Training contractions when the sensations begin. False contractions during pregnancy - how many days before childbirth. How to distinguish false contractions from real ones

02.09.2019

The body of a woman is an amazing machine in its functionality, which nature has come up with with great care. In order for the expectant mother to be able to endure and give birth to a baby, he knows how to radically rebuild first, and then return to the state in which he was before pregnancy. Some changes a pregnant woman may not notice, some immediately catch the eye. And some can shock even those women who have always considered themselves very calm and balanced. The latter include training bouts. How long before birth do they begin, how to behave at this time and what should be done? Let's try to figure this out.

The vast majority of women in late pregnancy do not avoid the phenomenon of training contractions. How long before birth they begin, we will consider a little later. Those who are carrying their first child are very worried when they begin to feel them, they may even feel panic.

By the name it is already clear that such contractions are a common rehearsal before childbirth. They are really necessary, because preparation for childbirth should concern not only the woman and her baby, but also the organs of the reproductive system of the expectant mother. After all, the loads in this complex, but amazing process are really colossal. If not for these helper contractions, which appear at least at the twentieth week, the birth process could be unbearable for a woman.

Such a phenomenon as these contractions is nothing but the contractile movements of the uterine myometrium. The same thing happens during the gestation period, however, women in the short term of bearing a baby cannot feel such contractions and do not pay any attention to them.

In scientific circles, the contractions discussed in this article are called Braxton-Hicks contractions. It was this British gynecologist who became the first to begin to study them. It was from his lips that a convincing opinion was heard that such training is absolutely not dangerous for expectant mothers. The most important thing is that they can distinguish between training contractions (how many days before the birth they will occur, it has already been mentioned a little) from some unhealthy condition during the period of bearing the baby. And future mothers should understand this completely on their own, so that if the sensations are strange, they should immediately go to the hospital.

Recognizing contractions

In order for a woman to understand what is happening to her, you need to find out how training fights differ from real ones.

The duration of the training, which will begin for each woman at the right time, is quite small. As a rule, the duration of each such fight is from a couple of seconds to two minutes. Their length does not change with increasing gestational age. But the frequency... In other words, they can occur at any time.

The intensity of such contractions is the same each time, and they may appear at unequal intervals. Those who have already given birth probably remember that they gradually subside, and then completely disappear. The number of contractions per hour is usually no more than six.

During the training contractions that begin, the expectant mother will experience uterine tension, which will be similar to how the biceps might tense during weight lifting.

To the touch, the recovered tummy will be very hard and will give the impression that it has become pointed.

Several contractions pass during the day and the expectant mother will not experience any special pain.

Considering the causes of

Despite the serious development of medicine, the reason for the appearance of such a phenomenon as training bouts has not yet been thoroughly studied. How many before the birth they appear, we will consider a little later. Why has this reason not been explored? Yes, everything is simple: it depends on the biochemical processes that occur in the body of every pregnant woman. If the expectant mother is quite young and healthy, and her endocrine system is working normally, then false contractions will pass in her in an unobtrusive form.

Nature provides that throughout the entire period of pregnancy, the muscles of the uterus should periodically contract, because this is how it prepares for childbirth. About a couple of weeks before the birth, there are other harbingers of this process. The fetus gradually descends into the lower abdomen, preparing for its birth. The mucous plug comes off and pains appear in the lower back. At the same time, chaotic cramping pains begin. All together indicates that the female body is preparing for childbirth.

Some doctors, like Braxton-Hicks, believe that contractions are simply necessary for the body of the expectant mother, because they increase blood flow to the placenta. And this, in turn, has a positive effect on the life of the fetus, because it receives enhanced nutrition. Gradually, such contractions stretch the cervix, which prepares it for labor.

There is an opinion that if a false contraction that appeared too early, this means a violation in the work of the central nervous system. What can cause such a phenomenon? Physical activity of the expectant mother, malnutrition, numerous stresses, difficult environmental situation. But others are sure that the reason for such early contractions is the pathology of the cervix, which should ripen by the birth itself, but this happens with some difficulty.

