. As a rule, childbirth for the first time is stretched for 24 and even 48 hours. During this period, it is recommended that a pregnant woman, if possible, sleep for several hours, relax and eat protein foods so that there are forces for childbirth. The child at this time leads his usual way of life, nothing bothers him.

What causes contractions

How does the body understand that it is necessary to give birth? Ideally, if a woman during pregnancy did not have stress, she ate right, led an active lifestyle, did not lie on the couch all day and ate healthy foods, then the onset of childbirth is determined by the “ripe” fetus, that is, the baby.

As soon as the baby is ready to be born into this world and live outside the mother's body on its own, the uterus accumulates the necessary amount of the hormone and pushes the baby out to start a new stage in life. Childbirth is a colossal work of the whole organism, which has been “training” for all 9 months. Hormones play a paramount role here.

Thus, prolactin, which maintained pregnancy, decreases in concentration at the time of delivery. At the same time, there is an increase in hormones such as oxytocin, endorphin and estrogen. Under the influence of just such hormones, the onset of childbirth takes place, and from their quantity - the intensity and speed of the birth process.

false contractions

Training (“trial”) contractions before childbirth help the body of the uterus behave correctly during the birth itself. That is why the so-called Higgins contractions are a mandatory and very useful training for the whole body of a pregnant woman, regardless of the number of previous births. We learn and define the harbingers of a certain state - training bouts.

How to accurately determine before childbirth, dividing the symptoms into training and real contractions? The inner feelings of a pregnant woman, who is trying to distinguish between training contractions and true ones, can be described as follows:

• cramping pains (or not noticeable for some pregnant women), which disappear before childbirth, starting from the sixth month;
• there is no periodicity of contractions before childbirth, for example, every three hours, every hour, etc., these are short-term mild pains;
• the stomach rises, even the shape of the stomach can change, it resembles a rounded even ball, then everything returns to the opposite position;
• with false manifestations, pain in the back is not felt, this is very important, the pregnant woman feels only compression of the abdomen, a slight unpleasant condition.

How to recognize and distinguish before childbirth for those who have never given birth? It's pretty easy if you take care of yourself. The main thing is the absence of acute severe pain of discharge and back pain. Everything else is the norm, which differs depending on the characteristics of the body. Some women who carried and gave birth to three babies never experienced the manifestations of Higgins contractions, which can also be observed during sleep.

When you should not wait and think about how to determine the beginning of contractions

In obstetrics and gynecology, there is such a thing as an "urgent" condition requiring urgent hospitalization. Particularly relevant are such moments when the pregnancy is pathological, and the woman in labor is at risk:

• hypertensive;
• diabetic;
• multiple pregnancy;
• a child of great weight;
• anomalies in the development of internal organs (in a child or mother);
• oncology in the mother;
• abnormally narrow pelvis;
• underweight (wasting);
• past childbirth deaths.

All such women should understand that the slightest risk can result in irreparable consequences. Therefore, if you have the following symptoms, it is important to immediately consult a doctor:

• increase in body temperature;
• sharp throbbing pain in the abdomen, chest, back;
• discharge of any nature, especially yellow, green, red, brown or scarlet;
• if there is a frequency of contractions ahead of schedule(up to 36 weeks);
• the mother does not hear the movement of the baby for some period and at the same time the stomach aches.

All these conditions do not need additional verification and symptomatic manifestation. The main task of the woman in labor and her family is to deliver the pregnant woman to the maternity or gynecological department as soon as possible.

Pregnancy is an exciting and difficult period in the life of every woman. At this time, the expectant mother has a lot of questions and worries. She is interested in changes in her body, growth and development of the baby, possible risks, preparation for childbirth. A rather relevant topic in the last stages of bearing a baby is the question of how to understand that contractions are starting, as well as how to distinguish true contractions from training ones.

What are contractions

Contractions in medicine are called regular contractions of the uterus of an involuntary nature, necessary for the opening of the cervix, as well as the passage of the child through the birth canal and the separation of the afterbirth from the woman in labor. Many are accustomed to believing that when contractions appear, they will certainly be followed by labor, but in practice this is not so, because there are still false so-called training contractions.

