How contractions begin: how to recognize what to do? What pain during contractions in the prenatal period
What is the pain during contractions, what can it be compared with and how to alleviate it? Who has the most pain during childbirth and why? All these are questions, especially disturbing nulliparous women. And they are worried because they have read and heard enough stories from women who have already given birth that the pain during labor and childbirth is almost unbearable, that during this you want to die and so on. Meanwhile, there are women who say that everything was quite tolerable even without the use of epidural anesthesia. You just need to know how to relieve pain during contractions, be able to completely relax between them and try to think more about a child who, during childbirth, is much more terrible and painful, quite possibly, than his mother.
The right mental attitude is very important. It is undesirable to read what women write about childbirth, so as not to initially set yourself up for pain. By the way, contractions without pain or quite tolerable are quite possible. These occur in women with a high pain threshold. Perhaps you are just from this category of women? And in any case, up to about 5 centimeters of cervical dilatation, the pain is quite tolerable.
Even before the onset of labor, many women are faced with such a phenomenon as training contractions, which proceed without pain or with minimal pain. These discomforts arise simply due to the tension of the muscles of the uterus, but do not provoke the opening of the cervix, because they are not strong enough and regular.
Real contractions may begin with pain in the back, lower back, or lower uterus. And some women say that the pain, on the contrary, first appeared in the upper part of the uterus, then went down and became girdle. All this is individual. Between the first contractions, if timed, there will be intervals of 20-30 minutes. If a woman at the beginning of labor is out of the house, on a walk, then she can easily take them for training or false. At the same time, there are no pains between contractions, the condition of the woman in labor is normal. It happens that labor activity in this case is discovered by chance, if a woman on this day, for example, visits her gynecologist as planned, and he examines her. Also, the CTG apparatus helps to identify real contractions.
When asked what labor pain looks like, what it can be compared to, the comparison is usually given with a wave. The pain appears, grows like a wave, and then also gradually disappears. Moreover, the longer the contractions last, if the course of labor is not disturbed, the stronger the contractions will be. And until they turn into essentially one long fight. They will not become so long with short intervals that the woman will not have time to rest. But such strong contractions are usually observed by the end of the first stage of labor, before the full opening of the cervix (10-12 cm) and the beginning of the straining period.
The most painful contractions occur in women who are pinching, screaming, very worried, unable to relax, clenching their teeth. All this prevents the opening of the cervix and prolongs the birth process. And moderate activity, walking, and proper breathing have a positive effect on it.
Childbirth is the crown of a long and difficult journey to meeting your baby. You will no longer suffer from insomnia when the stomach prevents you from taking a normal position. Your organs will finally return to their places, and the limbs will say goodbye to swelling. Yes, you will have a difficult time in the form of sleepless nights, numerous diapers and tummy pains. However, your baby will be with you - believe me, he compensates for everything with one of his toothless smiles.
But between these two time intervals there is childbirth. Childbirth, which must be endured and endured. This is indeed a very painful and difficult process. But, nevertheless, all this is natural and inherent in a woman by nature. Thousands, millions and billions of women gave birth before you and became happy mothers. You can do it too, trust me.
Contractions are the most painful and difficult period. At this point, the cervix opens by periodic contractions. She is preparing to give birth to your baby. Pain during contractions is similar to menstrual pain, but thousands of times stronger. In this article, we will tell you how to go through this difficult path as painlessly as possible.
calmness
Understand that childbirth is a natural process, try to remain calm. The fact is that nervous experiences involuntarily contract muscles, delaying the process of expanding the cervix over time. To be more calm during childbirth, try to get to your doctor, who has been with you throughout your pregnancy. A good specialist knows his business, has carried out many different births, trust him. Understand that you need to listen to a professional, and he will take care of the rest. You will throw off part of the responsibility and will feel calmer.Sometimes, for emotional stability, women in labor are allowed to be with their loved ones during labor and even childbirth. The husband is the most common partner in pair births. He knows the right words that will support his beloved. The mere presence of a native man nearby already makes the woman in labor calmer.