The reasons that may contribute to the occurrence of training fights include the activity of the future newborn in the mother's tummy, stress, multiple pregnancy, neuroses, orgasms, tea-coffee-smoking-alcohol, the development of an oversized fetus, the mother's overflowing bladder, her physical activity. And yet, despite the fact that these reasons exist and there are quite a few of them, the expectant mother should try to reduce them to zero, in extreme cases - to a minimum. In this situation, the health of the unborn child is much more important than smoking a cigarette or drinking a glass of wine, even a very good one.

What is it?

It should be noted that not all expectant mothers feel training contractions, because such uterine activity indicates a sharp hormonal change in a woman's body. And in a young and healthy body, all this should go absolutely smoothly and imperceptibly.

Many mothers expect them in vain, asking the "experienced" - acquaintances and girlfriends, how long before the birth there are training contractions. If there are some violations in the organs of internal secretion, then false contractions can begin in the second half of pregnancy. And yet, the answer to the question that concerns almost all women - how many days before giving birth they can be felt, will be this: about fourteen, that is, two weeks. After all, it is during this period that the hormonal system of the future mother begins to closely “command” the biochemical reactions that will be simply necessary during labor. It happens that such harbingers appear if the baby has grown large.

If the expectant mother suffers from some health problems, and she had a history of abortions, fibroids and something like that, she should not be surprised that this kind of contraction will be expected during the bearing of the baby. You don't have to be afraid. You just need to listen carefully to everything that happens inside her. She must remember how, in fact, the process of childbirth takes place and compare it with the observed sensations. This should be enough for her so that she can determine whether she has started giving birth or is it just false contractions.

Training contractions - how long before childbirth begin and what to do?

So when can you watch the start of training bouts? As a rule, for the first time a woman can observe something similar at the twentieth week of pregnancy. But due to the fact that these contractions are still very weak and rare, only a few expectant mothers can feel it. But with an increase in the term, these contractions become more expressive. And now, with an increase in the term, pregnant women can say that they feel a certain spasm, some tension in the muscles of the rounded tummy, after which it becomes harder for a while.

Despite the fact that everyone knows about the duration of pregnancy in general - nine months, each expectant mother begins labor activity at the right time: for some - at 37, for others - at 41 weeks. With training fights, everything happens even more unexpectedly. Not only did they start at different times for different mothers, but they also proceeded completely individually. Some mothers feel them throughout the last trimester (they are both strong and weak), while others do not notice them at all.

So how long before birth do training contractions start? The earliest time they can start is the twentieth week. If the expectant mother carefully enough monitors her well-being and health, then she may well feel them, although in

during this period of pregnancy they are still weak. But the fetus is growing, so the contractions will become more intense, more painful and longer. Most expectant mothers begin to feel them quite clearly, only having reached 32-34 weeks of waiting for a stork. And in recent days they are almost the same as during childbirth. This is especially true for women who are preparing to become mothers for the first time.

It is usually believed that evening contractions are more typical for women: the body is at rest and it is much easier to “detect” them for the expectant mother. True, if she leads a fairly active lifestyle, then they can happen at any time of the day.

Define training bouts

All pregnant women experience slight discomfort, which consists in the form of a second pain. The muscles of the uterus continue to work throughout pregnancy. They normally tense up and relax. It was intended by nature that smooth muscles should perform these exercises, so that at the right time the baby could come out of the birth canal. It is for those expectant mothers whose endocrine system does not release enough of the necessary hormone that strong and frequent training takes place. In most cases, this occurs in pregnant women over the age of 30. True, they can also occur in younger women, who often experience quite serious physical or nervous stress.

Mothers who have given birth have already somehow adapted to training contractions before childbirth, so during subsequent pregnancies they behave more calmly. And women preparing to become mothers for the first time worry many times more often.

Pregnancy and childbirth is a serious test for the female body. In order for gestation and childbearing to be successful, the body of a pregnant woman is gradually rebuilt, preparing for the upcoming loads. One of these preparations is training bouts. What is the difference between real fights and fake fights? What to do to normalize well-being with false uterine contractions?

The concept of training contractions and the reasons for their appearance in pregnant women

Preparatory contractions are a normal occurrence before childbirth for any pregnant woman. Most women do not experience discomfort, for some, uterine contraction causes pain, but there is no need to be afraid and worried.

