Can contractions. Can contractions start? Last contraction: contractions of the postpartum period

Every woman experiences contractions differently. It is actually not always possible to establish the exact time of the onset of labor activity. However, some specific changes that occur around 37-40 weeks of pregnancy will help you recognize that labor is about to begin. How to understand that contractions have begun what to do - these questions are often asked by pregnant women.

How do you feel when contractions start?

General physical symptoms

Toward the end of your pregnancy, you may experience a feeling of pressure in your pelvic bones or cramping pains in your rectum. How to know contractions or not. Pelvic cramps, which are similar to monthly menstrual cramps, are harbingers of childbirth. Lower back pain that comes and goes is also characteristic of this period.

Real or practice contractions?

There is another type of contractions: false, or training. How to understand that training bouts have begun? One of the most common symptoms of an impending labor is an increase in the strength and frequency of contractions, which can occur up to four times an hour. These are false or training contractions (Braxton-Hicks contractions). The purpose of these painful sensations is to prepare the uterus for childbirth. Some women feel Braxton Hicks contractions relatively comfortable, while others find these contractions quite painful, especially if the baby is very low and there is an increase in pressure in the pelvis.

How to understand that contractions have begun, which are a sign of childbirth?

Aside from the level of pain, one of the main ways to tell Braxton Hicks contractions from real contractions is that while the former are regular, they disappear, while real labor contractions occur at regular intervals and gradually get stronger and more frequent. The other main difference between Braxton Hicks and real contractions is that, unlike Braxton Hicks, real contractions cause the cervix to soften and open, indicating labor has begun.

False contractions occur every 7-10 minutes for 2-3 hours, and then suddenly stop. Sometimes women experience more discomfort and anxiety from Braxton Hicks contractions than from labor because training contractions can be quite painful.

Real contractions appear for 20-25 seconds and by the beginning of the period of attempts reach 70-90 seconds. The interval between them is from 5-6 minutes and decreases to 1-0.5 minutes.

What to do for pain and discomfort

You need to call a doctor immediately if:

1. you feel that the amniotic fluid is leaking;
2. your child moves less than usual;
3. you have vaginal bleeding of any intensity;
4. you have a high fever, severe headaches, vision changes, sharp pain in the epigastric region or in the abdomen.

How to understand that the waters have broken?

In some cases, this is difficult. Many women feel a warm flow of fluid. This is one of the important symptoms of the onset of labor. Unfortunately, this does not happen often, and it is important to recognize signs of rupture of the membranes, especially with an abnormal tear. This is difficult because the amniotic fluid is colorless and odorless.

You may feel:

1. warm liquid flow;
2. scanty liquid discharge from the vagina;
3. sensation as if voluntary urination has occurred;
4. a slow but constant trickle of warm liquid;
5. intermittent stream of warm liquid.

Please note that this is not always controllable, whether it is a waterfall or a trickle. Finding a tear in the amniotic cavity can be very helpful. In a woman, the fetal bladder may burst while she was in the shower or while urinating. In this case, a trickle of liquid is difficult to detect. In any case, it is urgent to visit a doctor who, using a special test, will determine whether the amniotic fluid is really leaking.

Your behavior and what to do

By staying calm, you help your body produce enough of the hormone oxytocin, which is essential for labor. It will also help you deal with contractions. Do things that help you stay relaxed.

Try taking a warm bath or shower for pain relief. If after a warm bath the pain is gone, then these are false contractions. If you can, take a break to prepare yourself for the upcoming birth.

At the beginning of labor, you feel hungry, so you can and should eat and drink. This will help calm you down and may even give you strength in labor.

The first birth is a time to try out certain positions and breathing techniques to see how they help with contractions.

Is it possible not to understand that the contractions have begun? Yes, this happens in women who have a lower pain threshold. Such pregnant women feel only periodic pulling pains in the lower abdomen and lumbar region, or may not feel anything.

From all this it follows that:

1. contractions are the beginning of the first stage of labor;
2. the pain of contractions depends on the characteristics of the female body;
3. straining and screaming during pain is not recommended, it is better to breathe or sing;
4. breathe correctly - an indispensable condition for preventing hypoxia of the baby;
5. in primiparas, the period of contractions is longer than in multiparous women;
6. false contractions last for several days and sometimes cause more discomfort than labor.

How to evaluate the sensations during the first and second pregnancy?

