The tone of the uterus does not go away for several days. Uterine hypertonicity during pregnancy: symptoms and treatment

Pregnancy is an almost magical state, well, at least it’s definitely miraculous. Naturally, at this time, a woman simply has to be attentive to herself and very careful. During pregnancy, a woman faces a huge number of dangers and unpleasant diagnoses. One of the most common diagnoses is the so-called uterine tone during pregnancy, or uterine hypertonicity. What does "Mother in tone" mean?

The uterus is a hollow muscular organ consisting of three layers: the outer mucosa is the perimetrium, the middle muscular layer is the myometrium and the inner mucosa is the endometrium. Myometrium is a smooth muscle tissue that is capable of contraction, for example, it contracts during childbirth. However, in its natural state, this muscle should be relaxed, and this state is usually called the normal tone of the uterus.

If during pregnancy, but before the start labor activity, the uterus begins to contract, they say that the tone of the uterus during pregnancy is increased. It is worth mentioning here: since the process of muscle contraction is natural, it is not always that the uterus in good shape is a problem.

In Western medicine, this condition is considered a normal physiological process. Of course, in the event that this diagnosis is not associated with other symptoms that cause discomfort, as well as indicative of serious violations. share common sense in this reasoning there is, because even in the process of sneezing or laughing, almost all muscles contract, including the uterus. The same applies to the ordinary orgasm. Affects the state of the uterus and the psychological state of the pregnant woman. Very often, tension in the muscles of the uterus is observed during a gynecological examination.

However, the peculiarity of the tone of the uterus in all these cases lies in its short duration. Yes, and usually this condition does not cause discomfort. Another thing is if the uterus is in good shape for a long time. The constant tone of the uterus during pregnancy is fraught with the most unpleasant consequences for the fetus, and for maintaining pregnancy too.

What is the danger of uterine tone?

The consequences of uterine hypertonicity can be very deplorable, up to spontaneous miscarriage, if we are talking about uterine tone in early pregnancy, to premature birth, if we talk about uterine tone in the second or third trimester of pregnancy.

Most often, uterine tone is observed precisely in the early stages, when uterine tension can impede the process of implantation of the fetal egg, and can also cause its rejection or death. In this case, they talk about spontaneous miscarriage.

Sometimes there is a tone of the uterus before childbirth, in which case it is customary to talk about training contractions. They are usually not dangerous. Thus, the uterus prepares for the birth process, roughly speaking, it trains.

May threaten the tone of the uterus and the condition of the baby. So, due to the fact that tense muscles of the uterus compress the vessels of the umbilical cord, the fetus may receive less oxygen, which leads to the development of hypoxia. If, for the same reason, the baby does not receive enough nutrients, then malnutrition, growth arrest is possible.

Causes of uterine hypertonicity

The causes of uterine tone during pregnancy can be very diverse. So, we have already described above why the uterus can tone up according to natural causes. Unfortunately, in many cases, the causes of hypertension lie in a variety of problems associated with the course of pregnancy.

It is almost impossible to list and describe all the causes of hypertension in one article, but we will try to give readers as much information as possible about such a common diagnosis. After all, more than 60% of women at least once in their entire pregnancy are diagnosed with increased uterine tone.

In the early stages, the cause of the uterus in good shape is most often a lack of the hormone progesterone. This hormone during pregnancy up to 4 months is produced by the so-called corpus luteum, formed in place, bursting during the exit, of the mature egg of the follicle. The main function of progesterone is to prepare the endometrium for implantation of the fetal egg, as well as to relax smooth muscles in order to prevent the development of uterine tone. A lack of progesterone, therefore, can cause hypertonicity.

There are other hormonal disorders, the consequence of which may be the same diagnosis. In particular, an excess of certain male hormones. That is why it is very important during pregnancy to carefully monitor hormonal background women.

Severe toxicosis also affects the condition of the uterus. Especially if accompanied by profuse and frequent vomiting. During vomiting, many muscles of the body contract, in particular, abdominal cavity. This process also affects the uterus. Unfortunately, toxicosis in the early stages cannot be removed completely, you can only slightly alleviate the condition of the woman, but it also makes sense to do so.

Hypertonicity, as well as in general miscarriage of the fetus, may be associated with the presence of anomalies in the development of the uterus: the uterus may be bicornuate or saddle-shaped, and also have other disorders. Any anomaly in the development of the uterus creates difficulties for bearing a child, and sometimes makes it impossible.

