Very frequent false contractions. False labor - intense false contractions

All women are well aware that the onset of labor is the precursor to childbirth. As a result of uterine contractions, its cervix opens, through which the baby is born. Starting in the middle of pregnancy, women often experience training contractions. How long before birth they occur and how to recognize them is described in this article.

Training fights - the norm or a reason to sound the alarm?

The uterus is an organ made up of muscle tissue. Its contractions are a natural physiological process. During pregnancy, the uterus may contract, but women often do not notice this.

Long before giving birth, pregnant women may feel aching pain in the abdomen. In this case, the uterus, when probed, can either harden or relax. The resulting spasm resembles prenatal contractions, but in fact the body is only preparing for childbirth. In this case, the cervix does not open.

They were first described at the end of the 19th century by a British gynecologist named John Braxton-Hicks, after whom they are named. Another common name for training contractions is false contractions.

Doctors in some countries view training contractions as a threat of preterm labor and, at the first symptoms, hospitalize a woman to stop the activity of the uterus and relax her muscles.

Braxton Hicks contractions are a natural physiological process, indicating that the body of a pregnant woman is preparing for childbirth and no medical intervention is required.

Over the past hundred years, medicine has studied in detail what training contractions are, how long before birth they can manifest themselves and how to recognize them.

How to determine

It is very important that every pregnant woman learns information about training fights in the early stages. Women who have undergone theoretical training are more attentive to their health and observe the changes taking place. They can recognize for themselves when they are having training contractions and know how to respond to them.

The main symptoms of training fights:

A feeling of constriction and aching in the groin and lower abdomen.
Irregular and irregular contractions.
They appear in only one area of the abdomen.
Contractions can occur up to 6 times per hour.
False contractions do not give in the back, as is the case with real contractions.
They don't cause severe pain. Inattentive women may not even notice such contractions.
Gradually disappear. After a small amount of time, the uterus calms down and becomes soft.

Some pregnant women calculate the due date by paying attention to training contractions. How long before birth they occur, it is difficult to determine exactly. Typically, training contractions appear in the second and third trimesters. After how many births after training bouts, it is impossible to answer. The presence or absence of false contractions is not an indicator by which one can judge the course of pregnancy.

Duration of contractions

Any woman can identify false contractions without the help of a doctor. To do this, you should know how long training contractions last before childbirth. With such contractions of the uterus, the duration of muscle tension can be up to 2 minutes. Typically, training bouts last no more than a minute. And their frequency of manifestation is up to several times per hour.

False contractions do not increase in frequency or intensity.

Reasons for the appearance

Often Braxton Hicks contractions are caused by certain behaviors of a pregnant woman:

excessive activity, physical activity;
psycho-emotional stress (for example, worries and worries due to future childbirth);
keeping a full bladder
sexual arousal, intimate contact.

In most cases, a woman can avoid training uterine contractions. Doctors advise pregnant women to drink the required amount of water, not to be nervous and to remain calm until the very birth. These recommendations should be followed even when training bouts appeared. After how many births, doctors determine in the early stages. Compliance with medical recommendations allows you to normally endure the baby and give birth to him at the set time.

False contractions in the early stages

In medicine, there is no exact definition of when training contractions should appear. How long before birth contractions begin depends on the body of the expectant mother. Often there are cases that false contractions appear even in the first months of bearing a child.

False contractions at the beginning of pregnancy are almost not felt. Their intensity and frequency increases closer to childbirth. To exclude and prevent the development of dangerous pathologies, with slight discomfort in the lower abdomen, you should consult a doctor.

What to do when training contractions begin

No matter how long before the birth they appear, a pregnant woman should not panic. give you the opportunity to prepare for real fights. So, during an attack, a pregnant woman can practice breathing systems that are used during childbirth:

Take frequent shallow breaths during the next contraction. Such an exercise trains the lungs and facilitates the passage of an attack.
After the end of the fight, take a deep breath and exhale, and slowly exhale during the fight.
Take slow breaths in through your nose and exhale sharply through your mouth.

