How to understand that contractions have begun. What are contractions like?

Childbirth is a long, painful and energy-consuming process. Having once experienced the sensations and pain that accompany childbirth, women remember them forever. Because of this, the question arises of how to relieve pain during contractions. This becomes possible if the pregnant woman follows a few rules.

Pain during contractions - sensations

Expecting the birth of their first child, expectant mothers are often interested in their friends who have already given birth to babies, what kind of pain during contractions before childbirth, how long it lasts and how to deal with it. It is worth noting that the first, so-called training contractions, may appear as early as the 20th week of pregnancy. However, they do not lead to the onset of labor and give pregnant women more discomfort than pain.

The first labor pains are often similar to the pain of a cramping nature, which is noted during menstruation. Soon, as the neck opens more, the sensations intensify. The peculiarity is that the pain does not have a clear localization and is often diffuse in nature. The onset of labor pains is often preceded by:

• cork discharge;
• outflow of amniotic fluid.

Even at the stage of preparation for childbirth, pregnant women are interested in doctors about what pain during labor can be compared with, what it looks like. Obstetricians do not give an unambiguous answer, pointing to the individuality of each organism. The beginning of the birth process occurs in different ways: some women fix pain in the lumbar region, others notice pulling pains in the lower abdomen, vaguely reminiscent of those that occur during menstruation.

Not knowing what to compare pain during contractions with, puerperas describe them as "shocks" in the lumbar region, which are accompanied by pain. Over time, painful sensations pass to the stomach, acquire a girdle character. Some women feel the bones of the pelvis and sacrum begin to move apart. Over time, the intensity increases, the duration of each contraction increases, the interval becomes shorter. This indicates the imminent birth of the baby.

Can there be contractions without pain?

Having learned what pain it is, pregnant women are interested in the doctor leading the pregnancy about childbirth without pain. At the same time, they are more concerned about the first stage - the opening of the neck, accompanied by severe pain. It is worth noting that in modern obstetrics there are methods of anesthesia that allow you to make the birth process absolutely painless (). However, a woman can relieve pain on her own, without resorting to medication.

The results of the study showed that the pain that accompanies childbirth is due to the process itself by only 30%. The remaining 70% is a psychological factor and features of the physiological processes of the female body. Fear, stress, fear for the baby that is born, significantly increase the pain and suffering that a woman experiences during childbirth. In her bloodstream, the concentration of the hormone adrenaline increases, which causes spasm of blood vessels and muscles and increases pain.

How to relieve pain during contractions?

Talking about how to reduce pain during contractions, doctors point out the need for prenatal preparation for pregnant women. It is carried out in a antenatal clinic. Expectant mothers attend special classes where they are introduced to existing techniques to facilitate the process of childbirth. Pregnant women are taught the correct behavior during childbirth,. Women are advised special sets of exercises that train the muscles of the pelvic floor. Doctors tell pregnant women in detail what to do to ease contractions. In the absence of contraindications appoint:

• light gymnastics;
• swimming;
• Pilates;
• yoga classes.

How to breathe during strong contractions?

Among the techniques that teach how to reduce pain during contractions, breathing exercises occupy a separate position. Due to its simplicity and accessibility, every pregnant woman can use it at the birth of a baby. According to this technique, after the onset of contractions, a woman in labor should not try to suppress pain: you should not strain, let alone scream. The pain may, on the contrary, intensify.

To reduce pain, after the start of regular contractions, you need to adhere to the following technique:

• inhalation - is made through the nose for 4 counts;
• exhale - by mouth, for 6 counts.

The breath should always be shorter. When exhaling, it is recommended to fold your lips with a tube. As a result of such actions, the pregnant woman will be able to relax her muscles as much as possible, calm down. The lungs will fill with oxygen, which will flow through the blood to the baby. Thus, the possibility of developing complications associated with oxygen starvation of the fetus is excluded.

Postures to ease contractions

It has been established that when the puerperal is in a certain position, the pain becomes less pronounced or disappears altogether. Some trained women use special yoga postures to ease contractions. However, most expectant mothers resort to the help of more accessible positions during contractions:

Standing position:

1. You need to lean on the bedside table, the back of the bed, legs slightly apart. Relax your back and stomach completely. The weight of the body is transferred to the arms and legs. In this position, swing left, right, back and forth.
2. They squat down, spread their legs wide, leaning on the entire foot. Back while leaning on the wall.
3. Feet are set shoulder-width apart, hands are placed on the hips. Swing alternately back and forth, left and right.

In a sitting position on a fitball:

1. They sit down on a large ball, spread their legs wide apart, bending at the knees. Perform swings. The ball must be half inflated.