It is very important that by the time of conception a woman is aware of all her problems, and throughout the pregnancy a woman should be under the constant supervision of a doctor. All anomalies in the development of the uterus will make themselves felt in the very early stages of pregnancy.

In some cases, the cause of tone can be the so-called Rhesus conflict. In the event that the mother's blood Rh factor is negative, and the father of the child is positive, the woman's body can reject the fetus as a foreign body. The process of rejection will be expressed in an increase in tone.

Some infectious diseases and inflammatory processes of the genital organs or in the uterine cavity also cause an increase in tone. Usually, infections are accompanied by other symptoms, such as: a change in the nature of the discharge, pain, itching, and so on.

The cause of the tone may be excessive stretching of the uterus. This condition is observed if the fetus has too much big sizes or multiple pregnancy. Also, uterine distension occurs with polyhydramnios.

The list is almost endless: tumors, abortions / miscarriages before a real pregnancy, and so on - all this can also cause uterine tone and other painful conditions. We have not yet touched on psychological problems, tension and stress, which also affect the state of smooth muscles.

There are also prosaic reasons. So, the tone of the uterus often develops due to the intestines, more precisely, due to strong gas formation and altered intestinal perelstatics.

The main thing to understand and remember from this section is that uterine tone is a symptom, so it would be fundamentally wrong to treat it as an independent disease. It is always necessary to conduct additional studies and establish an accurate diagnosis, and only then prescribe treatment.

Symptoms: how to determine that the uterus is in good shape?

How to determine the tone of the uterus yourself? In most cases, this will not be difficult to do. Symptoms of uterine tone during pregnancy are simple and understandable, although they differ at different times.

Symptoms of an increase in uterine tone in early pregnancy are heaviness in the lower abdomen, pulling pains, as during menstruation, sometimes these pains radiate to the lower back or to the sacrum. The symptoms of uterine tone in the second and third trimesters are almost the same, in addition, at such times, hypertonicity can even be seen visually: the stomach shrinks, becomes hard, the uterus “hardens”. In general, every woman will easily understand how the tone of the uterus feels during pregnancy.

In some cases, the tone of the uterus is manifested by spotting spotting. This is very anxiety symptoms, you must immediately call an ambulance, try to calm down. In most cases, with timely treatment, the pregnancy can be saved. It remains to be added that in some cases the tone of the uterus is asymptomatic, more precisely, a woman may not feel them.

Diagnosis of uterine tone

There are several ways to medically diagnose uterine hypertonicity. Often it is noticeable even with a simple gynecological examination. However, the most common diagnostic method is ultrasound procedure. Ultrasound shows the state of the muscles of the uterus. In particular, it is ultrasound that shows such pathologies as uterine tone along the posterior or anterior wall of 1 or 2 degrees. The fact is that the tone along one of the walls of the uterus is expressed by a change in its shape, and the degree directly depends on which wall the fetus is attached to.

There are also special devices that measure exactly the tone of the uterus. However, they are not widely used due to the fact that the diagnosis of this problem leaves no difficulty. It is much more difficult to determine the cause of the tone.

Uterine hypertonicity: treatment

But now, the diagnosis is known, the uterus is in good shape. What to do? First of all, listen to your doctor's advice. The choice of treatment largely depends on how strong the tone of the uterus during pregnancy takes place, as well as on what caused it. If the situation is not associated with a serious risk, the treatment of uterine tone during pregnancy is carried out on an outpatient basis.

A woman is recommended to observe bed rest, antispasmodics are prescribed, usually no-shpu or papaverine. Magnesium B6 and sedatives, such as motherwort, are often prescribed for uterine tone. Please note that all these remedies should only relieve the tone of the uterus during pregnancy, in addition, you will probably be prescribed other medications that should cure the cause of the tone.

So, if we are talking about a lack of progesterone, then a woman is prescribed a drug with its content. If the cause of uterine tone is an excess of male hormones, then their antipodes are prescribed. With toxicosis, they do everything necessary to alleviate this condition, and if the cause is problems with the intestines, it is necessary to reduce gas formation. Its treatment is available in the case of a Rh conflict, and for any other diagnosis.