Even to facilitate training fights, you can try to reduce discomfort in the following ways:

lie down on the bed and take a comfortable position;
drink water;
take a walk;
take a warm shower;
turn on relaxing music.
calm down and tune in to positive thoughts.

Alarms

There are symptoms that require medical attention. In some cases, the threat of gestation can be identified when training contractions occur. How long before childbirth and how intensely the uterus contracts, all pregnant women should observe the presence of secretions.

Symptoms, the manifestation of which signals the need to see a doctor:

severe pain in the back and lower abdomen;
bloody, mucous or watery discharge;
decreased fetal activity;
increased frequency of spasms.

False contractions before childbirth

Training bouts intensify. After how much childbirth begins, in the later stages only a doctor can accurately determine. False contractions in recent weeks are more painful and because of this, it seems to women that they are already starting to give birth. You can set the onset of labor by the frequency and intensity of contractions, which is accurately calculated by the cardiotocography method. With it, you can set the exact number of uterine contractions, their strength and duration.

Training bouts in recent weeks are most often such reductions are observed in the mornings and evenings.

False contractions are very important for labor, as they help smooth and soften the cervix and prepare it for the upcoming birth.

In this article:

Most women who are preparing to become mothers and give birth to God's child are not even aware of the existence of such a phenomenon as false contractions. And it is no coincidence that such contractions cause panic for many women before childbirth in the last weeks. Giving in to a false instinct, young mothers immediately go to the doctor. Of course, all fears in the end are unfounded.

What are false contractions and what are their symptoms?

It is worth immediately reassuring many expectant mothers, false contractions are a natural process that prepares a woman's body for subsequent births. In no case should you be afraid of this. It usually appears at 37 weeks and does not cause concern. For some, such a training period begins at 36 weeks, and they show a frequent pattern. False contractions can be earlier: at 34 weeks and at 35 weeks. But as we already know, there is no need to worry. But at week 39, you should carefully consider false contractions. If they manifest themselves more and more often, this is a clear sign of the approach of childbirth: a kind of sign for the mother to get ready.

Such a preparatory process begins from the first week of conception, but proceeds imperceptibly in the early stages. False contractions can be confused with real ones in the period falling on the 40th week, when there is little time left before the birth itself. In this regard, every woman should be able to determine by special signs when contractions are false and when they are real.

Distinctive features of the preparatory period

The first thing you should pay attention to is the intervals. With real, contractions, this interval is reduced. With false - the intervals remain constant.

Second moment. False contractions are a single, irregular phenomenon, while real ones take place with a certain cyclicity.

Third moment. Labor pains are painful, and over time, becoming more intense and longer. False contractions are mostly painless, although as the due date approaches, they can be more noticeable and cause discomfort. But the duration does not change.

And finally, the fourth point. The difference lies in the duration. Real contractions tend to last longer than false ones. The latter have no more than 2 minutes for this, or even several seconds. It is worth noting that the closer the due date, the more often false contractions may occur, but the duration never changes.

Many women are afraid not to notice the beginning of real contractions, but there is no reason for such concern. It should be remembered that the main distinguishing feature is intensity and regularity. That is: how much and how often. Moreover, real contractions are very painful, the pain increases with time.

How can you make the preparation period easier?

Each pregnant woman can tolerate false contractions in different ways, it all depends on the characteristics of the body. Usually, by the end of the pregnancy, pain may appear. However, there are several options to minimize this discomfort. Ways to relieve false contractions:

if contractions are caught before going to bed, a walk in the fresh air is necessary;
if contractions are caught while doing any homework, you should set it aside and lie down to rest;
a warm (not hot) bath or shower is a good remedy. Also, discomfort will help to remove a glass of warm milk or water.

There are also special exercises that help overcome the discomfort of false contractions. This is how breathing exercises will benefit: first, 1 deep breath is taken, and then 3 or 4 short exhalations.

