How easy is the fight to endure, and what is it all about? As a rule, expectant mothers begin to think about this when the long nine months of waiting come to an end. When the ninth month comes to an end, it becomes much easier for mom to breathe, since her immense size belly is already dropping.
An alarming suitcase is already ready, the documents in the hospital are in a very prominent place and are waiting for such a long-awaited trip. A future mother begins to experience new sensations. Especially the primiparas begin to panic.
How to understand that the contractions have begun? After all, they do not always speak of the onset of labor.
Training fights and harbingers
How to distinguish real fights from training? The latter begin to be noted by pregnant women, starting from the fifth month of pregnancy. They appear in the form of compression of the uterus for no more than two minutes. This process can be recognized by the "petrified" belly. This phenomenon is also called Braxton-Hicks contractions, which can occur until the very end of pregnancy. Distinctive features:
- they are irregular;
- short-term;
- painless.
Their true nature is still unknown, it is believed that this is how the body prepares for the process of childbirth. These workouts can be triggered by:
- physical overstrain;
- increased emotional activity;
- stress
- fatigue
- response to fetal movement;
- sexual contact.
As for the periodicity, there is no definite answer - everything is individual. Some feel the training fights several times per hour, others once every few days, and there are some women who have not experienced this at all or simply do not feel them.
If you feel discomfort at these moments, then it is quite simple to eliminate it - change your position or lie down. These contractions can not harm the child or provoke the disclosure of the cervix, panic and go to the hospital is not necessary. Take Braxton Hicks contractions as a natural moment of pregnancy.
In addition to training fights, there are so-called precursors that a woman can feel from the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy. Please note that these false contractions also have no effect on the fetus and the opening of the cervix. Feels like they are stronger and brighter than training ones. How to distinguish them from the real ones? There are intervals between fights of any nature; in false ones it does not decrease, but the intensity does not increase. You can eliminate them using:
- a warm bath;
- sleep
- a snack.
What are real fights, how to understand that they began? Distinctive features of labor pains:
- lack of control by a woman (they cannot be eliminated in any way);
- the intervals between them are reduced;
- there is an increase in intensity.
The initial phase of labor pains: duration - twenty seconds, intervals - twenty minutes. Opening moment of the cervix: duration - one minute, intervals - two minutes. You will find some more information on this topic in the table below.
| Characteristics | Training | Harbingers | Generic |
| first impressions | 20 week | 37-39 week | the beginning of labor |
| how often do you feel | single manifestations | 1 time in half an hour, there is no decrease in intervals | the first phase - once every 20 minutes, the final - bouts every minute |
| Feel | painless | moderate pain | increasing character |
| localization | uterine anterior wall | underbelly | lower back and girdle pain in the abdomen |
Functions
Fights have many functions. It all depends on the period of delivery:
- the first period is the opening of the cervix;
- the second is the extortion of the fetus;
- early postpartum - separation of the placenta, the prevention of bleeding;
- late postpartum - the return of the previous size of the uterus.
Contractions before childbirth
There are several phases:
- hidden;
- active;
- deceleration phase.
Each of these phases has its own characteristics (period duration, intervals, and so on). You can find more detailed information in the table below.
| Characteristics / Phases | Hidden | Active | Slowdowns |
| duration | about eight hours | about five hours | from 30 minutes to an hour and a half |
| contractions frequency (minutes) | twenty | four | three |
| fights | about twenty seconds | no more than forty seconds | one minute |
| disclosure (cm) | maximum three | maximum seven | twelve maximum |
The table shows the averaged data, which are considered the norm during labor. Real time depends on many factors:
- the first is childbirth or repeated;
- physical fitness;
- psychological readiness;
- anatomical features and so on.
First and subsequent birth
Contractions in the nulliparous (duration of labor, cervical dilatation rate and many other parameters) are slightly different from those who give birth to a second or third child. The thing is that the body has a memory.
If you are not giving birth for the first time, then the birth canal will open about four hours faster, that is, the period of labor will become much shorter. This becomes possible, since the internal and external pharynx open simultaneously, and in the primipara, everything happens sequentially. With repeated birth, many women note the intensity and active dynamics of labor. If the difference between the children is about eight to ten years old, then you are unlikely to feel the difference between the first and subsequent births.
Despite this, it is important to understand that childbirth is a very individual multifactorial process.
Feel
How does a woman recognize contractions? The first thing you should pay attention to is the nature of the pain. Contractions before childbirth resemble menstrual pulling pains in the lower abdomen and lower back. Some additionally feel pressure and heaviness. The first contractions bring discomfort more than the pain that appears with an increase in the intensity of contractions. The cause of the pain is the opening of the cervix.
As for localization, everything is individual here. Some note the wavy nature of the pain (from the bottom of the uterus, covering the entire abdomen), in others, the lower back or the uterus itself is the place of origin of pain.
Are painless contractions possible?
Pain during contractions is impossible not to feel. What matters is how her woman suffers. It all depends on:
- pain threshold;
- emotional maturity;
- preparation for the birth process.
If you do not feel contractions, then this indicates the absence of labor; it means that the baby does not want to part with his cozy nest yet.
Sequencing
In the maternity hospital, contractions are strictly controlled by a doctor who monitors their regularity, intensity and intervals between them. But what if you feel a fight at home? Here is the sequence of actions:
- Drop the panic.
- Make sure that these are not false contractions (a stopwatch will help you with this).
- Take your time in the maternity hospital (plan your arrival in the hospital so that the intervals between contractions are ten minutes, this is about seven hours after the first manifestations; spend the rest of the time on rest).
- Do hygiene procedures, take a shower.
- If this is not the first birth, then do not wait for the reduction of intervals, with regular contractions, immediately go to the hospital.
Correct posture
How easy is it to endure contractions before giving birth? There are several ways to reduce pain:
- correct posture;
- breathing exercises;
- massage;
- dance;
- positive attitude;
- focusing on a subject.
As for the posture, here you need a fitness ball (fitball) or a Swedish wall.
- Kneel in front of the ball, hug it and lay your head on it. So the abdomen sags between the legs, the muscles relax, reducing pain, and mom rests.
- Stand with your back to the Swedish wall, grab the bar. Start to slowly go down, bending your knees. This will also help with a slight sway of the hips from side to side.
Breath
How easy is the fight? There are other effective methods, for example, breathing exercises. As noted earlier, there are certain periods in the process of childbirth. The breath in each of them is different.
| Contractions phase | How to breathe? |
| Initial (hidden) | Alternation of deep breathing inhale - nose, exhale - mouth (rest in the intervals between contractions). Superficial, it is also often called "dog" (at the time of the bout). |
| Active | Absolutely the same as in the initial phase of contractions. |
| Transitional | It is necessary to restrain attempts to avoid cervical ruptures (until the doctor permits this). Such breathing will help - two short breaths and one long exhale. |
Other pain relief methods
Future mothers are told in detail about how easy it is to transfer contractions in specialized courses.
Massage (more specifically - light stroking of the lower back, shoulders, feet and legs) will help to escape from pain a little. Any close person can do this (husband, mother, sister, and so on).
Dance (more precisely - gentle gentle swaying of the hips) will help relieve intolerable pain. You can do this with relaxing, relaxed music.
A positive attitude and understanding that now not only you, but also your child, will also be a kind of pain medication. Talk to your baby and clearly follow all the doctor’s recommendations.