Contraction Relief Exercises

Pain during contractions can be reduced with the help of special physical exercises. Special gymnastics for women in labor should be selected at the stage of pregnancy. It must be done in between contractions. Effective exercises include:

1. Feet shoulder width apart, arms along the body. On inspiration, the arms are spread apart, on inspiration they are lowered, shaking the hands.
2. The starting position is the same: the elbows are moved to the side, lifting the legs forward one by one.

Massage to relieve contractions

To minimize back pain during contractions, doctors recommend doing a light massage. Stroking the lower abdomen in the direction from the center to the sides, a woman will be able to achieve relaxation of the muscle fibers not only of the abdomen, but also of the perineum and thighs. Clenching your hands into fists, knuckles rub the outer surface of the thighs. You can also massage the area of ​​the sacrum: the hands are clenched into fists, taken away behind the back, rubbing the sacrum in a circular motion. Knowing how to relieve pain during contractions with massage, it is good to combine it with proper breathing.

Bath to relieve contractions

You can also relieve pain during contractions with the help of water procedures. In the absence of contraindications (premature rupture of amniotic fluid, high blood pressure), obstetricians allow puerperas to take a warm bath in the first stage of labor. The water temperature should be 40-45 degrees. This will help reduce pain, relieve tension and muscle spasm, and relax. Before you relieve the pain of strong contractions in this way, you need to make sure that the fetal bladder is intact.

The pregnancy process continues. Week after week passes quickly enough and approaching the appointed date makes the woman think more and more: someone is afraid of her onset, someone worries that they do not recognize the beginning of the process in time, and someone is looking forward to meeting their miracle. Thus, the thoughts of all pregnant women are tied to a single day - the day of childbirth and the moment of onset of contractions.

Contraction recognition

Contractions are the alternating tension and relaxation of the muscles of the uterus, which are the basis of labor activity that causes the birth of a child.

There are several types of fights:

• Training bouts. Such contractions begin to occur in a pregnant woman from the twentieth week. In this case, you should not go to the hospital, since they are not related to labor, but only prepare the body for the upcoming event. You can recognize them by the following criteria:

◦ their frequency is 30-40 minutes;

◦ there is no increase in pain with each subsequent contraction;

◦ there is no lengthening of the contraction period.

It is possible and necessary to use training contractions for training - learn to count the period of contractions and apply methods of natural anesthesia of the process.

• Birth pains. The occurrence of such contractions is a 100% sign that the moment of meeting with the baby is approaching. Labor pains have several phases during which different processes take place, so the sensations are also different:

◦ initial- differs in the duration of the contraction of 30-45 seconds with a break of 5 minutes. The duration of the phase is 7-8 hours, during which the cervix opens up to 3 cm. During this period, there is more discomfort than pain - but the body of each woman is individual, so different options are possible. Someone compares the sensations with pain during menstruation, someone with indigestion, someone is worried about girdle pain in the vertebra-sacral region;

What sensations indicate the approach of childbirth

From the grip before childbirth - periodic spasms of the muscles of the uterus, characterized by increasing dynamics and intensity. Understanding the mechanism of this process and its purpose will help overcome fear and act consciously during childbirth.

In the modern practice of obstetrics, childbirth begins precisely with the appearance of rhythmic uterine contractions of increasing intensity. It is important to know the difference between true contractions in order to be in the hospital in a timely manner.

As obstetricians note, the behavior and mood of the woman in labor has a noticeable effect on the course of childbirth. The right attitude gives a woman an understanding of the processes taking place in her body. Contractions are indeed one of the most difficult periods in childbirth, but they are the force that contributes to the birth of a child. Therefore, they should be taken as a natural state.

Training, precursor or prenatal contractions

From the fifth month of pregnancy, expectant mothers may feel episodic tension in the abdomen. The uterus contracts for 1-2 minutes and relaxes. If at this moment you put your hand on your stomach, you can feel that it has become hard. Pregnant women often describe this condition as a "petrification" of the uterus (stone belly). These are training contractions or Braxton Hicks contractions: they can occur constantly until the end of pregnancy. Their characteristic features are irregularity, short duration, painlessness.

The nature of their appearance is associated with the process of gradual preparation of the body for childbirth, but the exact causes of occurrence have not yet been clarified. In addition, there is an opinion that “training” is provoked by increased physical and emotional activity, stress, fatigue, and they can also be a response of the muscles of the uterus to fetal movements or sexual intercourse. The frequency is individual - from once every few days to several times per hour. Some women do not feel them at all.