During contractions, you should not push, because it will bring nothing but harm. Also, do not scream, as it takes a lot of strength. It's better to hum some lingering melody. In addition, according to the latest observations of scientists, it became clear that such lingering melodies have the most beneficial effect on the baby: he calms down.

Such training will help to endure the discomfort of false contractions more easily. And let for every woman false contractions during pregnancy not be a reason for unnecessary excitement, but a real preparatory period for the upcoming appearance of a small living miracle.

Video on how to distinguish false contractions from real ones

Some women don't feel contractions before giving birth, while others may experience contractions days before the baby arrives. In order not to be mistaken, you need to know the main signs of real and false contractions.

The first harbingers of future childbirth (false contractions)

During pregnancy, women may experience pain from time to time. I associated with various types of uterine contractions, the so-called false contractions.

How to understand that they have begun, and You can determine how soon the time of childbirth will come by the following precursors:

Not all of these precursors may appear, but the presence of at least one may indicate an imminent birth.

Features of "training" fights

Contractions that occur long before labor are called training.

They are characterized by such features:

occur in the second half of pregnancy;
duration varies from a second to several minutes;
with increasing gestational age, the frequency of training contractions may increase without changing their duration.

Such fights differ from the real ones in that they are less painful and disappear with a change in position or while walking. Also, they are not regular and there is no tendency to increase them.

Braxton Hicks contractions

From about 20 weeks long before the expected birth, contractions occur for reasons that are not fully explained. There is tension in the abdominal cavity. The woman complains of discomfort, but pain is not felt.

Back in the 19th century, Dr. John Braxton Hicks, living in England, described this phenomenon. He explained this by saying that the body prepares the cervix for the upcoming dilation for the expulsion process.

If the birth is not the first, then such contractions may be accompanied by pain. The nature of contractions is most accurately determined using a cardiotocogram.

The occurrence of premature contractions, their danger

If contractions occur in the first months of pregnancy, a miscarriage is possible.

If the contractions began after 6 months of pregnancy, then the birth of a premature baby is possible. It will take a lot of effort to get the baby out.

That's why if contractions occur before 38 weeks, medical intervention is required to eliminate them.

It is possible that a strong contraction of the uterus, pain in the lower abdomen and bleeding over time will cause the so-called training contractions. How to understand that they have begun was described above, but you should not worry - if the contractions are rare with an interval of several hours and lasting only a few seconds.

Wherein need to take medication to reduce the resulting tone. With the threat of miscarriage, before contacting the honey. institution can, for example, take "Ginipral".

Do not take a hot bath if you have early contractions because it can cause placental abruption.

It is important to know! If there is profuse spotting, and the pain is quite high, then an ambulance call is required.

Signs of contractions just before childbirth

Understand that the contractions have begun, and should you can go to the maternity hospital as soon as in the body of a woman:

the uterus changes position to facilitate the expulsion of the fetus;
the cervix softens and shortens;
the cervical canal opens, connecting the uterus to the vagina.

In this case, additional pronounced signs appear.

Regular uterine contractions

Frequent and regular contractions testify to an early birth. How to understand that they have begun and it's time to go to the hospital worries almost all primiparas.

The intervals between contractions, unlike training ones, are the same tending to temporarily decrease the gap between them. At the time of contractions, the volume of the uterus decreases, increasing inside her pressure, and contributing to the advancement of the child through the birth canal.

Prenatal contractions are very painful. You can understand that they have begun by the pain that spreads through the abdomen and in the lumbar region.

The duration of contractions, indicating an imminent birth, is at least 20-30 seconds. The break between them is constantly shrinking. And it can be from 2 to 5 minutes. The active birth phase averages from 2 to 5 hours.

Drainage of amniotic fluid

Usually the fetal bladder ruptures during prenatal contractions. and fluid leaks from the vagina. After that, the birth process goes faster.

Timely discharge of water occurs during regular contractions, when the cervix opens more than 4 cm. If the water leaves earlier, then the child may be infected with bacteria in the birth canal.