As your pregnancy nears its end, you will probably remember what happened during your first birth. It's natural to wonder if that's how it feels this time. How to understand that contractions have begun in multiparous women, whether the sensations will be similar - all these features are individual.

If you've had a normal, uncomplicated birth, you're more likely to be relaxed and not feel fearful. But if there was a bad experience or a long gap between pregnancies, you may be nervous.

Sometimes you may feel that your baby's head is lowering into the pelvis a little later than in the first pregnancy. In fact, you may not even feel these contractions.

Your pain is the same as the first time, but the birth process is faster because the pelvic floor muscles and the elastic walls of the vagina were stretched during the first birth.

Your birth will most likely be much shorter than the first. For first-time moms, the active first stage of labor (when the cervix dilates between 4cm and 10cm) lasts an average of eight hours, and is unlikely to last longer than 18 hours. For women who have had a baby before, this averages out to five hours and is unlikely to last longer than 12 hours.

What sensations indicate the approach of childbirth

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

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

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

Training, precursor or prenatal contractions

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

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

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

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

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

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

Characteristic	Braxton Hicks contractions	Harbinger contractions	True contractions
When they start to feel	From 20 weeks	From 37-39 weeks	With the onset of labor
Frequency	Single abbreviations. Occur sporadically.	Approximately every 20-30 minutes. The interval is not shortened. They subside over time.	Approximately once every 15-20 minutes in the first phase and once every 1-2 minutes in the final delivery.
Duration of contractions	Up to 1 minute	Doesn't change	From 20 to 60 seconds depending on the phase of labor.
Soreness	Painless	Moderate, depends on the individual threshold of sensitivity.	Increases with the course of childbirth. The severity of pain depends on the individual threshold of sensitivity.
Localization of pain (feelings)	Anterior wall of uterus	Lower abdomen, ligament area.	Small of the back. Girdle pain in the abdomen.

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

Description and functions of contractions

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

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

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

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

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

Phases and duration of contractions before childbirth

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

Characteristic	Hidden phase	active phase	Deceleration phase
Phase duration	7-8 hours	3-5 hours	0.5-1.5 hours
Frequency	15-20 minutes	Up to 2-4 minutes	2-3 minutes
Contraction duration	20 seconds	Up to 40 seconds	60 seconds
Opening degree	Up to 3 cm	up to 7 cm	10-12 cm

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

Contractions before the first and subsequent births

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

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

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

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

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

Feelings in contractions

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

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

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

Is it possible to miss contractions?

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

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

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

Mechanism of action at the onset of contractions

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

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

The final weeks and days of pregnancy are a very exciting time for any woman. It is during this period that many questions arise. With the approach of childbirth, everyone, and especially primiparas, think about how to find out the onset of labor so as not to go to the hospital with a “false alarm” and not miss the moment of the onset of labor. That is why it is necessary to figure out in advance how to distinguish it from the harbingers and how to act correctly in different situations.

Harbingers of contractions (Video)

In the last month of pregnancy, the woman's body begins to actively prepare for childbirth. One form of preparation is training contractions (Brexton-Higgs) or harbingers. This is not the beginning of labor, but it feels very similar. A woman may experience pain in the lower abdomen, which will recur periodically. Most often they look like a spasm with mild tingling in the groin area.

Training contractions are a great opportunity for a woman to learn how to breathe and relax properly, which will be very useful during childbirth.

The reasons for the appearance of precursors have not yet been fully elucidated. It is believed that this is a kind of preparation of the uterus for work during childbirth, but any touch to the stomach, active movements of the child in the womb, an overflowing bladder or sex can provoke their onset.

When Bexton-Higgs contractions appear, many women begin to panic. Here's what you don't need to do. Training fights are usually irregular and erratic, so it’s easy to distinguish them from real ones. Harbingers are almost never very painful and disappear when the position of the body changes, so you can take a walk or, conversely, lie down. Often the discomfort disappears after taking a shower. Their appearance is not a reason to go to the hospital or do anything, you just need to relax a bit in a comfortable position.

How to recognize real contractions before childbirth?

Many primiparas worry that they will not be able to determine the onset of contractions in time. Yes, and those who give birth not for the first time are sometimes mistaken, since the sensations can be very different. For each woman, contractions at the initial stage can manifest themselves in different ways.

During each contraction, the upper part of the uterus contracts and thickens, while the lower part, on the contrary, opens up - this helps to gradually push the baby out.