If the tone of the uterus cannot be removed for a long time, or if the situation is very serious initially, the doctors will insist on hospitalization and further treatment in the hospital. In the hospital, the patient will not be able to systematically violate bed rest, as women usually do while at home: cleaning, cooking and other household chores haunt the housewives. In addition, only in the hospital, doctors will be able to more closely monitor the condition of the mother and child, as well as bring down the increased tone in a timely manner in order to prevent premature birth.

Here it is worth making a small digression, in which we will talk about why, starting from the 28th week, they talk about premature birth, although the baby is clearly not full-term yet. The fact is that with the current state of medicine, it is from the 28th week that you can try to save the life of a newborn. Of course, this is far from the best outcome, it is always desirable to extend the pregnancy for at least one more day.

So, if the tone of the uterus at the 26th week of pregnancy provokes the onset of labor, then doctors will stop it with all their might. For this, tocolytic therapy is carried out, that is, the uterus is relaxed in every possible way with the help of appropriate schemes and preparations. And it is very important to start on time, because at this time the child most likely will not survive. That is why doctors in hospitals are fighting for every day of maintaining pregnancy. Still, the tone of the uterus at 36-38 weeks of gestation is not so dangerous, although it threatens the condition of the fetus. Therefore, after 28 weeks, first of all, they try to keep the pregnancy.

Do you agree to hospitalization?

Very often, women have a question: how much hospitalization is necessary? Usually this question is asked by those who have older children or those who are afraid of losing their jobs due to a long absence, they say, the child needs to be fed, money needs to be earned, but no-shpu and papaverine can be taken at home.

Unfortunately, there is no single right answer here. It all depends on the specific situation: how high is the risk of miscarriage or premature birth, how strong is the tone, and so on. A woman must understand that she refuses hospitalization at her own peril and risk, and she risks, first of all, her unborn child. Is the job worth the risk, for example? And for the older child, you can ask to look after your husband, relatives or close friend. There is almost always a solution.

How to remove the tone of the uterus at home?

In some cases, the tone can really be removed at home, and not only with medications, although you should not refuse them too hastily. How to remove the tone of the uterus at home?

The best way to do this is with exercises to relieve uterine tone. For example, "Cat". You need to get on all fours, raise your head and bend your back, stand in this position for a few seconds, and then slowly return to the starting position. This exercise must be repeated several times, and then lie down for an hour.

It has long been observed that the relaxation of the muscles of the uterus contributes to the relaxation of the muscles of the face. That is why the second exercise recommended for uterine tone is associated specifically with the face. You need to lower your head and relax all the muscles of the face and neck as much as possible. In this case, you need to breathe only through your mouth.

Sometimes, in order to get rid of the unpleasant sensations and symptoms of hypertonicity that have appeared, it is enough just to stand in such a position that the uterus is in a suspended position: that is, again, on all fours, with an emphasis on the elbows.

Combining this simple set of exercises with sedatives and antispasmodics, the tone of the uterus can be removed quite quickly. However, do not forget that it is important not only to remove the tone of the uterus, but also to eliminate the cause, and for this it is important to strictly follow all the instructions of the attending physician. In addition, we consider it our duty to remind you that if this condition cannot be removed, or if the discomfort intensifies, you still have to agree to hospitalization.

Prevention

Prevention of hypertension is a very simple matter. The main thing is to avoid unnecessary physical exertion and stress. It is also useful to eat right and observe the daily routine: go to bed and get up at about the same time. At this time, proper rest and healthy sleep are very important.

Separately, it is worth mentioning a variety of bad habits, such as drinking alcohol and smoking. Both are known to increase, among other things, the risk of uterine tone, and other, even more unpleasant pathologies. Therefore, it is better to give up tobacco and alcohol at the stage of pregnancy planning.

Of great importance for prevention and timely detection is constant monitoring by a gynecologist, as well as the timely passage of all related studies: tests, ultrasound, examinations by narrow specialists, and so on. This is especially true if the woman belongs to one of the risk groups.

Well, and most importantly, worry less. Especially if you still haven't saved yourself. The tone of the uterus, of course, is not a sentence. In the vast majority of cases, pregnancy can be saved, the consequences for the child are minimized. But excitement will in no way help to improve the condition of a pregnant woman with uterine tone.