Carefully! The process in question can occur at any stage of pregnancy. It is considered normal if the water has broken after 38 weeks. At this time, the child is already fully formed and ready for birth.

The discharge of water can occur as a result of a complete rupture of the bladder. At the same time, about 200 ml of liquid can flow out at the same time. But if the hole in the fetal bladder is small and it is located at the top, then the water leaves gradually.

When a woman is expecting contractions, how to understand that they have begun is possible by several symptoms, including severe pain in the abdomen.

They are often confused with urinary incontinence or leucorrhoea. To establish the nature of the discharge, you should contact the honey. institution or do the analysis yourself using a test purchased at a pharmacy.

Often, the birth process starts within 3-4 hours after the removal of amniotic fluid from the uterine cavity. But if this does not happen, then after 12 hours the birth process begins to be stimulated.

According to the standards of some European countries auxiliary stimulation is resorted to only a day after the opening of the fetal bladder

Removal of the mucous plug

At the end of pregnancy, the entrance to the uterus is gradually clogged with a clot of mucus formed in the cervix. This serves as a barrier against the penetration of infections.

Prenatal production of estrogen in the body softens the plug, and she spontaneously comes out of the birth canal. This fact serves as a signal that labor activity is entering the active phase.

Sometimes the release of the mucous plug can only occur during childbirth or a few hours before this process. A gynecologist's examination can also provoke a cork exit. In this case, the mucus can come out all at once (20-30 ml) or throughout the day in the form of mucous secretions.

Physicians believe that Normally, the mucosal plug comes out no earlier than 2 weeks before delivery.

Note! After the discharge of the mucous plug, it is not recommended to swim in the reservoirs and take a bath. It is also better to refuse intimate relationships and carefully follow the rules of hygiene.

Nausea and diarrhea

Sometimes diarrhea occurs a few days before delivery. At this time, there may be frequent urge to urinate. This is due to the fact that the baby's head gradually descends into the small pelvis, causing discomfort to the woman.

The urge to defecate can be caused by uterine contractions during contractions. Bowel cleansing before childbirth does not entail dehydration if the stool is mushy stool 3 to 5 times a day.

It is necessary to consult a doctor with a diarrhea problem if the diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting, the temperature rises, and the stool is bloody or foamy and has a strong odor. Perhaps the cause of this condition is an intestinal infection.

Shortly before giving birth, pregnant women may experience nausea. Usually, this is a natural process, but in some cases it indicates serious health problems.

In late pregnancy, nausea can often be a manifestation of toxicosis. The cause of this condition may be changes in the kidneys or in the cardiovascular system.

The risk group for complications due to late toxicosis includes women:

with a negative Rh factor;
over 35 years of age;
with problems of the cardiovascular system and kidneys.

You should consult a doctor if nausea is accompanied by vomiting, fever, pain in the abdomen or head.

Directly before contractions, with the help of vomiting, the body is freed from food in the stomach to facilitate labor. Therefore, you should not worry about this.

Contractions during childbirth

Contractions testify to the process of preparing for the birth of a baby. How to understand that they have begun and how to behave correctly at this time, a woman should be familiarized in advance.

At this time, the woman in labor feels pain. At first, contractions occur after about 15-20 minutes. Then increase to a 5-minute break. Their duration ranges from 40 to 60 seconds.

Pain is not eliminated even with a change in position. Wherein pressure starts at the top of the uterus and then spreads to the entire organ, pushing the baby towards the cervical canal.

The position of the fetus inside the uterus can affect the intensity of pain. So, if the child lies with his back to the back of the mother, the woman experiences severe pain.

Opening the cervix

To distinguish false contractions, and to understand that labor has begun, doctors examine the walls of the cervix. During pregnancy, they are dense, and the upper part of the cervix, called the cervical canal, tightly closes the entrance to the uterus.

While, when the cervix dilates, labor begins. Its disclosure at short terms of pregnancy threatens with premature birth or miscarriage.