Trial contractions are named after their discoverer, Dr. Braxton-Hicks. In the 9th century, a doctor first described the short and relatively painless sensations in a woman during pregnancy. Such feelings arise in girls, as a rule, at the 20th week of gestation, they are distinguished by a lack of regularity and intervals between them. Sometimes such contractions can be observed in the early stages of pregnancy.

At the first detection of such contractions, many women are worried, because these sensations can occur several times a day. After some time, the expectant mother gets used to such symptoms and treats them more calmly.

Articles written

Braxton Hicks contractions are quite normal, because the uterus is a muscular organ that is constantly contracting. This occurs when walking, uncomfortable body position, bending, turning. When these sensations appear, a woman is recommended to change her position or walk a little, stretch.

Training bouts

Braxton-Hicks contractions are also called false, training, prenatal, preliminary, or harbingers of childbirth. Harbingers are considered to be uterine contractions observed shortly before childbirth. This is the preparation of the woman's body for the upcoming birth process. As a rule, such contractions do not cause the cervix to dilate. Many parents take them for the onset of labor, so they rush to go to the hospital. To avoid unnecessary trouble, you need to know how false contractions differ from real ones. This information can be found in the article.

How not to miss an important moment

As already mentioned, false or training contractions can mislead a pregnant woman. They are of a short, irregular nature, characterized by a lack of dynamics. A change in body position, a warm bath, or a relaxing massage usually helps relieve tension with such sensations.

As for true contractions, they are the main harbinger of the onset of labor. When they come, it is impossible not to feel them. Let's figure out how to understand that contractions have begun and what feelings a woman experiences at the same time.

How to recognize the onset of labor? The body of each representative of the weaker sex is individual, therefore it is impossible to accurately describe what she will feel during childbirth. For some mothers, contractions can last 12 or more hours, while for others this process takes only 3-4 hours. Their intensity and duration may depend on many factors, for example, physiological characteristics the structure of the skeleton of the woman in labor, the position of the baby, muscle tone uterus.

What do contractions feel like and where does it hurt when they start? Some women describe this process as aching, pulling pain in the lower abdomen and lower back. Others compare this feeling to the sensations during menstruation. Still others note that the uterus seems to be turning to stone. It should be noted that in all girls, true contractions are accompanied by an increase in pain and the appearance of regularity.

Of course, such sensations can also appear in expectant mothers during false contractions, so it is necessary to highlight the signs that indicate precisely the true onset of childbirth:

• it is possible to distinguish real contractions before childbirth from false ones on such a basis as a constant increase in their intensity and duration;
• the interval between uterine contractions is constantly decreasing;
• pain becomes more intense.

If at the initial stage a woman feels slight pain every 30 minutes, then soon the interval between uterine contractions is shortened and contractions are observed every 15-20 minutes. The more often they occur, the more intense the pain becomes. This is a completely normal process, because pain indicates the opening of the uterus and preparation for the birth process.

Phases of contractions during childbirth

If we conditionally divide the period of contractions before childbirth into phases, we can distinguish several stages of this process:

• latent or hidden;
• active;
• deceleration phase.

The initial stage lasts about 8-10 hours and is characterized by moderate pain. In this case, the contractions last about 4 seconds, and the time between them is 5-7 minutes. In the latent phase, the uterus dilates by about 1-3 cm.

The active stage lasts from 2 to 5 hours. The duration of uterine contraction in this case is about a minute, and the intervals between contractions are about 2-4 minutes. The cervix at this stage opens from 3 to 7 cm.

Most FAQ, who ask themselves and their acquaintances who have already given birth, expectant mothers: “How will I know that childbirth has begun? Am I missing the onset of labor? Are there any signs that labor is about to begin? Of course, it is difficult to accurately predict the date of birth, but still there are some signs by which you can determine that a child may be born soon.

Usually, childbirth does not happen suddenly, our body cannot change overnight - it does not happen that an hour ago nothing foreshadowed the onset of labor, and suddenly they began abruptly. Childbirth is always preceded by some changes in the body. What should expectant mothers pay attention to?