Editorial: site,
Lada Sergeeva, practicing gynecologist

Useful video about uterine hypertonicity during pregnancy

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If the tone of the uterus from periodic training contractions turns into chronic, measures can and should be taken to reduce it. Constantly tense in any trimester is a stress factor for both the mother and the child, whom he threatens with oxygen starvation and lack of nutrients.

First of all, let's deal with those symptoms of uterine tone that will indicate that the situation is becoming dangerous:

pulling, aching pain in the lower abdomen, which does not go away even after a long rest;
persistent acute pain in the lower abdomen, in the perineum or in the anus;
bleeding from the vagina.

But why bring pregnancy to tragedy, and yourself to exhaustion? At the first signs of unpleasant tension of the uterus, the following non-medical measures can be taken:

Stop here and now. Wherever and with whomever you are, take a break from what you are doing. Are you walking in the park? Stop, lean against a tree, or sit on a bench and take deep breaths. Late for an important meeting? Stop and think: what in the world could be more important than your growing child? catch up public transport? Spit! The next one will come. And things will always wait. Hurry up in Kindergarten for an older child? Call the teacher or relatives - use assistants! Are you in a hurry to clean the house and prepare dinner for the arrival of your husband? Let him show his best qualities and help you with the housework. After all, you are carrying his child - take care of him! In any situation, wherever painful tension finds you, you can stop rushing this very minute.
Relax right now. Were you able to stop the fuss? Well! Now it is important to relax the body. From any position of the body, you can always find a way out to an even more comfortable one. Here it is useful to remember the rule of Henry Ford, who once said: "Why stand when you can sit, and why sit when you can lie down?" Lean back in a chair or put your head on your elbows lying on the table - if you are at work, but at home, find an opportunity to lie down and "let go" of the body. Take a mental journey inside yourself, not forgetting every cell - you will be surprised how much tension is inside! Let it go, relax everything that is possible - every finger, every muscle that you "reach" with your attention inside and out. Ideally, you should feel the whole body, like a soft wet cloth.
"Let go" face and mouth. The face is the mirror of the soul, and the muscles of the face are a reflection of our emotions. The opposite is also true: by relaxing the muscles of the face, you can quickly achieve relief from emotional stress. In the case of an increased tone of the uterus, this is extremely important, since it is the emotional stress that primarily leads to its painful tone. Pay attention to your face - relax the muscles of the forehead, temples, cheeks, muscles around the eyes, eyelids, muscles around the mouth, chin, neck ... Pay great attention to the mouth and throat muscles - lips are soft and relaxed, the tongue lies heavily in the mouth and is not ready toss and turn, even if you are asked this very minute about something important, the vocal cords are relaxed, breathing is even and deep ... It is believed that the mouth and throat are energetically connected with the uterus. Tension, "lump", unspoken words in the throat - this is also a clamp in the uterus. Why are you holding it? Let go!
Breathe "breathing out" the pain. When you feel your mind, face and body completely relaxed, pay attention to the lower abdomen. Inhaling deeply, "stretch" the tension from the uterine area upwards. As you exhale, imagine exhaling pain through a relaxed, pliable throat. You can think of tension as a hot elastic ball: when you inhale, you lift it up, when you exhale, you dissolve it and release it from yourself forever. Another image: inhaling deeply, direct a soft, calm exhalation to the uterus. Imagine that the uterus can breathe - through the perineum you "exhale" the pain and tension with the intention to leave unpleasant feeling... Come up with any image that will work for you. Figurative thinking is a powerful weapon against any psychosomatic stress. This skill is developed quite quickly - by the time you give birth, you will notice that "softening", involuntary relaxation and deep breathing become your natural reaction to any irritating factor. Is this not the best preparation for childbirth?
Use relaxing scents. In order not to be caught off guard by sudden tension, carry an amulet or aroma medallion with you with one of the relaxing aromas. From among the well-known relaxants, choose those that are pleasant to you. Delicate jasmine aroma relieves stress, helps the body to mobilize hidden reserves. Slightly tart and sweet smell of lotus not only soothes, but also relieves fatigue. This fragrance is commonly used in various spiritual practices. Mirra is a mild antidepressant that helps to cope with stress and insomnia. Sweet, "candy" rose relieves nervous tension, fights stress and panic, relieves nightmares, but for some, its smell seems too cloying. The sweet aroma of vanilla creates a feeling of comfort and peace. Essential oils of chamomile, lemon balm, mint, valerian, geranium and lemon wormwood have a similar effect. At home, you can use an aroma lamp, put a few drops of your favorite aroma oil on a handkerchief and put it in a closet with linen or at the head of the bed. Baths with aromatic oils are also good - for better dissolution in water, drop a few drops of oil on salt or add essential oil in a tablespoon of alcohol, and then pour this emulsion into water.
Relaxing bath. Coming home with a feeling of overexertion of the uterus, make yourself warm - but not hot! - a bath. Even in the absence of aromatic oils, warm water itself will help to relax and relieve tension. Make sure that the bathroom is not stuffy - open the door a little so that you do not feel dizzy. Lying in warm water, relax and breathe as described above. After the bath, plan to rest. It is best if you take a bath before bed. If this is not possible, try to lie down for at least an hour after taking a bath and only then get down to business.
Calming tea. Mix 2 parts lemon balm, 2 parts mint, 1 part valerian and 1 part motherwort. If you find motherwort too bitter and unpalatable, reduce the amount, but don't cut it out completely. Brew the mixture in a thermos (for 30 minutes) or in a water bath (for 15 minutes). Take it warm with honey. Wrap yourself in a warm blanket, give yourself a rest. Do not rush to jump up and run on business, even if acute symptoms stress is gone, give yourself time to recover.

