Every woman who is expecting a baby is afraid to miss the birth. And what will happen if the contractions begin in a dream? The obstetrician-gynecologist is faced with this question every day. Do not worry, you definitely will not miss a birth. But false contractions during pregnancy are quite common, being an occasion for premature sending the expectant mother to the hospital. There is no big tragedy in this. She will be examined by a doctor and, if there are several more days ahead, she will be sent back home. Today we’ll talk about how to recognize false contractions in order to know exactly what is happening to you.
All attention to oneself
Childbirth does not begin suddenly. There are a number of harbingers that warn a woman that she must go to the maternity hospital. But false contractions during pregnancy is a training of the muscles of the uterus, which is very useful at a crucial moment. Therefore, they begin suddenly and end just as quickly. If you carefully monitor yourself, you can easily distinguish between these two phenomena.
Harbingers of Childbirth
You can laugh, but one of the surest symptoms is the so-called nesting syndrome. A few days before the birth there is an irresistible desire to clean the apartment, for the tenth time to wipe the shelves, to overload the things prepared for the baby. This is better than all the other signs that you will soon go to the hospital. The fact is that shortly before birth, the body begins to change the hormonal background. We cannot feel this, but the brain receives this information and gives a signal. We need to build a nest, a baby will appear soon.
There are a number of more specific signs of an approaching birth:
- Abundant vaginal discharge.
- Slight weight loss.
- Lack of appetite.
- Chair relaxation.
- Prolapse of the abdomen.
- Amniotic fluid outflow.
- Departure of the mucous plug.
If you feel cramping contractions against the background of these signs, then you need to call an ambulance team. And now let's take a closer look at what the false contractions during pregnancy are.
Appearance time
For the first time, someone feels training contractions long before the birth. Others, on the contrary, do not even have time to get acquainted with such a phenomenon. In fact, a woman simply does not notice them. These rhythmic contractions occur from time to time throughout pregnancy. They usually become palpable after the 20th week.
False contractions during pregnancy are a short-term increase in uterine tone. She tenses up, becomes hard. But you do not feel much reduction and pulling pain, as when opening the neck. In the early stages, a woman simply does not notice them, busy with daily chores or work.
Main symptoms
False contractions during pregnancy can be subjectively perceived differently. Someone will call them painful, while others, on the contrary, are almost invisible. Most often, these are painless contractions that are chaotic, unsystematic in nature. They represent a short-term contraction of the muscles of the uterus. Duration is usually short: from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Contraction of the muscles of the uterus feels like an increase in tone. Usually, the larger the fetus, the brighter the symptoms of false contractions during pregnancy.
What are they needed for
To do this, you need to recall a little physiology. What is a uterus? This is a muscle bag, into the wall of which an embryo is implanted and remains in its cavity until it is born. Contractions before childbirth are needed in order to open the neck and release the baby into the birth canal. And why are false fights needed?
No, this is not a symptom of premature birth or spontaneous abortion. This is a normal physiological phenomenon, which is a muscle training. If for a long nine months she will not work, then she will not cope with her task on the day of childbirth. The purpose of such training is to prepare the cervix and uterus for childbirth. And it doesn’t matter if the woman has the first child or the third. On the contrary, subsequent pregnancy is characterized by more intense training, which is very noticeable from the 30th week.
Reasons for the appearance
In addition to physiology, there are also external conditions that stimulate the appearance of false contractions. In response to a change in mother’s activity, the uterus reacts with another muscle contraction. This is a normal phenomenon, because everything in the body is interconnected. So, the cause of the appearance or intensification of contractions can be:
- Physical activity of the mother.
- Rapid motor activity of the baby.
- Great excitement and stress.
- Fullness of the bladder.
- Dehydration
- Sex. No, this does not mean that you need to abandon intimate relationships. On the contrary, sperm contains hormones that soften the cervix and make it more elastic.
False contractions in the last month
Contractions before childbirth are becoming stronger. Often at this time, even the opening of the pharynx is observed. But, of course, the woman herself cannot verify this. Only a specialist is able to examine her on the chair and evaluate the degree of disclosure. But this is not required. If you still feel only a short-term tension of the abdomen and nothing more, then there is no reason for concern. In multiparous false contractions in recent weeks can lead to an opening of one to four centimeters. This does not stop you from reaching the period that nature has measured. Moreover, you will not even guess about it before entering the hospital. As you know, in order to release the baby’s head, the neck should open 10 centimeters.
False contractions before giving birth is a dress rehearsal that has an important mission. They are necessary in order to prepare the cervix, as they contribute to its softening and shortening. Previously, when there was no ultrasound diagnosis, strong false contractions in the last weeks of pregnancy were considered a sign of an early birth.
The main differences
The most difficult question is how to distinguish false fights from real ones. Even experienced and already giving birth women sometimes can not accurately answer him. Let's look at the distinguishing features that will allow you to navigate:
- The muscles of the uterus during false contractions strain for 30-60 seconds. In this case, there is no pulling sensation, as before childbirth, there is no pain.