There are so-called harbingers of childbirth- external tangible changes in the body, which indicate preparation for the onset of childbirth. The reason for their appearance is a sharp increase in the amount of estrogen before childbirth. The activity of these hormones affects both the well-being and behavior of a woman. For some, the harbingers appear 2 weeks before the upcoming birth, while for someone just a few hours before them. For some, the harbingers of childbirth are intensely expressed, for some they go unnoticed. There are several harbingers of childbirth, but in order to understand that childbirth will begin soon, one or two of them are enough.

false contractions

False contractions may appear after. The false contractions are more intense than the Braxton-Hicks contractions that a woman could already feel from. False contractions, like Braxton-Hicks contractions, are trained before the upcoming birth, they are irregular and painless, the intervals between them do not decrease. Real labor pains, on the contrary, are regular, their strength gradually increases, they become longer and more painful, and the intervals between them are reduced. That's when you can already say that the birth began for real. In the meantime, false contractions are going on, it is not necessary to go to the maternity hospital - you can easily survive them at home.

Prolapse of the abdomen

Approximately two to three weeks before delivery, the baby, in preparation for birth, presses the presenting part (usually the head) against the lower segment of the uterus and pulls it down. The uterus, which was previously in the abdominal cavity, moves to the pelvic region, the upper part of the uterus (bottom), descending, ceases to put pressure on internal organs chest and abdominal cavity. As soon as the stomach drops, the expectant mother notices that it has become easier for her to breathe, although it becomes more difficult to sit and walk, on the contrary. Belching also disappears (after all, the uterus no longer presses on the diaphragm and stomach). But, having dropped down, the uterus begins to put pressure on bladder- Naturally, urination becomes more frequent.

For some, prolapse of the uterus causes a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen and even mild pain in the inguinal ligaments. Sometimes electric discharges run through someone's legs and lower back. All these sensations also arise due to the fact that the presenting part of the fetus moves down and is "inserted" into the entrance of the woman's small pelvis, while irritating its nerve endings.

In the second and subsequent births, the stomach drops later - right before the birth. It happens that this harbinger of childbirth is not at all.

Weight loss

Approximately two weeks before childbirth, weight may decrease, usually it decreases by 0.5-2 kg. This happens because excess fluid is removed from the body and decreases. If earlier during pregnancy, under the influence of the hormone progesterone, fluid in the body of a pregnant woman accumulated, now, before childbirth, the effect of progesterone decreases, but other female sex hormones, estrogens, begin to work hard. They remove excess fluid from the body of the expectant mother. Often future mom notices that at the end of pregnancy it became easier for her to put on rings, gloves, shoes - this reduced swelling on the hands and feet.

Change of stool

In addition, hormones also relax the muscles of the intestines, which can lead to upset stools. Sometimes such an increase in stool (up to 2-3 times a day) with liquefaction of feces is taken by women for an intestinal infection. However, if there is no nausea, vomiting, changes in the color and smell of feces, or any other symptoms of intoxication, you should not worry: this is one of the harbingers of the upcoming birth.

Decreased appetite

On the eve of childbirth, all desire to eat for two disappears, and sometimes you don’t feel like eating at all. All this is also the preparation of the body for natural childbirth.

Change in emotional state

It has been noticed that many women have a mood change a few days before giving birth. Usually, the expectant mother feels tired, she wants to rest, sleep more, apathy appears. This state is quite understandable - you need to gather strength to prepare for childbirth. Often, just before giving birth, a woman seeks to retire, looking for a secluded place where you can hide and focus on yourself and your experiences.

Changing the child's behavior

Kid in last days before childbirth, too, subsides. His motor activity is reduced, while according to the data, ultrasound and other studies, he is completely healthy. It's just that the child has already gained sufficient weight and height, and often there is simply nowhere for him to turn around in the uterus. In addition, the baby is also gaining strength before a long job.

Discomfort

A few days before giving birth, many expectant mothers experience some discomfort in the lower abdomen and in the sacrum. Most often, they are similar to those that occur on the eve of or during menstruation - the stomach or lower back periodically pulls, sometimes these are mild aching pains. They appear during the passage of the mucous plug or before. Such discomfort occurs due to stretching of the pelvic ligaments, increased blood flow to the uterus, or as a result of the omission of the uterine fundus.