With the body of the uterus during pregnancy, various changes will occur. It is not uncommon for a woman to be diagnosed with uterine tone. We will deal with all the questions in this article.

What is uterine tone

The uterus is a muscular organ. It consists of three layers - perimetrium, myometrium, endometrium. The muscular layer is the middle myometrium. With any movements - playing sports, laughing, coughing, the uterus is slightly tense, that is, it comes into tone. During pregnancy, there is a concept - hypertonicity, this is when the tone of the uterus increases significantly.

What happens with increased uterine tone

During pregnancy, the uterus naturally increases in size. Her muscle layer increases along with it by about 10-12 times and at the same time thickens 4-5 times. Uterine contractions in pregnant women sometimes occur even during the normal course of pregnancy, this happens closer to childbirth and is called training contractions. They are not dangerous to the fetus and pass quickly. But basically, the uterus is in a relaxed state, which allows you to bear a healthy baby and give birth exactly on time (+/-). However, there may be factors that affect the tone of the uterus, it rises and the muscle tissue contracts. Unfortunately, this is a very dangerous and disturbing process that can cause miscarriage or premature birth.

How to determine the tone of the uterus

You can understand that the tone of the uterus has increased by the following signs:

Aching pain in the lower abdomen.
In the later stages, the stomach hardens.
Bloody discharge appears, usually pink or brown.

If the tone is insignificant, then the woman may not feel it at all.

Why there is an increased tone of the uterus during pregnancy

The reasons for the increased tone of the uterus are very diverse, but there is only one conclusion - the danger of fetal loss. Why a pregnant woman may experience increased uterine tone:

multiple pregnancy;
polyhydramnios;
too much large fruit;
nervous tension, stressful situation;
physical stress;
bad habits;
result of gynecological diseases and surgical interventions;
inflammatory processes in the uterus (myoma, polycystic, endometriosis);
back problems (scoliosis, osteochondrosis, muscle hernia, pinched nerve).

With an increased tone, a woman develops aching and pulling pains in the lower abdomen, her health deteriorates sharply, a feeling of heat appears, the stomach becomes hard, begins to pull the muscles of the back and lower back, and there is a feeling of urge to defecate. You should immediately respond to this and take immediate action.

How long does uterine tone last

Depends on her condition and level of tone. On average, spasmodic sensations last from a few seconds to several minutes. There are different frequencies, 1-2 times per hour or a whole series of spasms. In the later stages, when the so-called training contractions appear, the tone of the uterus can be felt for a long time.

When the tone of the uterus is normal

From time to time, the uterus comes into tone and this is absolutely normal. From intensive actions, the tone rises. If the contractions are not strong and do not occur often, then there is no reason to worry.

What threatens the tone of the uterus

Regular hypertension in early term can lead to a miscarriage or the fertilized egg will not be able to attach inside. In the later stages, increased tone may result in the premature birth of a child. Also, an increased tone prevents the normal metabolism between the mother's body and the fetus. As a result, it breaks normal development future child. He doesn't get enough oxygen. Placental insufficiency may develop.