Motion
During contractions, many women are helped by various types of movements. They do not know any rules, the movement occurs as if instinctively. Here are some ways to ease the pain of contractions.
- During contractions, you need to walk to calm the pain. Walk along the delivery room, along the corridor, to the toilet. In this case, you need to slightly wag your hips. This allows the baby to dilate the cervix with its head and open its way.
- Fitball movements help a lot. Jump on a big ball during fights with legs wide apart and you will notice that it really becomes easier for you.
- Some women survive another contraction in a bent position. That is, with your front hands you need to lean on a chair, on the headboard, on your husband.
- Most women in labor endure contractions in the knee-elbow position. They claim that this position allows them to experience opening less painfully. In this case, you need to wiggle a little.
- Some maternity wards have a special rope. The woman grabs him with her hands and seems to hang on him. It also contributes to pain relief.
In any case, try any movement and swinging of the body. Your body will tell you how to ease the pain.
There are several ways to ease this pain.
- Massage. This is one of the most effective ways to slightly relax the muscles and relieve pain a little. If you give birth with a partner, he needs to rub your lower back and sacrum during the fight. However, this only helps those whose fetus is attached to the back of the uterus. Everyone, without exception, helps massage the neck - rub it to relieve pain. It is very good to relax the muscles by massaging the anterior protruding pelvic bones. If a man is not around, ask a midwife for a massage or do it yourself.
- Breath. Most women out of momentum hold their breath during a contraction in order to survive the pain. It is not right. A sufficient amount of oxygen helps relieve pain. Breathing should be correct - inhale air through the nose, and exhale through the mouth. In addition, proper and sufficient breathing protects the baby from hypoxia - remember, it is also not easy for him at this moment.
- Water. If a woman is in water during childbirth, the pain from contractions is much easier to bear. Some modern maternity hospitals already have special baths to help women get through this difficult period. If there is no such bath, you can take a shower and send a stream of warm water to the lower back.
- Relaxation. The period between contractions should be used as productively as possible. After the next contraction, try to relax, rest, perhaps take a nap. Before the next fight, you have a few minutes, and in attempts you will need a lot of strength.
These simple but time-honored techniques will help you slightly reduce unbearable pain.
As one well-known obstetrician-gynecologist says, closer to the attempts, almost all women in labor require a caesarean section, so severe pain torments them. However, after the baby's head has entered the birth canal, a strip operation is out of the question. Sometimes, with unbearable pain, a woman comes to the aid of medical painkillers.
Most obstetricians say that often only the thought of her child can bring a woman back to reality during contractions. Therefore, doctors often remind women in labor what they are here for, then the pain becomes less acute. Think about your baby, imagine a long-awaited meeting. With each attempt, with each contraction, there is less and less time left before meeting him.
Another tip in order to speed up the process of childbirth. No matter how strange it may sound - smile. The uterus is a huge muscle that moves involuntarily, we cannot control it. However, the lips and facial muscles are somehow connected with it. Smiling during contractions helps your cervix to open up more. Plus, today is sure to be the happiest day of your life - isn't that great?
Video: how to relieve pain during contractions
- Pain as during an intestinal disorder
- Lower back pain
- Pain in unexpected places
- Contractions without pain
QEAna: There are such hard beds in the pregnancy pathology department that every morning I thought that I had contractions (back pain, as during menstruation, was definitely observed), but when real contractions began, I realized that you couldn’t confuse them with anything, that’s for sure!
mama_Levika: Two weeks before the birth, it starts to prick a little in the lower abdomen, it seems that the contractions, but, girls! You can’t confuse contractions with anything, don’t rush to call an ambulance ...
What are contractions
So, there comes a time when your child is ready to be born. Labor begins, which many expectant mothers recognize by painful contractions. But what is a “fight” and what happens at this moment?