The stage of preparing the cervix for childbirth begins at about 32-34 weeks. It softens, allowing the baby's head to sink into the small pelvis. In multiparous, this process is faster and easier.

At the beginning of labor, the cervical dilatation is 2 fingers, but by the time the fetus is released, the opening should be from 10 to 12 cm, for the baby's head to pass through.

Strong pain from contractions is noted at the time of cervical dilatation from 8 to 10 cm. This stage can last from several minutes to several hours.

attempts

In the process of childbirth, contractions are accompanied by attempts. In a normal birth process, their total duration is only a few minutes. You can understand that they have begun by the maximum tension of intra-abdominal pressure.

As the women point out, pain from contractions during attempts is felt less strongly. The woman begins to push when the cervix is dilated enough to allow the baby's head to pass through.

The force of the attempts should be directed to the diaphragm and abdominals. The feeling of pushing is similar to that of a bowel movement.

At this moment, regardless of the desire of the woman in labor, emptying of her bladder and intestines can occur. Such cases are not uncommon and the medical staff is ready for such "embarrassment". All secretions will be immediately removed and there will be no contact with the child.

Women are required to listen carefully to medical staff and act on their request. Obstetricians closely monitor the process of childbirth, advising the woman in labor to push or hold back the urge a little, trying to relax. For this, a woman is advised to take frequent shallow and short breaths.

Sometimes it happens that attempts do not occur. But the medical staff knows what to do in such a case. Therefore, you must carefully follow their commands.

Subsequent contractions

At the next stage of childbirth, after the baby comes out, the last i.e. the placenta. At this point, the woman may again feel the urge to push. But this is no longer such a powerful and almost painless process.

With a little effort, the woman pushes the placenta out. After that, it is considered that the birth process is completed.

Afterpains

If, after childbirth, cutting pains began, such as during contractions, then it can be understood that a process has begun aimed at restoring the volume of the uterus. It is noticed that postpartum contractions in multiparous patients. They increase during breastfeeding.

This is due to the production of oxytocin, a hormone responsible for the formation of milk, which simultaneously stimulates uterine contractions in the postpartum period.

The uterus returns to its original state by about the sixth week after birth. Its size, containing during pregnancy the child, placenta and amniotic fluid, should by this time be approximately equal to a woman's fist.

When to call an ambulance and go to the hospital

You can go to the hospital in advance, but if you can quickly get to the hospital, then it is enough to come to the medical facility shortly before the birth.

If you haven't gone into labor before 40 weeks, don't worry. Normally, childbirth occurs from 38 to 43 weeks of pregnancy. But if after the maximum allowable period, childbirth does not begin, the intervention of doctors will be required.

Call an ambulance if you experience the following symptoms:

Acute pain in the abdomen or bloody discharge of a scarlet color.
The waters have receded.
The interval between contractions is about 10 minutes.

What to do before the ambulance arrives

If there are signs of the onset of childbirth, and you need to call an ambulance, it is recommended to do the following:

Usually, a maternity ambulance arrives immediately., so if the fees are over, then you can call an ambulance.

It is believed that if a pregnant woman is psychologically prepared in advance for childbirth, then this process takes place quickly and without complications for both the mother and the baby. At the same time, they endure even the painful period of contractions more easily.

In this video, you will learn how to understand that contractions have begun and childbirth after them.

This video will tell you what false contractions are and how they differ from real ones.

Training contractions are not accompanied by pain and do not cause discomfort, but they can alert a woman to a certain extent. Training contractions are not direct signals of the onset of labor, they prepare, as if training, the birth canal for the birth process. For this, this phenomenon has received its interesting name.

How to recognize contractions

Before giving birth, there are always signs (harbingers) both day and night - the stomach becomes stony, the tone of the uterus, trial, premature, preliminary painful attempts are felt, which means childbirth will begin soon. Such a phenomenon as contractions has different reviews and descriptions. Usually, after the second attempts, the third ones appear, within a week before the birth days. At what time they can often, how to determine what to do, how they appear, distinguish, look, whether true ones differ from false ones, whether they can be confused with real ones, how long they feel, what they look like, how long painful sensations can last and last, with how often, how long it takes (number of contractions per hour) - these questions torment all expectant mothers.