Removal of the mucous plug

This is one of the main and obvious harbingers of childbirth. During pregnancy, the glands in the cervix produce a secret (it looks like a thick jelly and forms the so-called cork), which prevents various microorganisms from entering the uterine cavity. Before childbirth, under the influence of estrogens, the cervix softens, the cervical canal opens slightly and the cork can come out - the woman will see that clots of mucus of a jelly-like consistency remain on the linen. The cork may be different color- white, transparent, yellowish-brown or pink-red. Often it is stained with blood - this is completely normal and may indicate that childbirth will occur within the next day. The mucus plug can come out all at once (at once) or come out piecemeal throughout the day. Usually, the discharge of the cork does not affect the well-being of the expectant mother in any way, but sometimes at the time of its release, sips are felt in the lower abdomen (as before menstruation).

The mucous plug can go away two weeks before the birth, and can stay inside almost until the baby is born. If the cork is out, but there are no contractions, you should not immediately go to the hospital: just call the doctor and consult. However, if the cork has come off earlier than two weeks before the expected date of birth, or there is a lot of bright red blood in it, you should immediately contact the maternity hospital.

Usually, the expectant mother has two or three signs of an approaching birth. But it happens that there are no harbingers at all. This does not mean that the body is not preparing for childbirth: it is quite possible that a woman simply does not notice the precursors or they will appear immediately before childbirth.

What to do if there are any harbingers of childbirth? Usually you don’t need to do anything, because the harbingers are completely natural, they just say that the body is rebuilding and preparing for the birth of a child. Therefore, you should not worry and go to the hospital as soon as, for example, training contractions have begun or the mucous plug has come off.

Discussion

If I were you, I'd call an ambulance, or I'd go to the hospital myself.

01/05/2019 13:52:13, 201z

Hello. Tell me 33 weeks on ultrasound, 36 on monthly.
The abdomen hardens in the evening and tingles a little at the bottom. In the morning, sometimes an unpleasant feeling, like before menstruation (the stomach does not hurt, but it attracts and the back aches) ... I run to the toilet, well, sooo often .... How can I react to this?)

07/16/2016 06:43:34, Nadezhdatoz

Comment on the article "How to know that the birth is coming soon? Harbingers: 9 symptoms of an upcoming birth"

How does childbirth begin? Look at the chair. That is, after some time after the "examination" contractions slowly begin, as in normal childbirth. if the waters went according to Russian rules, you have How to understand that childbirth is coming soon? When did trial contractions start?

How to know that the birth is coming soon? Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth. I went every week at the last dates - they did CTG, doppler, measured contractions (I always have training ones, only they are completely different than generic ones).

Harbingers. Girls, tell me what are the harbingers of childbirth and how long they last. Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth. Are there any signs of how to know that childbirth is coming soon? Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth.

How to know that the birth is coming soon? Harbingers: 9 symptoms. Approximately two or three weeks before delivery, the child, preparing for birth, presses the presenting part (usually the head) against the lower segment of the uterus and pulls it. Heartburn and belching also disappear ...

How to know that the birth is coming soon? Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth. Pregnancy and childbirth: conception, tests, ultrasound, toxicosis, childbirth, C-section, giving. Well, soon! You let's hang on there! Good luck with your birth, in advance, you never know when the baby ...

How does childbirth begin? If such events do not give the desired effect, then help will be provided in the hospital: firstly ... I didn’t feel it. strong painful contractions began when I got to the prenatal ward. and before that, maybe I wouldn’t have understood if the doctor hadn’t ...

Childbirth begins: harbingers of childbirth, options for the onset of childbirth. Print version. We are planning childbirth: is it possible How to find out that childbirth is coming soon? Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth. Are there any signs that labor is about to begin?

What are the harbingers of childbirth? How to understand that childbirth is coming soon? When did trial contractions start? Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth. Signs of the onset of labor: false contractions, prolapse of the abdomen and other changes in the body.

About the approach of childbirth - a stupid question. Signs - soon childbirth. How to spot contractions. How does childbirth begin? 2-3 days before the birth, there is a decrease in the body weight of the pregnant woman by 1-2 kg. How do you know that the birth is coming soon?

How to understand that childbirth has begun? Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth. Signs of the onset of labor: false contractions, drooping of the abdomen, and You can :) I noticed three births only after the onset of labor with a frequency of 3-5 minutes :) But there is a plus in this, in ...

Signs - soon childbirth. How to spot contractions. Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth. How does childbirth begin? 2-3 days before the birth, there is a decrease in the body weight of the pregnant woman by 1-2 kg. How do you know that the birth is coming soon?