Muscles tense at different intervals: they can make themselves felt once a day or every hour. Training cramps allow the muscles of the uterus to prepare for the upcoming birth. Prenatal contractions relax and soften the cervix. During contraction, the organ shortens, and its pharynx opens. False contractions of the uterus provoke such factors:

increased activity of the fetus in the womb;
fluid deficiency in the mother's body;
physical exercise;
sexual activity in the later stages;
psycho-emotional instability (stress or stormy joy);
overcrowding of the bladder;
frequent touching of the abdomen.

Some women do not notice training contractions due to their active lifestyle or pain threshold. However, uterine pretension is present to varying degrees in all pregnant women. Primiparas feel this phenomenon weakly. During the second pregnancy, the symptoms of prenatal spasms are more pronounced.

When do pregnancies begin and how long do they last?

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It is impossible to determine exactly what week of pregnancy the training contractions will begin. Their onset depends on the individual characteristics of the body of the pregnant woman. If a woman's endocrine glands are disrupted, false contractions may appear as early as the second trimester (14–21 weeks). Normally, trial uterine cramps appear 2 weeks before delivery (36–38 weeks). The frequency of uterine contractions increases several times if a large fetus is expected.

How long do false contractions last? Training cramps last from 2 seconds to 2 minutes. Their frequency increases closer to childbirth, but the duration remains unchanged. For some time, the woman feels numbness in the abdomen. These sensations pass on their own or are easily eliminated, unlike real contractions. Most often, uterine cramps occur in the evening and at night, when the body is as relaxed as possible.

Concomitant symptoms and sensations of primiparous and multiparous women

The symptoms of false contractions differ in intensity in women during the first pregnancy and in multiparous women. The rest of the symptoms appear the same.

You can understand that preparatory spasms have begun by the following symptoms:

There is numbness and tension in the abdomen, but there is no pain. Discomfort is always localized either on the left or on the right. From the side, the abdomen does not look rounded, but pointed due to the protrusion of the head or buttocks of the fetus.
Contractions begin with weak uterine contractions. The intervals between them are irregular, and the spasms themselves do not last long.
Contractions are observed in one of the areas: groin, lower abdomen.
Unpleasant symptoms disappear with a change in body position, physical activity.
Spasms appear on their own and also disappear, often at night.

Trial uterine contractions for 36–37 weeks of pregnancy are absolutely normal. However, they are more typical for 39–40 weeks. Before 35 weeks, false contractions may occur, but rarely. If uterine contractions are noticed during the first and third trimester, there is a reason to consult a gynecologist. This phenomenon in the early stages indicates violations in the development of the fetus and the threat of miscarriage.

What is the difference between training and real contractions?

The beginning of labor activity is judged by the opening of the cervix. It softens and gradually opens, giving the fetus access to the birth canal. With false contractions, the cervix remains closed. It is this feature that makes it possible to distinguish labor pains from false ones, which are similar. However, only an obstetrician-gynecologist can determine the condition of the cervix. You can independently recognize the nature of contractions based on the following parameters:

Comparison criteria	false contractions	Birth pains
The regularity of the phenomenon	There is no regular interval between attacks.	Contractions have a certain cyclicity. The duration of contractions and their number increases by the time of delivery.
Presence of pain	There is no pain as such, but there is slight discomfort and numbness in the abdomen.	There is pain in the lower abdomen.
Pain relief conditions	Unpleasant sensations disappear after changing the position of the body, stroking the abdomen, and other relaxing measures.	The pain does not go away with a change in body position. It can only be relieved by taking painkillers.

How to relieve discomfort during training bouts?

In most cases, no action is needed, since pain is not typical for training contractions. They disappear on their own.

If discomfort arises, then you can alleviate your well-being in the following ways:

Take a comfortable body position. The expectant mother is recommended to lie on her left side or on her back. If this is not possible, then it is better to sit down.
Walk slowly for a short distance. You need to move slowly, not concentrating on your feelings.
Empty the bladder, because excess fluid in it can provoke tension in the uterus.
Take a warm shower. Jets of water will help relieve tension and relax the muscles of the body.
Switch from discomfort to your favorite activity: reading books, embroidery, etc. Pleasant music also allows you to relax.
Drink water without gas, fruit drink or warm tea.
Use antispasmodics such as papaverine. However, the use of medications must be agreed with the attending physician.