The inconvenience caused by false contractions is easily eliminated. You need to lie down or change your position. Braxton Hicks contractions do not open the cervix and do not cause any harm to the fetus, so they should be considered only as one of the natural moments of pregnancy.

Approximately from the 38th week of pregnancy, the period of precursors begins. Along with the omission of the bottom of the uterus, weight loss, an increase in the amount of discharge and other processes noticeable for a pregnant woman, it is distinguished by the appearance of precursor or false contractions.

Also, like training ones, they do not open the cervix of the uterus and do not threaten pregnancy, although they are more vivid in terms of the strength of sensations and may well inspire excitement in primiparous women. Precursor contractions have intervals that do not decrease over time, and the strength of the spasms that compress the uterus does not increase. A warm bath, sleep, or snack can help relieve these contractions.

It is impossible to stop real or labor pains with the help of rest or change of position. Contractions appear involuntarily, under the influence of complex hormonal processes in the body, and are not amenable to any control by the woman in labor. Their frequency and intensity is increasing. In the initial phase of labor, contractions are short, lasting about 20 seconds, and repeating every 15-20 minutes. By the time of perfect opening of the neck, the interval decreases to 2-3 minutes, and the duration of contractions increases to 60 seconds.

In order to make sure that real contractions begin, it is worth correctly calculating the interval between them. As a rule, false contractions are chaotic, the interval between the first and second can be 40 minutes, between the second and third - 30 minutes, etc. While in the process of real contractions, the interval becomes stable, and the length of contractions increases.

Description and functions of contractions

The contraction is a wave-like movement of the muscles of the uterus in the direction from the bottom to the pharynx. With each spasm, the neck softens, stretches, becomes less convex, and, thinning, gradually opens. Having reached a disclosure of 10-12 cm, it is completely smoothed out, forming a birth canal that is one with the walls of the vagina.

Visualizing labor pains can help you cope with pain and uncontrollable emotions.

In each period of childbirth, the spastic movements of the organ are aimed at achieving a certain physiological result.

1. In the first period, contractions provide disclosure.
2. In the second, along with attempts, the function of contractions is to expel the fetus from the uterine cavity and move it along the birth canal.
3. In the early postpartum period, the pulsation of the uterine muscles promotes separation of the placenta and prevents bleeding.
4. In the late postpartum period, spasms of the muscles of the uterus return the organ to its previous size.

After that, there are attempts - an active contraction of the muscles of the press and the diaphragm (duration 10-15 s.). Arising reflexively, attempts contribute to the advancement of the child through the birth canal.

Phases and duration of contractions before childbirth

There are several types: latent, active and deceleration phase. Each of them differs in the duration of the period, intervals and the contractions themselves.

The given parameters can be considered averaged and applicable to the normal course of labor activity. The real time of contractions strongly depends on whether the woman is giving birth for the first time or is it a repeated birth, her physical and psychological readiness, the anatomical features of the body and other factors.

Contractions before the first and subsequent births

However, a common factor affecting the duration of contractions is the experience of previous births. This refers to a kind of "memory" of the body, which determines the differences in the course of certain processes. In the second and subsequent births, the birth canal opens on average 4 hours faster than in the first. This is due to the fact that in women giving birth to a second or third child, the internal and external os open at the same time. At the first birth, the opening occurs sequentially - from the inside to the outside, which increases the time of contractions.

The nature of contractions before repeated births may also differ: women in labor note their intensity and more active dynamics.

The factor smoothing out the differences between the first and subsequent births is the time interval separating them. The probability of long-term disclosure is higher if more than 8-10 years have passed since the birth of the first child.

In articles on the topics of motherhood and pregnancy, there is information that contractions before the second birth often come not before, but after the water has broken, and this happens not at 40, but at 38 weeks. Such options are not excluded, but there is no scientifically confirmed data indicating a direct connection between the serial number of childbirth and the nature of their onset.

It must be understood that the described scenarios are only options, and by no means an axiom. Each birth is very individual, and their course is a multifactorial process.

Feelings in contractions

In order to determine the onset of contractions, you should pay attention to the nature of the pain: before childbirth, they are similar to menstrual. Pulls the lower abdomen and lower back. There may be pressure, a feeling of fullness, heaviness. Here it is more appropriate to talk about discomfort, not pain. Soreness occurs later, with an increase in contractions. It causes the tension of the uterine ligaments and the opening of the neck.

The localization of sensations is quite subjective: in some women in labor, the spasm has a girdle character, its spread can be clearly associated with a wave that rolls from the bottom of the uterus or from one of the sides and covers the entire abdomen, in others the pain originates in the lumbar region, in others - directly in the uterus .