What are the harbingers of childbirth? How to understand that childbirth is coming soon? When did trial contractions start? And then I have no training. The contractions just started. I remember exactly the first contraction, which, as it were, encircled the lower abdomen. Further, it resembled contractions during menstruation.

The first question is: how to understand that the contractions have already begun, and not just any pain? It is clear that they must be repeated through the Second Question. One friend advised me to drink nosh-pu before childbirth, a few weeks in advance, she said that the uterus is better prepared for childbirth ...

Childbirth does not always begin with contractions, sometimes they begin with a rupture of the fetal bladder. Do they always have training contractions or not? and how to understand it or not? something I Contractions testify to the onset of childbirth. (In addition to contractions, at the beginning of labor they can ...

What are the harbingers of childbirth? How to understand that childbirth is coming soon? Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth. Signs of the onset of labor: false contractions, prolapse of the abdomen and Labor begins: harbingers of labor, options for the onset of labor. Print version.

How does childbirth begin? Harbingers of an upcoming birth. What are the phases of childbirth? You never know what will happen on the way ... Why not do an enema and shave immediately after the onset of childbirth and How to know that childbirth is coming soon? Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth.

Section: Childbirth (Who knows what?) Signs of approaching childbirth. How to know that the birth is coming soon? Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth. If earlier during pregnancy, under the influence of the hormone progesterone, the fluid in the body of a pregnant woman ...

Pregnancy and childbirth: conception, tests, ultrasound, toxicosis, childbirth, caesarean section, giving. How to know that the birth is coming soon? How to know that the birth is coming soon? Harbingers: 9 symptoms. 5. How quickly does labor occur in case of premature rupture of the membranes?

How does childbirth begin? 2-3 days before the birth, there is a decrease in the body weight of the pregnant woman by 1-2 kg. How do you know that the birth is coming soon? So, you started having regular contractions or amniotic fluid began to break, in other words, childbirth began. What to do?

How to know that the birth is coming soon? Harbingers: 9 symptoms of approaching childbirth. Harbingers: 9 symptoms. The baby in the last days before the birth also subsides. What dreams do you have for pregnancy Oddly enough, in the first place are dreams associated with fish.

Contractions are rhythmic contractions of the uterus, which are felt as a feeling of pressure in the abdominal cavity, which can be felt throughout the abdomen. A pregnant woman may feel such contractions even weeks before the baby is born. The table shows the differences between "false" and true contractions.

sign	false contractions	True contractions
Number of times per day	4-6 times a day, no more than 2 hours in a row	More than 8 times in 2 hours
Duration	a few seconds, rarely up to a minute	Builds up over time
Intensity	Weakens or does not change	Builds up over time
	Irregular	Regular, increases over time
Pause between contractions	very fluctuate and can be from 10-15 to 20-30 minutes	Decrease over time
Appearance time	After 24 weeks, increasing towards childbirth	Start of labor
When changing body position and after massage, warm bath, aromatherapy	Are being discontinued	Do not change

What happens during contractions?

Due to contraction of the muscles of the uterus during contractions and pressure on the cervix of the fetal bladder or the presenting part of the fetus after the outflow of amniotic fluid, the cervix is ​​shortened to smoothing. This continues for 4-6 hours and is called the latent phase of labor. At first, the contractions are weak and not painful, the intervals between them are about half an hour, and sometimes more, the contraction of the uterus itself lasts 5-10 seconds. Gradually, the intensity and duration of contractions increase, and the intervals between contractions gradually decrease. Between contractions, the abdomen is relaxed. Pain during contractions is due to the opening of the cervix, compression of nerve endings, tension of the uterine ligaments. Sometimes the first tremors are felt in the lumbar region, then spread to the stomach, becoming girdle.
Pulling sensations can also occur in the uterus itself, and not in the lumbar region. Pain during contractions (in case you cannot relax or find a comfortable position) resembles the pain that often accompanies menstruation. The strength of the pain sensation depends on the individual characteristics of the threshold of pain sensitivity, the emotional mood of the woman and her attitude to the birth of the child. It is important not to be afraid of childbirth and labor pain. After all, the whole process of childbirth takes only a few hours, and labor pain is quickly forgotten. You can often hear from women giving birth that the contractions were either completely painless, or the pain was quite tolerable. During contractions, the body releases its own painkillers. In addition, from pain help to get rid of the techniques of relaxation and proper breathing mastered during pregnancy.