How to relieve the tone of the uterus

Pregnancy, of course, is not a disease, and pregnant women have just as many worries as everyone else, if not more. In any case, as soon as the tone of the uterus has increased, the abdominal muscles have become hard and contracted, drop everything immediately and do everything to relax the muscle tissue. The following actions will help to eliminate the increased tone:

What to do if you are away from home

Firstly, if you are in a stuffy room, you should go outside (even in winter, fresh frosty air will ventilate you a little and calm you down) sit down, take a deep breath, stretch your legs, loosen your tight hair and loosen your clothes, breathe evenly, try to relax completely. Sit so calmly for about 20 minutes. As soon as you feel that you are "letting go" do not try to get up abruptly. Slowly get up and try to get to the house or to the clinic as soon as possible.

If you are at home

Lie on the couch, put a firm pillow under your head, relax completely, breathe deeply. Lie down for half an hour in this relaxed position. After the tone has returned to normal, sudden movements are not recommended.

Relaxing exercises. Need to choose comfortable posture breathe deeply and calmly. Inhalation is shorter than exhalation. Inhale through nose, exhale through mouth. In this case, you should concentrate on the muscles of the face, then the neck and try to achieve their relaxation. Together with the muscles of the face, the whole body relaxes.
Take the cat pose. You can bend over and stay in this position for a while, then arch your back and also linger. Repeat 3-4 times. If there is no desire to perform the exercise completely, then you can get on all fours in a knee-elbow position and you need to stand like that for several minutes.
Take a warm bath with a relaxing aromatic oil such as lavender.
Drink herbal tea or decoction of chamomile, valerian or motherwort.

If the seizures do not go away, it is better to consult a doctor early.

The tone of the uterus, what to eat

Recommended for increased uterine tone to eat:

Chicken eggs.
Lean meat.
Boiled fish, fatty, but not in large quantities.
Boiled vegetables.
Apples, but not sour.
Cereals.
Dairy products.

Beets, raw foods, soft blue cheeses, alcohol, carbonated and coffee-containing drinks, strong tea, including green, junk food like fast food, smoked meats, canned food, marinades should be abandoned.

How to treat uterine tone

Usually, with the threat of a miscarriage, a woman is recommended to undergo treatment in an inpatient department. There, medication relieves the tone of the uterus. If the situation is not so serious, then the doctor prescribes drugs with magnesium, possibly special vitamin complexes. It is recommended to refrain from sexual contact, to reduce physical exercise, observe bed rest, rest more often and stay in a horizontal position.
It should be remembered that uterine hypertonicity often occurs from stress, constant anxiety, negative thoughts, and an unhealthy lifestyle. Not always physical activity leads to increased tone, activities such as swimming or yoga are very good at helping to cope with stress and maintain excellent physical shape.

What drugs reduce the tone of the uterus

Pregnant women should always carry a bottle of water with them and a pack of antispasmodics, which will come to the rescue at any time.

No-shpa (drotaverine)
Papaverine (tablets, vaginal suppositories);
Magne-B6.

Any drug should be prescribed only by a doctor. Do not self-medicate.

Expectant mothers are often diagnosed with "uterine tone during pregnancy." Those who bear their first child do not recognize this danger and often do not understand how everything can end. But even more "experienced" pregnant women are usually afraid of tone in the 1st trimester and mistakenly believe that late term nothing bad will happen.

Why does uterine hypertonicity occur, how to recognize it, why pain cannot be tolerated, what drugs can be taken to get rid of it? You will find answers to these and other questions in our article.

The organ of the female reproductive system - the uterus - consists of external and internal mucous membranes, between which there is a muscular layer (myometrium). Like all other human muscles, the myometrium has the ability to contract and relax. But if a woman can “control” the muscles on her arms and legs, then she cannot control the muscle layer of the uterus. For example, the uterine muscles contract when a woman laughs, coughs, or sneezes.

This process occurs imperceptibly and painlessly, but until the woman becomes pregnant. When a fetal egg begins to grow inside the uterus, the female body tries to reject it as a foreign (as it seems to it, completely unnecessary) body. The myometrium contracts, and the expectant mother is in pain at this moment. This is called hypertonicity of the uterine muscles.