False contractions of the uterus stop after breathing exercises (video below). Proper breathing technique is useful during not only prenatal cramps, but also the birth itself. Feeling better after the following exercises:

Imitation of blowing out candles. You need to take a slow and deep breath through your nose, and then quickly exhale through your mouth.
Temporary air savings. While the uterus contracts, exhale as slowly as possible, then take a deep breath. Do the same for new attacks.
Dog breathing. Short breaths should be alternated with short exhalations. The duration of the exercise is no more than 30 seconds, otherwise the head will begin to spin.

Reasons for concern and immediate medical attention

Most women tolerate false contractions normally, especially if they are aware of this phenomenon and understand the difference between training and real contractions. Starting from the 37th week of pregnancy, the woman's body is already ready for the birth process. During this period, false contractions can be unsafe, so the deterioration in well-being should be taken seriously. If training bouts are complicated, no matter how long they last and what intensity, medical help is needed. Seek medical attention if you experience the following symptoms:

Bloody or mucous discharge appeared on the linen. This indicates placental abruption.
When the bladder was relieved, a mucous fragment with bloody streaks passed along with the urine. This fragment could be a mucus plug. The baby is thus deprived of one of the protective barriers against infections.
Very strong, sometimes unbearable pain in the vagina and lower back, which lasts all day.
The discharge of amniotic fluid, when a large amount of fluid comes out. In other cases, the feeling of moisture in the crotch area is constantly present (linen gets wet regularly).
Irregular in time, but strong uterine contractions. Their frequency is more than 4 times per minute.
The fetus began to move less or completely froze in the womb.

When training contractions begin, a woman does not need to panic. It is important to calm down and listen to the sensations. Real contractions cover the entire abdomen, and there is no way to calm them down. The appearance of false contractions ahead of time at 35 weeks is an alarming signal that indicates a problematic course of pregnancy. A woman is advised to seek help from a gynecologist and undergo an ultrasound scan.

Women during pregnancy may experience different sensations caused by natural processes occurring in the body during childbearing.

When preparing the birth canal for the upcoming birth, false labor pains often appear. In the normal course of pregnancy, they are a natural phenomenon in the life of the body and do not require hospitalization.

What are practice bouts

Training contractions (another name for Braxton-Hicks training contractions) are short-term pain sensations that are not accompanied by any vaginal discharge and pass quickly. They are part of the mechanism of preparing a woman's body for childbirth.

It is believed that this is the maturation of the cervix, which must change before childbirth in order to endure the upcoming load. Normally flowing false contractions are not painful, do not bring physical discomfort. Their frequency and intensity does not increase.

Women may experience slight sensations of pain, similar to abdominal pain during intestinal spasm. In order to correctly recognize training contractions, you can use their main characteristics.

When they appear, there is a feeling of compression. It can be in the upper uterine part, in the lower abdomen or in the groin.
They come on suddenly, often at night, or before going to bed.
Contractions are irregular.
There are less than 6 within an hour.
They are not painful and bring little discomfort.
Tension is concentrated in one area.

Cause of false contractions

The reason for the appearance of this phenomenon has not been studied, because it depends on the subtle biochemical processes that occur in the body of a pregnant woman. In young healthy women with a normally functioning endocrine system, they are observed in an inconspicuous form.

It is known that during pregnancy there should be periodic contractions of the muscles of the uterus, which are designed to prepare it for childbirth. Two weeks before the expected birth, the harbingers of childbirth appear. The fetus descends down the abdomen, preparing to come out. The mucous plug comes off, and pains appear in the lower back. Along with this, cramping pains of a chaotic nature appear. All this in a complex suggests that the body is preparing for childbirth.

Read more about the harbingers of childbirth, read

Some doctors argue that the female body needs them, because when they appear, blood flow to the placenta increases.

This has a positive effect on the life of the fetus, which receives improved nutrition. Contractions gradually stretch the cervix, preparing it for childbirth.