What should be done during contractions?

You have some time to take a shower, put on clean underwear, cut your nails and wash off the varnish from them. For many women, shaving the perineum upon admission to the hospital is a very unpleasant moment. However, this procedure is necessary, as it allows you to control the degree of stretching of the perineum during childbirth, to prevent its rupture, and in case of injury, it is better to match the tissues during suturing. Feelings of embarrassment can be avoided if you perform this simple procedure at home on your own. Just take a brand new razor and treat your skin well with an antiseptic solution or antibacterial soap.
You should go to the hospital when the contractions become regular, and will come every 10-15 minutes. If a clear interval between contractions has not yet been established, but they are accompanied by severe pain, it is also necessary to consult a doctor. If the childbirth is repeated, then with the onset of regular contractions, it is better to go to the hospital immediately (often, repeated childbirth is swift, so it is better not to hesitate). During contractions, you can choose a body position that is convenient for you: you can lie on your side, walk, stand on all fours or kneel. Keep track of the duration of contractions and the intervals between them. Try to walk, get on all fours, ride a big ball.
During contractions, slowly, deeply and rhythmically inhale air through your nose and exhale it through your mouth. If the contractions become very strong, frequent shallow breathing, in which the inhalation is also made through the nose, and the exhalation through the mouth, will help. From the very beginning of the contraction, stroke the lower half of the abdomen. You can massage the lower back with fists or an open palm on both sides of the spine, up and down, to the base of the coccyx. After a contraction, there is always a period of time when there is no pain, you can relax and unwind. Do not forget to empty your bladder regularly - this stimulates contractions.

What can not be done?

During contractions, you can not sit and lie on your back;
can't eat;
you can’t take painkillers on your own: they won’t relieve normal labor pain, but they can mask important symptoms;
You can not stay at home in the following cases:
a) if bleeding occurs;
b) if you are worried about headache, blurred vision, pain in the epigastric region and in the uterus;
c) if the child's movements became very violent or, on the contrary, began to feel bad;

In these cases, it is necessary to get to the hospital as quickly as possible, ideally by ambulance with medical escort.

What should a husband do?

Usually, the expectant mother endures the first contractions quite easily: they last 15-20 seconds and repeat every 15-20 minutes. At this time, you can still chat with your wife about something abstract, create a reserve Have a good mood, joke and dream.
During the fight, help your wife use her imagination. Let her imagine that the fight is a wave, and your wife is overcoming this wave.
Breathe with your wife, especially if she is out of rhythm. To set her up for proper breathing, first copy her breathing, and then gradually change the frequency of your breathing, and already your wife will unconsciously copy your breathing.
Remind her of techniques that relieve pain. You can try to save your spouse from discomfort by massaging her back in a circular motion from the lower back and below or tapping with your fingertips on pain points, stroke your stomach from the bottom up and to the sides.
Persuade her to walk around the room, inviting her beloved to lean on your hand. Walking speeds up the birth process by 30%. This is especially important at the initial stage of childbirth.
Before leaving for the maternity hospital, it is necessary to check the availability of documents: passport, exchange card, insurance policy, labor contract (if any). If there is an individual agreement for childbirth, with the onset of contractions, call the doctor who will conduct your childbirth. If you are going to wait for the baby to appear in the hospital, then you can take a small bag of sandwiches with you, while you need to carefully make sure that your wife does not eat anything.

The question of how to understand when contractions begin is relevant mainly for primiparous women who have no idea how this period of childbirth proceeds. Contractions are expected with trepidation and excitement, with fears, and therefore pregnant women “listen” to their body with special attention in the last trimester of pregnancy. In this article, we will talk about how contractions begin and whether they can be confused with something else.

What it is?

The name itself contains the physiological essence of what is happening. A contraction is the moment when the muscles of the uterus contract. They used to say "grabs", "grabs". This folk definition also migrated to textbooks on medicine, and the word became the official medical definition.