Painful sensations can be weak or strong, last a few seconds or minutes, appear a couple of times or disturb constantly. If a woman does not yet know about her pregnancy, she often does not understand the danger that threatens her and her baby. And if the gynecologist knows and has already managed to scare her that there should be no pain during pregnancy, she begins to worry, and thereby only makes it worse.

In a woman who was absolutely healthy before the conception of a baby, during pregnancy, the uterus comes into tone for the following reasons.

"Sedentary" work or the need to stand on your feet for several hours, travel in public transport.
stressful situations.
Failure of the hormonal system in the 1st trimester: deficiency (it is produced by the ovary to relax the myometrium, in the 3rd trimester this task is performed by the placenta) or an excess of male hormones.
Toxicosis, which is accompanied by severe vomiting (in the 1st trimester). An increased tone of the myometrium occurs because the muscles of the organ tense during vomiting. Toxicosis is considered normal in the first trimester. But if a pregnant woman constantly experiences nausea at the mere sight of food, if she loses weight, the baby will not receive the necessary nutrients. Is not in the best way affect its development.
The movement of the fetus at a later date (in this case, hypertonicity of the uterine muscles should not be afraid).

At risk are expectant mothers who have:

harmful (smoking, addiction to alcohol);
a large number of abortions;
multiple pregnancy. A large load is created on the walls of the uterus. In some cases, she has to stretch to enormous sizes;
special structure of the reproductive organ (bicornuate, saddle-shaped, baby uterus);
negative Rh factor. If the pregnant woman has a blood type with a negative Rh factor, and the biological father of the child has a positive one, the mother's body tries to reject the fetal egg as a foreign body. But the first such pregnancy usually proceeds well;
thyroid dysfunction;
polyhydramnios;
viral and infectious diseases, including those that are sexually transmitted (ureaplasma, chlamydia, mycoplasmosis, viruses);
myoma;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Hypertonicity of the uterus appears with strong gas formation.

Some diseases, such as sexually transmitted infections, can only be treated in the third trimester, because antibiotics have to be taken. It is also impossible to refuse treatment: the placenta protects the child, but some substances can penetrate through it and adversely affect the development of the fetus.

Hypertonicity of the uterus throughout pregnancy manifests itself in different ways. In the 1st trimester it is:

dizziness, nausea;
dull pulling pain in the lower abdomen, as during menstruation, in the lower back or perineum (it can be of the same strength or “roll”, intensify, then weaken).

In the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, a “fossilized” abdomen is added to them. A tense uterus can be felt if you put your fingers on your stomach.

Another sign of increased tone is bloody discharge from the genital tract. They can be profuse or spotting, beige, brown, pink, or streaked with blood. Normally, only light discharge is observed. In all other cases, you should immediately contact a gynecologist.

At a later date, when there is little room for a large child in the womb, you can see how the baby is “stretched”. At this moment, the muscles of the uterus tense up, and the woman feels the fossil of the abdomen well, sees how it changes its rounded shape (one side of the abdomen seems to sink, while the other, on the contrary, begins to bulge more strongly). It lasts just a few seconds and does not pose any danger to either the mother or the baby.

Diagnostics

In order to understand whether the tone of the uterine muscles in a patient is increased, doctors use three methods:

palpation (palpation with fingers);
tonusometry.

In the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, the doctor can "feel" the tone of the uterus with his fingers through the anterior wall of the abdominal cavity. During the examination, the woman lies on her back and keeps her legs bent at the knees. In this position, the abdominal muscles relax, and the uterus, if it is dense, is well palpable.

Ultrasound is used as an auxiliary diagnostic method. The results obtained allow us to understand the degree of threat (complications, miscarriage) and the need for hospitalization.

With tonusometry, muscle tension is detected using special sensors. This method is rarely used, since the other two provide comprehensive information.

Elimination Methods

Increased uterine tone is treated on an outpatient basis and in a hospital. The first option is chosen when the expectant mother is concerned about mild pain in the lower abdomen or lower back. At the same time, she does not have spotting, and up to this point the pregnancy has proceeded without complications. Hospitalization is recommended in the case when it is not possible to remove the increased tone for a long time.

At home, a woman should rest more, forget about sexual activity for a while, take antispasmodics (No-shpu, Drotaverine, Papaverine - a solution for intramuscular injections or rectal suppositories), sedatives (motherwort, valerian) and progestogen (Utrozhestan) drugs, as well as Magne B6 .