Not all women notice training contractions, as they are painless.

It is not difficult to learn and compare attempts when preparatory contractions occur in both primiparous and multiparous (the whole day in the month of childbirth is possible). Some women are caught off guard, because the time of childbirth has not yet come, and some may not encounter them at all, or not notice them.

Many experts note that training contractions are caused by a number of reasons:

High physical activity of a pregnant woman and great physical exertion;
Increased activity of the baby;
Lack of fluid in the body;
Excessive anxiety and unrest of the pregnant woman, as well as stress;
Sleep disturbance;
Diet or malnutrition;
Drinking alcohol or smoking;
The use of strong drinks (for example, coffee);
Bathing in a hot bath or shower;
Full bladder;
Having sex.

Training contractions are irregular and intermittent, as well as painless. Their intensity and frequency do not decrease or increase both during movement and at rest, remaining stable. These contractions are designed to soften and shorten the cervix, as well as to train the uterine muscles. Also, thanks to them, the placenta is saturated with oxygen and nutrients, in addition, blood circulation and blood flow to the fetus increase.

Feelings during training bouts

Basically, training contractions manifest themselves in a situation of overexcitation of the mother's body (smoking, stress, strong tea, orgasm, alcohol), as well as in multiple or large pregnancies. A woman can understand quite easily that training or false contractions have begun, since they are accompanied by sensations.

Namely:

Tension and cramps in the lower abdomen;
No severe pain
The uterus is easily palpable, and even its contours are visible;
There may be a slight aching pain or tension in the lower back.

Feelings during false contractions can sometimes resemble pain during menstruation, which gradually stop. In general, with false contractions, a pregnant woman has a feeling of compression and tension in the lower abdomen, which causes discomfort, but passes without severe pain and malaise. In some cases, a pregnant woman may notice that the stomach has become harder and “petrified”, which is quite normal during contractions.

The mechanism of contractions is quite simple: initially there is a contraction of the muscle wall, which gradually increases and increases to its maximum, and then also gradually decreases.

At the end of the contraction, the uterus again goes into a state of rest, relaxing. Thus, we can say that contractions resemble the movement of a sea wave. There are 2 options for the outcome of false (training) contractions: firstly, the contractions gradually subside and end, and secondly, if the chaotic contractions of the muscles of the uterus become more frequent and ordered, then they gradually turn into generic ones.

Symptoms of false contractions during pregnancy

It is likely that no pregnant woman will confuse simple pain in the lower back or abdomen with contractions. Since any contractions are accompanied by muscle contractions that come unexpectedly.

False contractions are accompanied by a number of features:

Periodic tension of the uterus, namely its smooth muscles;
A feeling of constriction in a certain place (in the groin area, in the lower abdomen, or in the upper part of the uterus);
Painless discomfort;
Short-term spasms, quickly weaken and stop;
Irregular and chaotic (non-rhythmic) muscle contractions.

Sometimes training contractions can be caused by touching someone else's hand on the stomach, or if the pregnant woman herself often touches the stomach. Also, muscle contractions can be associated with hormonal changes in the body.

When do training contractions start in a pregnant woman

As already noted, training bouts are chaotic and not regular. They can appear every 5 hours, and can occur once every 2 days. The frequency of their appearance is influenced by the individual physiological characteristics of the female body.

The specifics of their appearance is as follows:

They usually appear in the morning or evening;
Their duration is up to 1 min;
The total number of contractions is no more than 4 times per hour;
Adynamic - contractions do not increase, do not lengthen, the intervals between them are not uniform (30-10-15-40 minutes, etc.).

Basically, training contractions appear in the evening, after an active and eventful day for a pregnant woman. At night and during sleep, contractions are absent, and in the morning they may appear again. In any case, contractions do not adversely affect either the body of the mother or the child.