It is believed that the early appearance of false contractions is a violation of the central nervous system.

Stress, poor environmental situation, physical activity, malnutrition - everything can cause a similar phenomenon.

Others believe that the cause of early contractions is the pathology of the cervix, which should ripen for childbirth, but this process is difficult.

Training contractions can cause the following reasons:

physical activity of a woman;
activity of the fetus in the womb;
multiple pregnancy;
development of a giant fetus;
stress;
overfilled bladder;
dehydration;
neuroses;
orgasm;
smoking;
alcohol;
coffee;
strong tea.

How long will practice bouts take?

Starting from the third trimester

They begin to appear in the third trimester of pregnancy. With the approach of childbirth, their frequency and duration in some women increases. Sometimes their appearance is earlier, sometimes they do not bother the woman at all.

Starting from the third trimester, the muscles of the uterus and its cervix contract, performing training exercises before childbirth. At the fortieth week, their character becomes bright and the pain is similar to the onset of childbirth. But on examination, it is clear that the cervix has not dilated, and labor has not yet begun.

How long do Braxton Hicks contractions last?

False contractions can last in different ways. This is a very individual process, depending on the personal characteristics of the body. Braxton Hicks contractions take anywhere from a minute to 4 hours. The closer to childbirth, the longer the process will be.

Stressful situations, bad habits can significantly increase the duration.

At home, you can reduce the time of their passage by taking a warm shower. Massage, relaxation, meditation are very helpful in this case. Many help improve sleep and soothing herbal preparations.

No matter how long the contractions continue, the problem of their appearance should be discussed in the gynecologist's office.

Does everyone get false contractions

Some discomfort in the form of instant pain is experienced by all pregnant women. The muscles of the uterus work throughout pregnancy, tensing and relaxing in the normal way. Nature made sure that smooth muscles perform such exercises so that the fetus can exit the birth canal at the right time.

Strong and frequent training of this kind occurs in women whose endocrine system secretes an insufficient amount of the desired hormone. It is more common in pregnant women over the age of 30. They can also appear in younger women who experience severe nervous or physical stress.

What to do when training contractions appear

Calm down and don't panic

Considering that false contractions are a temporary phenomenon, women need to follow the regimen. They should lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right and avoid any situations that can trigger the onset of false contractions.

When Braxton Hicks contractions appear, it is recommended to first calm down and exclude the onset of preterm labor. Using a counting technique, or determining the time of a contraction and the interval between it with the help of a stopwatch, will help you to distract yourself and understand what is happening in the body.

This can be done lying down, taking the most comfortable position, or walking. The choice of means for relieving severe pain should be discussed with the attending physician, having gone to the antenatal clinic.

Women at this point are advised:

take a warm shower;
put a candle that will relieve pain;
take a pill no-shpa, valerian tablets;
drink herbal tea with chamomile and mint;
improving the drinking regimen to avoid dehydration.

Among the popular measures to combat false contractions are simple and familiar actions.

Calm walking helps to relax the spasm of the muscles of the uterus.
Carrying out breathing exercises helps to increase the access of oxygen to the fetus and stop its activity.
Sometimes it is enough to drink a glass of warm water or milk.

How to distinguish training contractions from the onset of labor

When a pregnant woman begins to feel cramping pain in the abdomen, she must determine the rhythm of the attacks and the intervals between them. False contractions take place in different scenarios.

In young women, most often false contractions proceed irregularly.

Time intervals are very scattered. The pain can go in chaotic attacks, the interval between which will constantly increase or decrease. If the ongoing bouts of pain in the lower abdomen periodically weaken, then we are talking about Braxton Hicks training bouts.

A typical picture of labor pains is different:

Pain at the onset of labor increases from attack to attack, and the light intervals are constantly decreasing. After some time, cramping pain increases in time twice or more, and will increase until it completely merges into a single pain sensation.

Cervical contractions are much more painful than Braxton Hicks contractions. If prolonged false contractions can be stopped by injecting an antispasmodic drug, then labor cannot be removed in this way.

A pregnant woman should be aware of the warning signs of impending labor:

decrease in the frequency of fetal movement;
lower back pain;
watery or bloody discharge from the vagina.
waste of fetal waters;
repetition of pain more than four times a minute;
the appearance of strong pressure on the perineum.