However, in the absolute majority of cases, women experience the peak of spasm as a contraction, a strong contraction, a “grasp”, which follows from the very name of the contraction.

Is it possible to miss contractions?

Not all women in labor have uterine muscle tension that causes unbearable pain. How a woman tolerates it depends on the threshold of sensitivity, emotional maturity and special preparation for childbirth. Someone endures contractions, for someone they are too painful to hold back a cry. But it is impossible not to feel contractions. If they are not, then there is no labor activity, which is an essential condition for physiological childbirth.

Some uncertainty in the expectations of expectant mothers can be introduced by the stories of women who have already given birth, in whom childbirth did not begin with contractions, but with a discharge of water. It must be understood that such a scenario in obstetrics is considered a deviation. Normally, at the peak of one of the contractions, intrauterine pressure pulls and breaks the membrane of the fetal bladder, the amniotic fluid is poured out.

Spontaneous discharge of water is called premature. This situation requires the immediate intervention of a doctor; it is unacceptable to wait for contractions at home.

Mechanism of action at the onset of contractions

It is important to understand what to do at home in the event of contractions and an approaching birth. A few recommendations:

• First, don't panic. Lack of concentration and unconstructive emotions interfere with concentration, lead to unreasonable actions.
• Feeling the onset of contractions, you need to determine their type: are they really contractions before childbirth or harbingers. To do this, you need to use a stopwatch or special applications on your mobile phone to record the time and calculate the duration of intervals and contractions. If the frequency and duration do not increase, then there is nothing to worry about. Harbingers usually subside completely within two hours.
• If spasms have become regular, the time of pauses between them is clearly defined, you can start going to the hospital. Departure should be planned in such a way as to be examined by a doctor by the time when the frequency of contractions reaches 10 minutes. In the normal course of childbirth, this will happen approximately no earlier than after 7 hours. Therefore, if the contractions began at night, you should try to get at least a little rest.
• You can take a shower, do hygiene procedures.
• In case of repeated births, you should go to the hospital immediately after the contractions become regular, without waiting for the contraction of their interval.

It is no secret that all women in the position are afraid of the upcoming birth, but most of all they are afraid of missing their beginning, that is, the appearance of contractions. This is especially true for pregnant women who are expecting the birth of their first child. After all, they know about the harbingers only from the stories of mothers who have already taken place. What do they usually say? First, contractions appeared - which means that childbirth is just around the corner. This is a correct statement, but it’s worth considering that contractions may turn out to be false. Secondly, most women who have already given birth mention the incredible pain that occurs during contractions. Yes, indeed, pain is an integral part of childbirth, but, fortunately, it is quickly forgotten.

If we are talking about the first birth, then in addition to fear, women are tormented by ignorance. When to expect the appearance of cramping attacks? How not to miss them? What sensations accompany them? These questions often arise in women during their first pregnancy.

It’s worth noting right away that it’s quite difficult to miss contractions, but confusing them with false or, as they are also called, training ones is very possible. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that, expecting the first child, a woman experiences fear.

What do women feel before giving birth?

Usually 4-3 weeks before the most long-awaited and happy moment, the future mother begins to be disturbed by painful sensations, somewhat reminiscent of menstruation, in the lumbar region and lower abdomen, as well as a feeling of pressure in the pubic area. The appearance of all the above symptoms is considered normal. After all, the female body is preparing for the upcoming birth of the crumbs, and besides, the baby himself in the mother's womb begins to put more and more pressure on the lower abdomen of his mother.

Also, a pregnant woman, shortly before the “X” hour, may feel how her tummy periodically hardens, then becomes soft again. This phenomenon is explained by uterine contractions - hence the occurrence of cramping attacks. The uterus begins to contract, and its muscle fibers thicken and shorten, which allows the cervical os to gradually open to the desired size. If the uterus has opened 12 cm, then a new little man will be born soon.

Contractions: how not to miss?

Each organism is individual, therefore it is impossible to say that all future mothers have contractions in the same period. In addition, the sensations that women experience before the onset of childbirth are also different for everyone. For some, contractions can begin four to two weeks before the planned date, for others - a few hours. Some pregnant women can fully experience all the "charms" of generic precursors, while others will experience only a slight "discomfort".

The appearance of contractions largely depends on the correctness of the deadline and the well-being of the woman in labor. Therefore, the period of occurrence of generic precursors can vary from 4 to 2 weeks before delivery. But training contractions can disturb a woman from the middle of the 2nd trimester, their main difference from real ones is chaotic periodicity. From time to time, the tummy will tense up, but there will be no regular occurrence of attacks.

