Pregnant women are looking forward to the birth of their baby. They scrupulously relate to their body, listen to it and try to understand whether it is time for them to give birth. And the more false fights appear, the more they are similar to true fights.
What is the origin of false contractions?
To begin with, it is worth mentioning that they are of two types: these are fights, called Braxton-Hicks fights, and precursor ones. The first of these may begin to appear from the fifth month of pregnancy. At the same time, they can have a calm and painless character. The second, in turn, is felt by the pregnant woman more painfully and begins to appear a month or less before delivery.
At the moment, doctors can not say exactly why this phenomenon occurs. But they are more inclined to the idea that this is how the body tunes a woman, helps her prepare for childbirth.
False contractions: symptoms
They include:
- irregular and unpredictable reductions;
- there is no progression of contractions, that is, they appear equally;
- the nature of the pain does not change over time.
If the contractions remain unchanged in terms of duration, intensity and interval, then most likely they are false, not true. For many prospective parents, the term "false" is misleading. This does not mean that the expectant mother is not experiencing anything. On the contrary, there are reductions and they are very tangible, but they do not change over time.
The difference between false and true fights
The main difference is the time between bouts. If this period decreases, and the pain becomes stronger, then these are true fights.
At the beginning of labor, contractions become more intense. Sometimes this is a gradual transition that occurs over many hours. And sometimes a sharp change in contractions can occur, which is often accompanied by a change in the position of the child, for example, its rotation. At the time when the baby begins to go out, the mother has very intense and quite painful contractions.
You do not know how to distinguish false fights from real fights? Remember that with real contractions, mom will notice a downward shift in pain, while pressure inside the abdomen and pain intensity will change. This is a sure sign that the child is moving down. At the beginning of labor, pain usually begins high in the abdomen and is felt throughout the abdomen and lower back. In the case of false contractions, pain often manifests itself in the lower abdomen and groin area, while its nature does not change.
False contractions have similar symptoms to real ones. Another distinguishing feature is the dependence on the motor activity of the expectant mother and contractions. At the beginning of labor, labor pains continue regardless of the mother’s movements and can increase even more with her increased activity, such as walking. False ones often stop regardless of the mother’s actions. They have a spontaneous character, that is, they suddenly begin and also suddenly end.
But even after determining these signs, the expectant mother cannot be sure that she does not actually give birth. Very often it happens that false contractions become true. So if in doubt, consult your doctor. Keep in mind that if contractions continue, become stronger and more intense, these are probably real fights!
Do I need to go to the hospital?
Some women may ignore how they feel. But do not be afraid to visit a doctor. Inspection at the reception with a specialist will help to figure out what is the matter. After asking you a few questions, the doctor will determine what contractions you have and answer all your questions.
The reasons for the trip to the hospital should be not only the contractions that have appeared, but also blood discharge, intense uterine contractions with a change in the interval, and the appearance of amniotic fluid.