Pregnancy is a natural process in the life of every woman that ends with childbirth. The birth process is as follows: through the birth canal (cervical canal and vagina), the fetus and the uterus are expelled. The onset of childbirth can be marked by contractions before childbirth (the classical beginning), or by the passage of amniotic fluid. And it is very important to know and not miss the first real harbingers of childbirth.
Prenatal contractions.
Contraction is a periodic contraction of the muscles of the uterus, performed to expel the fetus.
Along with true labor pains, there are so-called Braxton-Hicks contractions and false contractions. But, the presence of precursors and false contractions is not a mandatory attribute accompanying childbirth.
Braxton-Hicks contractions (harbingers of childbirth) - the appearance of those is possible a few weeks, or days before the birth (everyone has different ways). Contractions are irregular in nature and are intended to prepare a woman’s body for childbirth, helping to soften the cervix. Cervical opening does not occur in such contractions.
False contractions are contractions before childbirth, which also perform the function of training. Unlike contractions of precursors, their appearance is possible from the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy. False contractions before childbirth also do not occur regularly and do not cause a woman pain. They can last for several hours, but unlike real contractions are not the beginning of childbirth and calm down by themselves. They also differ from labor pains before childbirth in that the time interval between them randomly fluctuates (3/5/8 minutes).
If the number of contractions is increasing, it hurts, and the time interval between them decreases - this is labor pains.
The average time of the first period of labor pains is about twelve hours (during the first birth) and about two to four hours shorter for those who have not the first births.
At the very beginning of labor, each labor can last about half a minute, and the pause between them lasts about half an hour. Important! In order for the midwife to understand at what stage the genus you are at, note not only the duration of one fight, but the time between them!
As the time approaches , labor pains before childbirth become more frequent. It is believed that if labor pains are repeated every ten minutes, then it's time to go to the hospital, but, of course, you need to pay attention to the well-being of the woman and not to forget about the time that will need to be spent to get to the maternity hospital.
Real contractions during childbirth perform a number of very important functions:
- there is a separation and exit of the placenta from the uterus;
- contractions perform the function of pushing the baby;
- they soften the cervix;
- after childbirth, the uterus is returned to its normal position.
In addition to contractions, various discharge from the genitals before childbirth can portend labor. From the penetration of infection, the fetus is protected by a mucus membrane and cork. The passage of the mucous plug can occur both a couple of hours, and a few days before the birth. But, paying attention to the color of the discharge, you can find the approximate start of childbirth: if the discharge is bloody, then there is not much time left before meeting the baby; and if the mucus is white, then in the “one whole” state, in the full sense of this concept, you will spend a few more days (from two days to two weeks).
However, if the discharge before delivery in the form of a mucous plug or blood appeared much earlier than the expected date of delivery, or is accompanied by heavy bleeding, this is an occasion to contact a doctor immediately, as placenta previa or premature discharge, which requires immediate medical attention!