But if you systematically have cramping sensations, the interval between them gradually decreases, while the pain intensifies - then childbirth is just around the corner. After all, it is these characteristics that indicate the onset of labor activity, which in general can be divided into three stages:

1. Initial (or secretive)- a woman may feel a slight cramping pain, while the attacks last no more than 45 seconds, and the frequency between them averages up to 8 hours.
2. Active- the duration of the attacks increases to a minute, and the intervals between them are reduced to 3-5 hours.
3. Transition. The fastest phase of labor activity, on average, its duration is from 30 to 90 minutes. The duration of uterine contractions reaches 90 seconds, and the interval between them is reduced not to hours, but to minutes.

The contractions began: a call to the doctor or immediately to the hospital?

Probably, many women will be surprised now, but the first thing they should do when cramping sensations occur is to calm down. Believe me, fuss and panic in this situation are not the best helpers.

First, relax and preferably sit down. Secondly, only by taking a comfortable body position, you can accurately record the duration of contractions and the intervals between them. By the way, it would be nice to write down all your observations. If you are unable to do this, then ask your family about it. With such data, you can accurately describe your feelings to the doctor, and he will already tell you when you need to go to the hospital.

As a rule, if contractions occur every half hour, there is no reason to panic. During the first pregnancy, doctors recommend going to the hospital when the attacks begin to recur every 5-7 minutes. Although some experts still insist on going to the maternity ward when the first contractions appear, that is, in the initial phase of cramping attacks. And this makes some sense, because it is quite difficult to predict their development. And besides, the amniotic fluid can leave earlier, and if this happens, then it is better to be under medical supervision at this time.

There are no fights: what to do?

When discussing contractions during the first pregnancy, one cannot fail to mention the "reverse side of the coin" - when the expectant mother is waiting for them to appear, but they still do not come. What then?

In this case, doctors have to stimulate uterine contractions and induce labor artificially. And if there is a threat to the fetus, then such measures are carried out immediately. As a rule, doctors use the following methods to stimulate labor:

• introduction of a hormonal drug into the cervical canal;
• intravenous administration of the drug;
• opening of the fetal bladder.

In conclusion

Of course, all kinds of risks should not be ruled out. But at the same time, you don’t need to “try on” all the worst. When you realize that contractions have begun (and, believe me, you are unlikely to miss this moment), you will experience a range of a wide variety of emotions - from joy to fear and excitement. The most important thing in this case is to remain calm and follow the instructions of the doctor exactly, because the whole process of childbirth and the birth of a healthy baby depend on this.

Many pre-partum women are horrified and frankly frightened by descriptions of pre-partum soreness and want to know what pre-partum contractions are like and how much it hurts. What can be compared to the pain during childbirth?

What are prenatal contractions, how can they be determined? The time when you can go to the hospital, a pregnant woman will not miss at any time of the day or night. This does not mean that contractions are immediately very painful and unbearable. The pain manifests itself gradually, on an increasing scale.

Training contractions, if a woman noticed them during pregnancy, can be conditionally attributed to real prenatal contractions, however, during such preventive contractions, there is practically no pain, and the duration of uterine contraction is without noticeable and obvious periodicity.

When the time comes for childbirth, contractions initially represent aching pains in the lower back, in the lower abdomen, the pain is not initially localized at one point: specifically in the abdomen, or in the back. The pain is “extensive”, encircling literally the entire body, aching (but tolerable) every joint, and the fight takes place with a noticeable frequency (every 30 minutes, once an hour).

It is quite simple to determine that the onset of labor is now taking place, because the woman's condition is changing, and the painful symptoms increase in each new contraction. However, there is plenty of time to get to the maternity ward, at least 8-12 hours before the active phase of labor.

How to recognize contractions

The symptoms of "harbingers", their signs are very similar to real contractions: the uterus contracts, the woman in labor feels and sees it: the stomach is "pulled" to the center. However, in real contractions, the following symptoms are additionally present:

• frequent urination;
• 12 hours before, you want to constantly go to the toilet;
• bad sleep the night before;
• there is a pulling pain in the lower part of the lower back (sacrum);
• pressing pain in the womb;
• the pain acquires quite real sensations - these are already palpable spasms that encircle the lower abdomen and back;
• the fight squeezes everything below and at the same time it creates a feeling that everything inside is diverging, torn.

During contractions, vomiting, nausea, increased thirst, headache and trembling are often observed. If the spasms of the uterus and its contractions are very strong, a woman may not control her movements during the peak of pain.