Before giving birth, large-scale changes begin in the body of a pregnant woman. The cells of the uterine tissue - myocytes, in themselves do not have a great ability to contract, compress or stretch. In order for contractions to begin, they must accumulate a sufficient amount of a special protein - actomyosin. It is he who is actively produced a few days before childbirth, more often 48 hours. Simultaneously with this process, the placenta and pituitary gland begin to produce a special hormone - oxytocin, which puts the muscles of the uterus on high alert and provokes contractions.

With the first labor pains, the important process of opening the cervix begins. The fight, appearing from one part of the uterus, extends to the entire genital organ. The round muscle, which is the neck, begins to gradually open up. This is necessary so that the fetus, when the time comes, can leave the mother's womb. The baby's head is larger than the cervix, and therefore the latter needs to open up to 10-12 centimeters for the entire period of contractions, then the baby will be able to leave the cozy space, which has become too small for him.

Uterine contractions "compress" the fetal bladder. Therefore, at a certain stage of childbirth, the amniotic membranes do not withstand, burst, there is an outpouring amniotic fluid. Without full contractions, natural childbirth is impossible.

If the cervix does not dilate or it occurs very slowly, labor is stimulated or a caesarean section is performed.

False and true - differences

The purpose of true labor pains is clear and obvious. But with false contractions, women often have reasonable questions. Physicians and scientists today do not understand the true purpose of false contractions (contractions according to Braxton Hicks). But it is absolutely certain that short-term uterine tension in pregnant women at any time from the 20th week cannot in any way affect the date of birth.

They do not lead to the opening of the cervix, do not put pressure on the fetal bladder. False contractions are not accompanied by the production of oxytocin and actomyosin protein. There is a version that with the help of short-term contractions, the uterus prepares for childbirth, as if “rehearsing”. Training contractions are not observed in all women, they are practically painless and completely safe.

Such contractions are felt as irregular episodes of increased uterine tone.

Unpleasant sensations are quite possible, but they will not be painful. Rather, they can be described as sipping or aching in the very bottom of the abdomen on the left and right. The sensation is due to tension and tension in the ligaments that hold the uterus. The stomach stiffens and after a few seconds or minutes it “lets go”. The next fight can be repeated in five minutes, and in five hours, and in a few days. Training bouts have no regularity, cyclicity, orderliness.

This is the main feature that will allow you to recognize false contractions from true ones, which always have a certain frequency, duration and sequence. In other words, contractions during the onset of labor will be repeated at certain intervals, last a certain number of seconds, and increase as they develop.

Painful sensations during a real fight are localized in the back, lower back, over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe abdomen. The pain begins from the back and lower back and gradually “encircles” the stomach below and above. When changing the position of the body, taking No-Shpy or papaverine tablets, when taking a shower, false contractions usually recede. Real ones cannot be slowed down, delayed or stopped.

Determining the difference will not be difficult, obstetricians say. Real labor pains feel completely different. The nature of sensations, the place of pain, cyclicity and regularity - these are the main signs that will help a woman to orientate in what is happening in time.

Today, women have access to special applications for smartphones, the so-called counter programs, which will notify their owner that her contractions are real, they will also indicate when it is time to go to the maternity hospital.

Harbingers

Almost always, labor pains are preceded by so-called symptoms - precursors. They can appear during pregnancy both a few days before the birth of the baby, and just a few hours before the birth. As already mentioned, before childbirth, serious hormonal, biochemical and physiological changes occur in a woman's body. And these changes can be manifested by the following signs.

• Dropping of the abdomen. It is considered a harbinger only conditionally, since in some the stomach drops long before childbirth.
• Weight loss. A week before giving birth, on average, a woman can lose 1-3 kilograms due to a decrease in the amount of water, due to hormonal changes and a decrease in progesterone levels.
• Diarrhea. loose stool occurs in every second pregnant woman. It is believed that this is how a woman's body is "cleansed" before childbirth.
• Mood swings, depression, anxiety, insomnia- usually increase 3-4 days before delivery.
• Removal of the mucous plug. This is a lump of yellowish, transparent, pinkish mucus, with or without blood streaks. After the cork is released, childbirth can begin in a few hours or a few days.
• Strengthening the frequency of training contractions.
• Increased vaginal discharge.