When you need to see a doctor, call an ambulance

With a long gestation period, if intense, regular, prolonged contractions are felt, you need to call an ambulance.

If you still have to wait a long time before giving birth, and the pregnancy is less than 36 weeks, but the attacks of pain have acquired vivid sensations, bloody discharge has appeared, amniotic fluid has begun to drain, then you need to go to the maternity ward.

Gynecologists will try to stop the development of severe attacks that last a long period of time and bring a lot of inconvenience. They carry out treatment in the hospital with special drugs, conduct an additional examination, and do everything to ensure that the pregnancy is resolved at the right time.

How to distinguish labor pains from training ones, the Empire of Moms will help you figure it out.

Training bouts

Training contractions, or as they are also called, are not real, or Braxton-Hicks contractions are irregular contractions that do not have increasing intensity. The uterus may come into tone, but, normally, it should pass quickly. For example, the tone arose once in half an hour and the uterus relaxed rather quickly. Then the tone reappeared only after 2:00 and again passed. These are training contractions, they do not increase in intensity and do not become more frequent.

Training fights are physiologically provided by our body. So the uterus is preparing to do the hard work in the process of childbirth. Normally, training contractions appear in terms of pregnancy close to childbirth - from the 37th week of pregnancy.

The appearance of training contractions in the early stages of pregnancy is not the norm. The uterus can tone up with an active lifestyle, physical exertion, with a change in body position, but this tone should pass quickly. Normally, the uterus should not often come into tone. And even more so, contractions, as such, should not be until the 37th week of pregnancy.

Birth pains

Unlike training, labor pains are regular. The uterus comes to tone first once every 15 minutes, and after a while - once every 7-10 minutes. Contractions gradually become more frequent, longer and stronger. And already occur every 5 minutes, then 3 and finally every 2 minutes.

Real labor pains are contractions every 2 minutes, 40 seconds. If within an hour or two the contractions intensify - pains that begin in the lower abdomen or in the lower back and spread to the stomach - most likely, these are real labor pains.

Training contractions are not so much painful as unusual for a woman. When the expectant mother sees how the stomach comes into tone, its shape changes and it becomes dense, like an inflated ball. It might scare her a little. But a woman must understand that in real, labor pains, there must be a clear periodicity, intensification and acceleration over a certain period of time. Real fights never stop, but practice fights do. The uterus then comes to tone, then relaxes.

Often women confuse contractions with tone, which is caused by other physiological processes in the body. For example, increased intestinal motility, intestinal infections, colic, etc.

What else should alert a woman?! If within an hour or two the uterus periodically comes into tone and mucous, bloody (streaked with blood or brown) discharge appears, then most likely there are structural changes in the cervix - it opens. Also an important sign that seek help is the discharge of the mucous plug long before the birth. Her departure during childbirth, a week or two before childbirth - this is normal.

Tracking labor pains

There are several methods for determining the types of contractions. A woman can do this herself by writing down the frequency and duration of contractions on paper or tracking them using special programs for a computer and phone, or using our online contraction counter. Or you can go to a doctor at a antenatal clinic or a maternity hospital, where a specialist will conduct fetal monitoring (CTG of the fetus). With the help of 2 sensors, the fetal heartbeat, uterine contraction are monitored and it is determined whether these are training contractions or labor.

When to go to the hospital

If within an hour or two there is an increase and intensification of pain, its intensity increases, the frequency of contractions is clear and regularity can be traced, you can go to the hospital. A woman can make a mistake, but it’s better to come and make sure for sure whether these are labor or training contractions.

If the amniotic fluid leaves, then you can slowly pack up and go to the hospital. Since, normally, after this labor activity should begin.

Most importantly, a woman should not panic. The latent phase of labor can last 8-10 hours until the cervix is fully dilated. Labor activity does not proceed in 30 seconds. In the process of labor, the cervix of the uterus in women who give birth for the first time opens about 1 cm in an hour. She needs to open up to 10 cm, that is, a woman has about 10:00 at the time of the birth of the child.

Easy pregnancy and childbirth!