” A contraction is an involuntary contraction of the smooth muscles of the uterus of a wave-like nature. It is they who allow you to open the cervix - the only "way out" for the child.
To imagine how the muscles of the uterus move, remember a crawling snail: a wave passes along its sole from tail to head, and tensed muscles push it forward. The same thing happens with the uterus: not all of it tenses at the same time.
The upper part of the uterus is more "muscular". It is she who squeezes the fetal bladder. As you remember from the school physics course, a liquid easily changes shape, but practically does not change volume. So the fetal egg begins to press with all its might on the lower part of the uterus - there are fewer muscle fibers here, so that it does not shrink, but, on the contrary, stretches. The main pressure falls on the cervix - the "weak link" of the muscle bag. The fetal bladder literally wedges in there: the anterior waters (amniotic fluid in front of the baby) press the fetal bladder into the birth canal and push it apart.
” It is believed that in the uterus there is a dominant focus of excitation, localized more often in its right corner (“pacemaker”), from here the wave of contractions spreads to all muscles and goes in a downward direction.
A woman cannot control contractions, unlike attempts, in which both muscles, perineum, and muscles of the abdominal wall, and the diaphragm are involved. That is why, in the last period of labor, the midwife asks the woman to push or, on the contrary, to hold back for a few seconds. Indeed, we all can tighten the muscles of the press, but it is absolutely impossible to strain, for example, the muscles of the stomach by willpower.
During tension and stretching of the uterus, blood flow to its muscles is blocked (if you clench your fist with all your might, you will see how certain areas of the skin turn white), and the nerve endings leading to the uterus are compressed. This is what determines the sensations that arise: the pain is dull, periodic (“it will grab it, then it will let go”), and most importantly, it is perceived by all women in different ways (depending on the location of the child, the uterus, and also on where the nerve endings are most compressed ). But the pain during attempts, which is caused by the movement of the child through the birth canal, is perceived by all women in labor in the same way: discomfort is concentrated in the vagina, rectum, perineum, and the pain is quite acute.
That is why the sensations during contractions raise so many questions - is it really contractions or, for example, osteochondrosis? Let's look at the most typical examples of pain!
Pain like period
Unpleasant sensations are localized in the lower abdomen and resemble pain during the onset of menstruation.
Lyalechka: the pain is like during menstruation, only worse.
CB1980: contractions were similar to menstruation at the beginning.
As a rule, women in labor who perceive contractions as “pain during menstruation” also feel the occurrence - "petrification" of the abdomen.
Pain as during an intestinal disorder
Pain in the abdomen during contractions for many expectant mothers resembles the discomfort of an intestinal disorder, cramping attacks that accompany diarrhea.
ANelli: at the beginning it didn’t hurt, just a feeling that you want to go to the toilet in great need, and when you go to the toilet early in the morning with an interval of 20-30 minutes, but there is no result, you understand that the intestines have nothing to do with it!
Zuleyka: I thought that I was poisoned by something the day before, my stomach was twisting so much ...
By the way, immediately before childbirth, the work of the intestine is really activated, the stool can be repeated.
Lower back pain
Quite often, the lumbar region becomes a source of pain: “pulls”, “grabs”.
vedetta: I had such pains - it seized the lower back and the pain rose from the bottom up the back and stomach. And then she also went down and passed. To be honest, it doesn't look like a period...
Tanyusha_I will be a mother: unexpectedly, my lower back began to ache every 15 minutes and then decrease a little bit ... I immediately did not wait and went to the maternity hospital.
The phenomenon of back pain has two explanations: the pain can radiate to the lower back, or be felt lower, in the coccyx area - most likely it is caused by the divergence of the pelvic bones.
Pain in unexpected places
Sometimes the pain can radiate to the most unexpected places, so that the woman in labor complains that, for example, her hips or ribs hurt.
Alma: contractions began - and it hurts in the side and gives to the kidney and leg!