It is not necessary that all these "harbingers" are felt in the complex. But even 1-2 signs from the list may well serve as a signal for readiness. When harbingers appear, you should not immediately grab a bag with things and documents and run to the maternity hospital. It can be quite a long time before giving birth. It all depends on how a particular female body perceives hormonal changes, how fast the preparation of the uterus and the maturation of the cervix will proceed. It should soften, and it is this process in the precursor stage that can lead to the discharge of the mucous plug from the cervical canal.

The cork may not come out, you do not need to be afraid of this. More precisely, she will definitely come out, but a woman may not notice this, since this can happen during urination. Often, the cork leaves its place in the cervical canal along with the waters or at the first stage of labor pains.

Start

Pregnant women are very suspicious, and therefore any changes in their well-being before childbirth can be perceived as a sign that contractions are starting. On this topic, experienced obstetricians like to say that it is impossible to skip contractions, and if there is any doubt, then the birth has not yet begun.

You can understand that they have begun by the regularity of contractions. Already from the very first there will be a noticeable definite pattern. The latent period always starts first, the longest. In primiparas, it can last up to 10-12 hours, in women who have given birth earlier - up to 8 hours. During this period, the uterus should open up to 3 centimeters. The opening is slow, the uterus contracts and relaxes. The fight begins involuntarily, without the participation of the will of the woman, and ends after a certain period of time with relaxation.

In the latent stage, the contractions will increase gradually. At first, they can occur every 30-40 minutes. The duration of the contraction itself is small - no more than 20 seconds. Feelings during real contractions leave no doubt about what is happening - a woman feels girdle painful compression of the uterus both in the back, and in the lower back, and along the entire abdominal wall. This means that the very first contractions will occur relatively infrequently. Between them, the woman will have about half an hour to rest.

Since the stage is long, there is still time to check all the things that were collected in the maternity hospital, the presence of all required documents, you can not rush to go to the medical facility. You can walk, take a shower, change clothes, some even sing to distract themselves. You need to try to relax as much as possible and tune in to a positive and easy birth. With all this, a woman should monitor the frequency of contractions and the duration of the breaks between them, either using a stopwatch or a watch with a second hand, or using a special program on a smartphone.

You need to go to the hospital when the contractions are repeated every 10-15 minutes.

At the end of the latent period, the period of active contractions begins. It lasts about 4-5 hours, during which time the cervix will open a little more and the opening will be up to 7 centimeters. Contractions intensify, repeat on average every 3-4 minutes and last up to 60 seconds. This period will require a woman's concentration, attention and certain knowledge of the rules of behavior in childbirth - breathing, postures that facilitate the strength of contractions.

The active period ends with a deceleration period. The strongest contractions for all childbirth appear - transitional. They lead to the full disclosure of the cervix up to 10-12 centimeters. This period lasts from half an hour to an hour and a half. In primiparous - longer than in multiparous. After that, there is a feeling of downward pressure, as if the woman suddenly wanted to empty her intestines. This is the beginning of attempts and the end of the first stage of childbirth.

preterm birth often accompanied by early or prenatal outflow of water. If the waters have broken and the contractions have not come, the woman does not need to wait for them to appear. You should immediately go to the maternity hospital, since a long waterless period is extremely dangerous for both the child and his mother. And after a spontaneous rupture of the fetal bladder and after its opening (amniotomy), a woman should be under the supervision of doctors.

Contractions can begin at any time of the day - day, night, morning or evening. But in most cases, women note that they felt the first contractions in the afternoon. They are more pronounced when lying down.

In 10% of cases, childbirth begins with the discharge of amniotic fluid. In only 5% of cases, labor begins on the day indicated as the expected day of delivery (EDD). In the rest, the appearance of contractions can be expected from 37-38 weeks of pregnancy and later. Childbirth before 37 weeks is considered premature.

How to act?

If a woman feels that contractions have come, and determines that they are real, true, there is no need to panic. There is plenty of time to calmly drink tea, take a shower and come to the hospital with things without haste. You need to tune in correctly, remember everything that was taught in the courses for expectant mothers.

Already from the first latent stage of contractions, a woman can take control of her condition in own hands. Proper breathing will help her. You need to inhale deeply and slowly and exhale slowly. As the pain intensifies, the contraction can be "breathed" by using shallow short breathing based on deep breaths and frequent exhalations, as well as dog breathing.