It is very important to remain calm at the time of contractions and be able to quickly calm down and relax.

Some experts note that the strength of pain during contractions depends on the psychological mood of the pregnant woman - if a woman is constantly worried and afraid of the upcoming contractions and childbirth, respectively, then their muscle contractions are accompanied by more painful.

How many days before birth do training contractions start?

The appearance of contractions at an early date may be due to the overexcitation of the expectant mother, dehydration, or stress. In the later stages, these contractions completely prepare the body for future childbirth, so they become more intense, but still just as irregular.

In addition to the fact that the occurrence, course and intensity of false contractions is a purely individual feature, it is quite difficult to predict their appearance:

In some pregnant women, the first false contractions may appear very early - at the 20th week.
In most pregnant women, false contractions appear at 32-34 weeks of gestation.
Such contractions will be harbingers of labor pains, after about 38 weeks.

The closer the date of birth, the stronger and more often false contractions may appear, warning and preparing for imminent changes in the body. In addition, as already noted, training contractions are not observed in all pregnant women.

In some, they are absent, while in others they go unnoticed, most often this situation occurs in the second and subsequent pregnancies.

In late pregnancies, false contractions may be stronger and more frequent, which is associated with insufficient production of certain hormones by the endocrine system. If false contractions are accompanied by significant pain and discomfort, it is better to consult a doctor who can prescribe CTG, workouts, a drug such as No-shpa, safe pain medications or suppositories.

Many pregnant women, when training contractions appear, believe that the process of childbirth has begun and you can already go into labor. However, it is not. Labor pains in comparison with false ones have a number of distinguishing features.

Namely:

Pain that gradually increases;
Increase in the duration and intensity of contractions;
Identical intervals between attacks;
The cervix gradually opens;
Feeling of pressure in the pelvic area or in the vaginal area;
The abdomen drops;
Drainage of amniotic fluid and mucous plug.

Probably, the last indicated sign is the most important difference between labor pains. If the waters have broken, you can be sure that the process of childbirth begins. Labor pains are repeated after the same time period and last until the birth of the child. They are accompanied by pain, usually pulling, in the lumbar or lower abdomen. During labor pains, the cervix opens, which allows the fetus to exit it and move through the birth canal. Then the child is born, after which the placenta separates with the fetal bladder, and the umbilical cord (in the people this process is called the birth of the placenta). One of the techniques for determining labor pains is counting - count the number of contractions for a certain time period, and note the duration of the intervals between them.

If contractions appear rarely and at irregular intervals, you can be sure that this is training.

On average, during labor, the interval between contractions is 10 minutes. There are situations when contractions do not look like either training or labor and are accompanied by alarming symptoms - bleeding or spotting, mucous or watery discharge, severe pain in the abdomen (namely in the lower part) or lower back pain, nausea, convulsive contractions, diarrhea, decreased fetal activity.

For any of these symptoms, you should immediately call an ambulance or go to an appointment with a doctor who has a pregnant woman. These symptoms can cause pathologies or complications of pregnancy and childbirth.

False contractions: what to do

Sometimes training contractions are accompanied by pain and discomfort, but in general, they cause the expectant mother minimal discomfort. You can relieve discomfort during false contractions in simple ways.

Namely:

Try to change the position of your own body, because due to an uncomfortable posture, the uterus can be tense.
Soak in a warm bath or shower - warm water helps relieve muscle spasms.
Drink more fluids (non-carbonated drinks, water, juices, fruit drinks, etc.), as the appearance of false contractions may be associated with a dehydration situation in the female body.
Go to the toilet - when the bladder is full, pressure is exerted on the uterus, as a result of which contractions begin.
Take care of household chores or something interesting - dedication to business will allow you to ignore contractions.
Take a walk in the fresh air - physical activity helps to relax smooth uterine muscles.