Most often, women identify radiating pain as "kidney pain", especially if they have experienced them before. Pain in the hips, knees, numbness of the legs - may be the result of clamping large blood vessels in the lower abdomen.
Contractions without pain
This also happens, especially at the very beginning of childbirth. Feelings, however, are rather unpleasant. Expectant mothers usually feel how the uterus comes into tone for a few seconds - the stomach “stiffens”, then relaxes again. Similar sensations arise if, during contractions, you make .
Ksyusha_SD: I kept walking and thinking, but how will I understand that this is it, it has begun? I felt good, with appetite, too, there were no changes. Really understood, only when the contractions began - just periodically the tone of the tummy began.
Of course, not everyone is so lucky, but it happens that a woman is not very susceptible to pain. So at the beginning of labor, while the pressure on the cervix is small (or, for example, she has a flat fetal bladder, in which ), the sensations may be unpleasant, but not painful.
As you can see, the descriptions of the fights are very different. How to recognize them?
Periodicity. Contractions, no matter how they feel, occur at regular intervals. This labor contractions differ from "training" - .
increased frequency. During childbirth, contractions occur more and more often.
Gain. The intensity of pain increases.
Lack of response to your actions. Unpleasant sensations do not disappear if you change the position of the body, walk, lie down, take a shower.
Displacement of pain. Gradually, the pain shifts to the perineal region, on which the head of the child begins to press.
Did everything match? It's time for you to go to the hospital!
Most of all, pregnant women are afraid of contractions, and especially those who have not given birth before and know about contractions only from the stories of “experienced”. And what do women in labor usually tell about this phenomenon (or, most likely, what all the ladies in the position willingly and undeniably believe in)? Firstly, contractions are the beginning of labor - and this is a correct statement (although not completely, since there are so-called "false contractions"). Secondly, almost all women in labor remember the incredible pain during labor (although in fact, few people remember this pain, since it is forgotten and it is impossible to compare it with anything) and most importantly, all pregnant women in the last trimester of pregnancy ( and even much earlier ”!) Expect painful contractions. And try to tell them that your contractions were almost painless and that in fact everything is not so scary - they will never believe it. Moreover, already at the beginning of pregnancy, they will agree with the doctor about pain relief for childbirth.
Fortunately, there are few such pessimists, and most expectant mothers still tune in to “tolerable” pain, although they fearfully expect contractions before childbirth. Ignorance is always scary, and, as a rule, contractions come certainly not of our will (unless, of course, we resort to labor induction). So, how do these fights start? How not to miss them from the field of view? And what is really hidden in this "terrible word"?
What does it feel like when contractions start?
Contractions are called contractions because they cause a feeling of grasping, a sharp contraction. When it comes to the upcoming birth, then cramping sensations naturally arise in the area of the hip joints.
In fact, contractions are a very complex "biochemical process", since they involve the child's pituitary gland and the placenta itself, which begin to produce special substances, and they, in turn, contribute to the opening of the cervix, which is accompanied by contractions.
During contractions, the uterus contracts, its muscle fibers thicken and shorten, which contributes to the opening of the cervix to the extent that the baby's head can squeeze through it. Full disclosure is fixed when the cervix is opened by 12 cm, while intrauterine pressure also increases, as a result of which the fetal bladder bursts and amniotic fluid leaves.
How to know that contractions have begun
When should a pregnant woman expect contractions? We have all heard about the threats of preterm labor, which also begin with contractions, but along with these signs of an upcoming birth, a woman also finds other symptoms. In any case, cramping pains require special attention from the expectant mother. Practice shows that the contractions themselves and the sensations during them are different for all women. Even false contractions, which doctors love to talk about so much, are not noticed by all pregnant women. Moreover, even a future mother can find out about real labor pains only when she has a desire to push. We have also heard about rapid childbirth, when contractions can no longer be confused with anything.
