Women expecting a baby experience a wide variety of feelings. This is excitement and joy, self-doubt, the expectation of changes in the usual way of life. Towards the end of pregnancy, fear also arises, caused by the fear of missing an important point in the onset of labor.
So that the condition before childbirth does not turn into a panic, the expectant mother needs to carefully monitor her health. There are certain signs that indicate the imminent appearance of the long-awaited baby.
What are precursors of childbirth
Immediately after conception, the hormonal background of a woman begins to change. In large quantities, the body produces progesterone - a hormone that is responsible for maintaining pregnancy. And in the last stages, placental aging occurs, which significantly reduces the production of progesterone. Against the background of such changes, the body begins to produce another hormone - estrogen, the main function of which is to prepare the body of the future mother for childbirth.
When the level of such hormones reaches a maximum, the brain receives a certain signal that contributes to the onset of labor. A change in hormones causes certain changes in the condition of the pregnant woman.
Before birth, certain symptoms appear, indicating the imminent appearance of the baby. These are the harbingers of the long-awaited birth. The above changes begin to occur in the body of a woman at the 32nd week of pregnancy. The precursors of childbirth can be felt by a woman starting from the 36th week.
Cervical change
The condition of the cervix before childbirth changes, its maturation occurs. As a result of morphological changes, the connective tissue softens, which makes the neck soft, supple and easily extensible. Three degrees of maturity of this organ are distinguished:
- immature - the neck is long, dense, the external pharynx is either closed or passes only the tip of the finger;
- not mature enough - the neck is slightly softened, shortened, the cervical canal passes one finger (in primiparas, to the closed internal pharynx);
- mature - the neck is smoothed and shortened as much as possible, softened, centered, the cervical canal easily passes one finger.
The entire process of childbirth and their successful completion depends on the condition of the neck.
Fetal motor activity
Of course, a pregnant woman is concerned about the question: what is the state of the baby before giving birth? By the end of pregnancy, the fetus reaches its maturity: it is gaining the necessary weight (about three kilograms), the organs are formed and ready for an extrauterine existence.
The uterus by this time already ceases to grow, so the baby becomes cramped in it. This leads to the fact that the child inside moves less. At the 34-36th week, the expectant mother notices that the baby began to roll over less, and from the 36th week she may feel that small movements become less frequent, but they are very noticeable, and pain also appears in the places of the pokes with arms or legs .
Key Harbingers of Delivery
The state of a woman before childbirth undergoes some psychological and physiological changes that indicate to her mother that she will soon see the long-awaited baby. In order not to miss anything important and not harm herself and the baby, a woman should know the main signs of the imminent onset of labor.
Their main forerunners are as follows:
- Weight loss. Almost all pregnant women indicate that the weight before birth begins to stabilize or decrease by 0.5-2 kilograms. This is due to a decrease in edema and excretion of excess fluid from the body by the kidneys. So the body begins to adapt to the fact that the tissues are better stretched, become plastic and flexible. Thanks to the work of hormones designed to remove all unnecessary, bowel cleansing occurs. Therefore, a woman may experience abdominal pain and frequent urge to empty.
- Loss of appetite. Simultaneously with the departure of excess weight in a pregnant woman, her appetite decreases or completely disappears. This is a normal condition before childbirth, you do not need to force yourself to eat through force.
- Prolapse of the abdomen. This is one of the main harbingers of childbirth. The child two to three weeks before an important event sneaks closer to the exit. As a result, abdominal tone is reduced, and it becomes easier for a woman to breathe.
- The appearance of a duck gait. This harbinger of childbirth is directly related to the previous one. The baby falls down the abdomen, so the pressure on this part of the body increases. It becomes difficult for the expectant mother to sit up, get up, she is tormented by pain and sipping in the lower back.
- Frequent urination. It is caused by increased kidney function and pressure in the bladder.
- Restless sleep. The state of a woman before childbirth becomes anxious, sleep becomes restless. This is caused not only by emotional experiences, but also by ongoing changes in the body. Due to the fact that the baby begins to actively move at night, pressure increases on the bladder, which provokes the urge to urinate. This causes a disturbance in the sleep of the pregnant woman.
- Diarrhea. Due to the prolapse of the abdomen, pressure also occurs on the intestines. Expectant mother notices the urge to defecate. Constipation is followed by diarrhea. It is she who is the harbinger of the approaching birth. Pregnant women often confuse this harbinger with poisoning or intestinal upset.
- Change of pain. Throughout pregnancy, a woman may feel slight back pain. Before childbirth, pain is observed in the pubic part. This is due to softening of the bones, which is an important factor for normal labor.
Cork
By the end of pregnancy, the cervix matures: it shortens, softens, the cervical canal opens slightly. Inside the cervical canal there is thick mucus, the main function of which is to prevent the penetration of harmful microorganisms into the uterus, which can cause infection of the fetus. This mucus is called a mucous plug.
As mentioned above, by the end of pregnancy, the body begins to produce estrogens, which affect the change in the general well-being of the expectant mother and her condition before childbirth. A few days before the onset of labor (three to ten), under the influence of hormones, liquefaction and expulsion of mucus from the cervical canal occurs.
The mucous plug looks like a small lump of transparent or yellowish color, streaks of blood can be observed in it. The mucous plug may come off in parts for several days. Pregnant women usually can not independently determine the passage of the mucous plug.
Sometimes the expectant mother has doubts - the cork is leaving or amniotic fluid is leaking. Water leakage will be constant, such discharge is transparent in color (may be yellowish or greenish) and watery. The cork departs portionwise, the discharge is thicker and disappears after a few days.