Medicines have contraindications. You cannot self-prescribe medications. This must be done by a doctor. The dosage in each case, he selects individually.

"Cat". It is performed as follows: kneel, rest your palms on the floor, carefully bend your back, then arch. Repeat 5-10 times. After that, it is better to lie down for half an hour or an hour, especially if the exercise is performed in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
Tense facial muscles can cause uterine contractions. By relaxing the facial muscles, you can eliminate the hypertonicity of the uterus. To do this, the pregnant woman needs to get on all fours, lower her face down, relax her facial muscles. Breathe through your mouth.
Knee-elbow posture. This exercise is performed as follows: a woman needs to kneel and rest her elbows on the floor, stand like this for 1-10 minutes. In this position, the uterus will be in a suspended position and will be able to relax.

Exercises should be performed carefully, at a slow pace. If the pain intensifies, you need to stop, rest, lie down. With severe unrelenting pain, it is better to call a gynecologist, consult or immediately call an ambulance.

If a pregnant woman has a high muscle tone for a long time that cannot be removed or spotting has appeared, doctors will insist on hospitalization. In the hospital expectant mother have to be on bed rest.

In the 1st trimester, she will receive intramuscular injections of No-shpa, Papaverine, vitamins, sedatives, and Utrozhestan. If there is spotting, they will be stopped with Dicinon or Tranexam.

But all these remedies stop the symptoms and do not solve the main problem - the elimination of the cause.

In the 2nd trimester, a pregnant doctor may prescribe:

electrophoresis with magnesia;
droppers with Ginipral;
vitamin and mineral complex.

In the 3rd trimester, the same drugs are used to treat increased uterine tone. If, according to the results of the ultrasound, it becomes clear that the tone is strong and the child receives little oxygen and nutrients, the expectant mother is prescribed Curantil or Trental.

These drugs are allowed to be taken only as prescribed by a doctor. For example, Curantyl can cause severe headaches. But if a woman takes several drugs, she will not be able to understand what exactly caused the adverse reaction. You need to tell your doctor about your condition. He will decide which medication to remove.

Possible negative consequences and prognosis

Uterine contractions are a pain that cannot be tolerated in the hope that everything will go away with time. The tone carries a great danger, first of all, for the developing fetus.

May occur in the 1st trimester miscarriage(detachment of the ovum). Pregnancy may not be interrupted, but freeze due to the fact that the fetus did not receive oxygen and nutrients. In both cases, the pregnancy cannot be maintained.

In the 2nd and 3rd trimester, placental abruption does not occur, but another problem appears: the uterus, contracting, compresses the fetal bladder, as a result, the cervix opens and preterm labor begins. In some cases even if the cervix is closed. It is most often possible to save a baby if the gestational age is 36-38 weeks.

Prevention

To prevent increased uterine tone, pregnant women are advised to follow a few simple rules.

Get tested for genital infections at the stage of pregnancy planning.
Get registered in a timely manner, regularly go to "appearances" to the gynecologist, follow his recommendations.
Sleep 8-10 hours a day.
Be sure to breathe fresh air, but it is better to refuse long walks.
Avoid stressful situations.
Do not create excessive physical activity for yourself.
Eliminate the use of alcoholic beverages at the stage of pregnancy planning.
Quit smoking.
Do not lift heavy objects, especially in the 3rd trimester.

A pregnant woman should eat right. In her diet, there must be foods rich in magnesium:

vegetables, greens (cabbage, basil, spinach);
cereal crops (wheat, barley, buckwheat);
dairy products (cheese, natural yogurt).

This microelement helps to relax the smooth muscles of the intestines and myometrium (the muscle tissue of the uterus). In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the central nervous system.

Conclusion

The tone of the uterus during pregnancy is a diagnosis that gynecologists put 60% of women. Symptoms of hypertonicity - pain in the lower abdomen or lower back, "fossil" of the abdomen, spotting. Muscle spasm can cause placental abruption (miscarriage) or preterm labor.

There are many reasons for the appearance of increased tone, but you can prevent its occurrence if you perform simple rules prevention: get plenty of rest, be less nervous, eat right and listen to the doctor's recommendations. Self-medication can lead to sad consequences.