Ideally, everything happens like this: starting from the 20th week of pregnancy, the body begins to “rehearse” the upcoming birth, contracting the muscles of the uterus. The woman feels that something is wrong with the uterus: she stiffens and relaxes with chaotic periodicity. So, a woman can “grab” for a whole minute, then the pain subsides and disappears without a trace, and soon resumes, but at the same time, the regularity of such contractions cannot be noted. We are talking about false contractions - harbingers of the upcoming birth. But not all women are faced with this condition, and their births begin on time with real contractions.
How to recognize them? Again, ideally, the first contractions go unnoticed for a woman, except that there is very little discomfort in the abdomen or lower back, and a strong premonition that the birth is about to take place (it’s hard to find an explanation for women’s intuition, but almost every woman subconsciously knows : it's time!).
Gradually, the second, active, phase of contractions begins, when they proceed with an exact interval, which is shortened all the time: cramping attacks are repeated more and more often, last longer, not only the frequency and duration, but also the degree of pain increases. So it comes to the time when one contraction lasts more than two minutes, and the second comes after 60 seconds. At this time, you should already be in the hospital, because in 30-40 minutes the birth itself will begin. The last stage of contractions is the most painful, as the woman has an irresistible feeling of going big. But if the uterus is not open, she will have to restrain her attempts so as not to harm herself and the baby.
What to do if contractions start
With the onset of the first contractions, you should stop any activities and try to rest. Walking around the room helps a lot, someone sits down and gets up. As soon as the contractions intensify and become more frequent, immediately go to the hospital. Particularly suspicious can go to the hospital earlier.
Don't worry about anything: the doctor who takes delivery knows exactly what to do and when. If it is still too early to push, he will certainly notify you of this.
The main thing now is to relax as much as possible. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, but try to let go of all anxieties and fears. Panic will not lead to anything good, and, in fact, there is nothing to be afraid of. The birth that you have been waiting for so long begins. There were only a few hours left until the meeting with the baby. Will you be able to help him overcome the difficult path to this world, now depends on you. Breathe evenly and deeply, trying to relax and let go of the pain. Excessive tension in the muscles will increase pain, and therefore it is important to relax them as much as possible now.
Listen to your body, remember the breathing techniques in childbirth - apply them as different periods of the birth process begin. Superficial "dog" breathing will help to renew strength and not harm the child between attempts. At the doctor's command, slowly take in a full chest of air so that the next minute you can push productively.
Think about the child, you just have to calm down, tune in to a productive birth and listen carefully to the instructions of the medical staff.
Is pain during contractions terrible?
So we ourselves scared you, describing the “most painful” last stage of contractions. I myself was waiting for him and was more afraid than the birth itself, but I still couldn’t understand why the women in labor were sobbing and screaming, because it turned out that the pain was tolerable, moreover, even pleasant. You may not believe it, but the pain during contractions was quenched by the thought that this is how a little man, my little blood, is born.
It turns out that my feelings were scientifically confirmed. In fact, labor pain is not hidden in the uterus, since its contraction is a natural process, which means that pain receptors (and there are very few of them in the muscles of the uterus) do not send a signal to the brain about any violations (the meaning of any pain is precisely consists in "notifying" the body about "malfunctions"). But the real feeling of pain occurs in the muscles that surround the uterus, and in order to overcome it, it is only important to learn how to control their relaxation, since muscle tension interferes with the normal physiological course of childbirth. Moreover, fear, anxiety and anxiety exacerbate muscle tension. Hence a simple conclusion: a pregnant woman who is afraid of childbirth experiences great pain from the very first contractions. But many women do not know at all what labor pain and pain during contractions are, so learn to properly set yourself up for the inevitable process - childbirth, namely, be able to relax; do not waste your strength in vain, as you will need them during the period of expulsion of the fetus; talk to the baby; do not try to overcome the pain, but simply take it for granted.
I think if you consciously prepare for the birth process, then you will not need information about the epidural, nitrous oxide with oxygen, promedol and other ways to anesthetize contractions and childbirth.