If a pregnant woman doubts whether a cork is leaving or water is leaking, then you need not to hesitate and contact gynecology.
False contractions
These are training contractions that can bother a woman several weeks before the date of the expected birth. They are caused by the intensive production of the hormone oxytocin by the body. The role of false contractions is to prepare the myometrium for childbirth. Such contractions do not lead to the development of labor, they do not affect the general condition before childbirth. Signs of training fights are as follows:
- they are neither regular nor intense;
- from the real ones they are distinguished by relative painlessness and a rest interval between contractions with an interval of thirty minutes;
- appear 4-6 times a day (mainly in the morning or in the evening), last no more than two hours.
A pregnant woman feels false contractions like hardening of the abdomen in response to fetal movement or some kind of physical activity. To relieve stress, you should relax, take a warm bath and massage.
The difference between false fights and real
The main difference between false contractions and true patrimonial is a gradual increase in the latter with a subsequent reduction in the interval between them. The labor pains are more powerful, bright, painful. If training fights lack regularity, then in the present it is mandatory.
The main goal of labor pains is to open the cervix, therefore, no matter what the pregnant woman does, they will only intensify. False contractions can be weakened or discomfort can be completely removed.
Water discharge
The most striking and disturbing sign, indicating that a pregnant woman urgently needs to go to the hospital, is the outflow of amniotic fluid. Such an event can occur simultaneously with fights. Normally, the water should be transparent and odorless. The presence of red discharge may indicate placental abruption. All waters can leave at once, but leakage is possible. In the latter case, it is worth putting a gasket and consult a doctor.
Some women confuse water leakage with involuntary urination, which can periodically occur in late pregnancy. The difference in these processes is the lack of smell of urine in the waters and their transparent color. If the water is greenish, yellow or brown, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
The mood of the future mother
The emotional state before childbirth in pregnant women also changes. The mood can be joyful and cheerful, but suddenly a sadness or sadness suddenly rolls over or annoys everything. This is primarily due to the fatigue of a pregnant woman, with long waiting and natural excitement. Expectant mother can’t wait to give birth.
Endocrine processes occurring in the body affect this condition of a woman before childbirth. An interesting fact is that a few weeks before the birth, the expectant mother has a desire to tidy the apartment and establish comfort in the house. Psychologists call this condition "nesting syndrome." A woman with enviable zeal begins to equip her "nest", create comfortable conditions for living with the baby: to clean, wash, clean, file, etc.
What is the condition before the first birth
Originous women experience more excitement and anxiety about the upcoming event. They may not be aware of the precursors and may not pay attention to the main symptoms of the approaching birth. For women who are preparing to become a mother for the first time, precursors may appear in three weeks, or maybe in a day. The condition of a woman before childbirth depends on the reaction of the body to the changes. There are no specific dates or intervals.
Primitive women should remember that there may be several signs of approaching the onset of labor, it is not necessary that they all manifest. By her inexperience, a pregnant woman may simply not notice them.
It is important to carefully monitor your condition before childbirth, pay attention to the slightest changes in time and report them to your gynecologist.
Harbingers of birth in multiparous
The mental state before childbirth in women who survived childbirth is much more stable. Their body clearly responds to ongoing changes, and the precursors are more pronounced. This is because the uterus has changed and increased after previous birth. The exception is women who had their first birth by caesarean section. This is due to the fact that the cervix does not stretch, since the child does not pass through it.
Women who are already mothers during a new pregnancy pay attention to the severity of prenatal symptoms. They clearly monitor the physiological state before childbirth. Signs (in multiparous women) of the approach of birth and their severity have differences in the course of some processes:
- The cork is larger.
- False contractions begin earlier.
- The abdomen descends at a later date.
- Abundant vaginal discharge is possible.
When to go to the hospital
So, what condition before childbirth requires immediate hospitalization? First of all, it should be said that all pregnant women in the last weeks of pregnancy should be ready for an emergency trip to the hospital. Therefore, you need to collect an “alarming suitcase” in advance, documents and conduct the necessary hygiene procedures (shave off hair and remove nail polish).
Emergencies that require an immediate emergency call are:
- water outflow (especially against the background of the absence of other signs of the onset of labor);
- the appearance of bloody discharge;
- pressure surge;
- the appearance of sharp pain in the lower abdomen;
- severe headache, flickering flies, blurred eyes;
- the absence of fetal movements for six hours;
- the beginning of regular labor (two to three contractions in ten minutes).
What week is the birth expected
There is a concept that a baby should be born in the fortieth week of pregnancy. But only three percent of children are born on an exact date. Usually a woman gives birth sooner or a little later than the established date.
It is considered normal if the pregnancy lasts 280-282 days. Preterm birth at 28-37 weeks is considered premature . Each additional week increases the baby’s chance of being born healthy.
Full-term children successfully adapt to new living conditions. Therefore, if there is a threat of abortion, you must urgently contact the clinic and go to hospital.
There are times when a woman "re-mates" a pregnancy, that is, gives birth after a specified period. In this case, the pregnancy is called delayed or prolonged. In the first case, the baby has signs of overtaxation after birth. With a prolonged pregnancy, such signs are absent in the newborn, the baby is born healthy.
It is absolutely not necessary that every pregnant woman before the onset of labor will show all of the above symptoms. Moreover, you should not wait for their simultaneous appearance. The intensity of the precursors and the state before childbirth depend on the body's reaction to the hormonal changes that occur and on the number of previous births.