- At birth, a woman often feels a kind of hopelessness. With the onset of labor pains, the body understands that there is no getting anywhere, you need to go through it. Now there is no such thing. Even if the "stone" stomach causes discomfort, it is static. Sensations do not increase, but simply gradually disappear.
- Brexton Hicks contractions are not regular, irregular, and unpredictable. It is this property that allows them to quickly understand what is happening to you.
- A woman with false contractions feels her upper or lower abdomen contracting, but the pain is not surrounding her, as in real contractions.
- The fight begins unexpectedly and intensively, and slowly comes to naught. Labor pains, on the contrary, gradually flare up.
Workouts for the uterus and for mom
Since it is easiest to distinguish false fights from real ones, it’s best to get up and walk a bit when you feel them. This is a great opportunity to practice breathing exercises. If you go to training courses for motherhood, you have probably already studied the basic rhythms of breathing:
- At the battle, a slow exhale, and at its end a deep entrance.
- Dog-like - when contractions are very intense and you need to ensure the flow of oxygen. Breathing is shallow and frequent, as they usually breathe at the peak of contractions.
- We take a deep breath through the nose, and then through the mouth we exhale sharply and quickly.
The platform for the development of practical skills will be just the fights. The sensations of each woman will be different in intensity, so it is difficult to rely on someone else's experience. The main thing is not to panic, but to try to explore your new condition. To do this, stand up and walk around a bit. Muscle spasm weakens a bit and you feel better.
If you ask your doctor how to determine false contractions, then he will also recommend a little walk or take a shower. If the feeling of tension is gone, then it was they. Some mothers are helped by just a change in body position. Perhaps the tension of the uterus is associated with an uncomfortable posture. Breathing exercises and relaxation also help a lot.
When to see a doctor
Training reductions per se is a common occurrence that is not dangerous. But if alarming signs appeared on their background, then it is better to consult a doctor. What can be included in them:
- Pain in the lower back or lower spine.
- A large amount of watery discharge from the vagina.
- Bloody issues.
- The waters have gone.
- The kid did not show signs of activity for a long time.
If everything is fine, then a specialist will examine you and send you back home. Nothing wrong with that. You can contact the consultation or the examination room of the maternity hospital.
The last weeks of pregnancy
It is during this period that a woman begins to pay close attention to her condition, taking any change as an approaching birth. Frequent false contractions at the 39th week of pregnancy can indeed be the harbingers of an early trip to the hospital, especially considering that the maximum duration of pregnancy is 42 weeks.
First of all, do not panic if you feel that your stomach is tense. From you now only one is required. Take a piece of paper and write down the time when the fight began and when it ended. Now you can go about your business further. If after a while the second starts, we repeat the procedure with the recording. Usually the third fight, which began after an equal period of time, already speaks of cyclical nature. Means, not far off and childbirth.
First and second pregnancy
Does the course of false contractions change depending on whether the mother carries the first child? Yes, most women say that with one baby they hardly noticed them, and with another the contractions were very painful. And sometimes it does not depend on what kind of pregnancy was on the bill. Most often, false contractions are more intense in multiparous, but the second child is often larger than the first. But the subjectivity of the description of their own feelings complicates the task of doctors.
The easiest way to distinguish false contractions from birth is to detect their duration. They are too long for the first real fight, the duration of which is no more than a few seconds. We can confidently answer the question of how long the false fights last. The standard duration is from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The labor pains reach this duration around the end of the first phase, that is, before the fetus is expelled.
The birth of a new life
Real fights are difficult to confuse with something. Unlike false ones, in which the tension of the muscles of the uterus is simply felt, here you have to face increasing intensity, pain. Moreover, contractions are concentrated not only in the stomach. At the same time breaks the lower back, pain and cramps appear. Gradually, the interval between contractions decreases, and the pain of the process increases.
Painful false contractions at 40 weeks of gestation may well pass into the birth. Therefore, you need to know the main differences:
- If you get up and walk around, then the false contractions cease, and the true ones intensify.
- False contractions are irregular, unlike generic contractions, which immediately occur with a certain periodicity.
- False contractions begin with maximum intensity, which then weakens. Labor pains on the contrary, at first short, and then the intensity increases.
- In case of false contractions, only the abdomen "stiffens", and during childbirth, the pain surrounds the girdle and also seizes the lower back.
If you are not sure of the nature of the contractions, if the water has moved, if you feel pain, then feel free to call an ambulance. It is much better to be vigilant once again, because complications sometimes develop rapidly.
Instead of a conclusion
Pregnancy is a time of expectation of a miracle and hopes. Most mothers note that by the end of this period, tension increases. Every day begins with the thought that maybe today my baby will be born. If childbirth begins in the 38th week, the expectant mother sometimes says that she did not even have time to walk around like a pregnant woman. Others, on the contrary, cannot wait for the day of birth, but 38, 39, 40 weeks come, and the baby is in no hurry to be born. Amid such tension, false contractions are an occasion to immediately grab bags and go to the hospital. But doctors advise to wait a few minutes and evaluate their condition again. If this is a false fight, then you can spend a few more days at home calmly. Try to sleep more, soon you will really need strength.