If contractions don't come
As always, there is a reverse side of the coin: a woman is waiting for contractions, waiting, but they never come, even after the expiration of the pregnancy. You have to stimulate them. By artificial means, you will cause contractions if they still do not appear at 41-42 weeks of gestation, and any violations that threaten his life are found in the fetus. The most common ways to stimulate labor: the introduction into the cervical canal of Cerviprost (a hormonal drug that softens the cervix); intravenous administration of a hormonal drug (also contributes to uterine contraction); opening of the amniotic sac (after which contractions begin).
Do not rush to "try on" all the worst. Believe that everything will happen naturally for you, without pain, without complications, and most importantly - without fear. A woman ready for childbirth will immediately understand: here they are, contractions! A little more - and the most desired treasure will appear!
Especially for Tanya Kivezhdiy
In the last weeks of pregnancy, expectant mothers are increasingly beginning to think about childbirth. Naturally, many are interested in the question: what kind of pain during childbirth, how strong is it, can it be compared with something.
Women who have already given birth describe pain in childbirth in different ways, for some it resembles pain during menstruation, for other mothers, their back hurts a lot, and so on. There are women who experience only mild discomfort during the birth of a child (see "").
What is the pain during childbirth and what are the mechanisms of its occurrence? Let's start with the fact that childbirth consists of three periods (contractions, attempts and the birth of the placenta), and the sensations during each of them are different.
What pain during contractions.
The longest period and the most difficult, according to many mothers, are contractions or regular uterine contractions. During them, the cervix is flattened and opened to let the baby through.
The muscles and ligaments in the pelvic area have many nerve endings. During intense contractions of the uterus, its ligaments are stretched, the cervix is stretched, the nerve endings are squeezed, which causes quite strong sensations, especially if the surrounding muscles are tense.
During this period, a woman usually experiences pain in the abdomen, back and groin. At the beginning of labor, contractions are not strong, over time they increase and the time between them decreases.
The onset of contractions may feel like pain in the lower abdomen or lower back. During active contractions, pain can spread to the entire abdomen, lower back, perineum, buttocks and thighs. The localization of pain also depends on the position of the child, for example, with a facial presentation, severe pain is possible in the lower back.
The sensations and perception of pain in different women are very different. Many describe contractions as pain during menstruation or sensations with diarrhea, like cramps, other women talk about pulling or pressing pain. To some, contractions appear as a belt tightly wrapped around the abdomen.
The intensity of pain during contractions depends on many factors: what kind of birth, weight and position of the child, the psychological state of the woman. When the cervix opens up to 10 centimeters, the next period of childbirth begins - attempts.
Pain during pushing.
Struggling is the contraction of the muscles of the uterus, diaphragm, and abdominals, which lead to the birth of a child. At this time, the head of the child presses on the bladder, intestines.
During attempts, pain is most often felt in the anus, perineum, and vagina. The sensations may be similar to the desire to go to the toilet in a big way, but much stronger.
During the birth of the head, a woman may experience a strong burning sensation, as the muscles of the vagina are stretched. Also, pain is accompanied by damage to the cervix, vagina, perineum (tears, cracks).
Some women consider pushing and the actual birth of a child to be the most painful moment of childbirth, others describe contractions as the most difficult period, and pushing is considered bearable. Sometimes a woman does not feel the push at all, and then the doctor tells you when to push.
In general, women in labor tolerate pushing better, because they know that childbirth will end soon. Moreover, the second phase of labor is much shorter than the first and usually lasts 20-40 minutes, and even less for multiparous ones.
Attempts are perceived more positively due to the fact that mommy can actively participate in the process, unlike contractions that occur involuntarily and the woman in labor can only endure.
The third stage of childbirth is the most calm in terms of pain, usually the sensations are not intense, sometimes the mother does not notice them at all, busy with her child, who is laid out on her stomach. Basically, the placenta comes out within 5-15 minutes after the birth of the baby, sometimes the doctor may ask the mother to push.