Many experts note the high benefit of false contractions, during which pregnant women can practice breathing exercises. “Candle” - inhale deeply and slowly through the nose, and then exhale briefly and sharply as if blowing out a candle. For more success, you can train on a real lighted candle. Breathing "like a dog" - superficial and frequent inhalations-exhalations. This exercise is not recommended for more than 30 seconds, because due to lack of oxygen, dizziness may begin. Breathing technique "Economical breathing" - a deep and slow exhalation during a fight, and then the same slow and deep breath. The exercise is repeated during each contraction.

Such breathing exercises allow the pregnant woman to relax and calm down, as well as mentally and psychologically prepare for the immediate process of childbirth.

How to recognize training contractions (video)

To relieve anxiety, a pregnant woman can drink herbal decoction, for example, from chamomile or motherwort, weak tasty tea, or a glass of warm milk with honey. Training fights are not heralds of pathologies, complications of childbirth, they do not cause premature birth and are not a threat of abortion. False contractions are the next changes in the body of the expectant mother, who is actively getting used to the new position and preparing for further restructuring.

How to understand that false contractions have begun, when should the birth be expected after this? This phenomenon is the preparation of the uterus for future delivery. The so-called Braxton Higgs contractions appear in some women very early, as early as 20 weeks. And many doctors regard this as a threat of a late miscarriage. In fact, this does not provoke the threat of spontaneous abortion. Except a little embarrassing. A woman feels how her uterus periodically becomes hard, there may be slight pains of a pulling nature. But all this is not so often in a short time. Is it possible to assume, if false contractions have begun, when will the woman give birth?

To make any assumptions, you need to know the gestational age. If it is 38 or more weeks, then the answer is obvious - in the very near future. Usually, if false contractions appear, then even before the birth begins, their precursors appear. These include:

discharge of the mucous plug from the cervical canal, where this mucus performs a protective function, serves as a barrier to prevent various infectious pathogens from entering the uterus, and frequent false or training contractions sometimes contribute to its relatively early discharge - a week or more before the onset of labor;
the level of the uterus becomes lower, visually the stomach drops, this is due to the fact that the child sinks lower into the pelvis, closer to the exit;
weight decreases slightly, most women quickly gain weight in the last weeks of pregnancy, but mainly due to fluid retention in the body, and closer to childbirth, this excess fluid comes out, and the weight, respectively, decreases;
and if false contractions a few days before childbirth can directly appear, then a day or even less before the onset of real labor, the woman’s body is “cleansed”, she may have repeated stools, frequent urination is observed without signs of an inflammatory disease of the genitourinary system, less often vomit;
pain, a feeling of fullness in the perineum, if this symptom appeared along with uterine spasms, then this is one of the ways how to distinguish false contractions from labor, since these sensations very often appear in the first stage of childbirth.

Directly, a woman whose uterus is excitable, that is, prone to come into a state of hypertonicity at the slightest impact, will surely be able to distinguish real labor contractions from this most notorious tone. There is no single correct answer how many days before birth false contractions begin, although in primiparas, preparation for the birth of a child begins earlier than in multiparous ones. But they have a difference from real contractions - this is their regularity. If they have already begun, they will not stop and will only intensify, despite the measures taken in the form of taking antispasmodics, a warm bath, walking, etc.

And yet, how long do false contractions last before childbirth, what can you be prepared for? Non-intensive ones can last the entire third trimester, but by the end of it they are gaining strength. It is possible to diagnose real contractions, strong contractions of the myometrium, which even the expectant mother herself may not pay attention to, on CTG. This is a fairly accurate research method that allows you to get reliable information not only about uterine contractions at the moment, but also about the condition of the fetus, which is even more important. On CTG, you can diagnose him with hypoxia - a lack of oxygen. It is most informative to do the study in the morning, when most children are active.

Also, dynamic observation of a woman is used to determine contractions. Contractions are characterized by significant tension of the uterus. The cervix reacts to it. It first smoothes out, and then begins to open up. And the more intense the contractions, the faster the birth process proceeds. Usually, in multiparous women, both false and labor pains take shorter periods of time, lead to childbirth faster.