Most often, their onset resembles the sensations during menstruation - this is a characteristic pain in the lower abdomen. Over time, it intensifies and becomes more frequent. In this case, there is a hardening or "petrification" of the uterus, which can be felt by putting a hand to the stomach. But for many women, contractions begin with mild aching pain in the back. Gradually, they spread to the abdomen and pelvis, often this happens already before the very birth. By the way, if a woman has a sufficiently large layer of subcutaneous fat on her stomach, uterine contractions may not be noticed when she puts her hand.

Usually pain during contractions is localized in the lumbar region

In addition, there are several signs that allow you to determine that these are real contractions:

• regularity - real contractions will always repeat at approximately equal intervals of time, but one should not expect these segments to coincide up to a second;
• reduction of breaks over time;
• gradual increase in pain.

Usually a woman begins to notice discomfort when the interval between them is about half an hour. Then their frequency and intensity increases. But often the first stage is painless and contractions become noticeable when the breaks between them reach 10-15 minutes.

During contractions, pain attacks are regular and intensify over time.

Everything is very individual, but if you follow your feelings, measure the duration of painful periods and the intervals between them, then you can determine the onset of labor almost accurately. In addition, you can use online contraction counters - they will also help you decide when to go to the hospital.

Usually the entire period of contractions is divided into three stages:

• initial (latent or hidden);
• active;
• transitional.

The duration of the period of contractions can vary from several hours to a day, so you don’t need to worry, you need to tune in to the positive and wait.

How to behave?

If you notice pain and associate this with the possible onset of labor, then the first thing you need to do is calm down, take a stopwatch and note the intervals. Try to walk, lie down, change position. If the pain does not go away, you can notify the family about the onset of labor and start packing for the hospital. If this is the first time and the contractions are not more often than 20-25 minutes, and it’s not far from the maternity hospital, you can safely take a shower, wash your hair, since, unfortunately, not all maternity hospitals have such an opportunity. You will have time to collect things and once again check if everything is in place.

Breaks between contractions should be used for rest, you should try to relax as much as possible and even, if possible, fall asleep.

It is very important with the onset of contractions not to panic and learn to relax.

During training, do not forget to breathe properly, inhaling through the nose, and exhaling through the mouth.. You can massage your lower back, stroke your stomach - often this brings relief. In no case should you take any medication, put pressure on the hip joint, or lie on your back. If dizziness, bloody discharge or a sharp change in the activity of the child appear, you must go to the hospital immediately - preferably by ambulance.

How bad is pain during contractions?

You can often hear the opinion that it is impossible to confuse contractions with something else, since the pain is very strong. Indeed, most women describe the last stage of labor as the most painful part of labor. But not everyone feels something unbearable at the same time, moreover, a child can be born almost painlessly.

Proper breathing and self-massage help to significantly reduce pain, so before giving birth, you can visit any preparatory courses that allow you to master these techniques.

There are very few pain receptors in the uterus itself. In addition, childbirth is an absolutely physiological process, therefore, theoretically, the nervous system should not react to them as a pathology and give signals to the brain about violations. Where is the pain then? It occurs in the muscles surrounding the uterus. If it is possible to overcome their tension, which interferes with the course of childbirth, the intensity of unpleasant sensations will decrease significantly.

The support of loved ones helps to endure contractions more easily.

It must be remembered that fear and anxiety increase muscle tension, which makes the process even more painful.. Therefore, everything is much more difficult for women who are initially negative, afraid and worried. If the expectant mother is not focused on what she needs to do to endow the process, but on the expectation of pain, then there is no doubt that she will come and be very strong.

In order for childbirth to be as painless as possible, you need to learn how to relax and not waste your energy in vain.. No need to fight your feelings, you need to understand their reasons and accept them. If nothing works and the pain is too strong, you can ask for pharmaceutical anesthesia: for example, with nitrous oxide, promedol or epidural anesthesia.

The first contractions during childbirth can be felt at long intervals, for example, every 20 or 30 minutes. It is important not to confuse them with the preparatory work of the uterus. And for this you need to learn how to calculate the interval between contractions, and when to go to the hospital, questions are unlikely to arise.

Most doctors suggest representing the fight as a wave that either rolls or recedes. And this interval between retreat and a new roll is the very one that is advised to be measured. The interval between contractions begins to decrease: 10, 8, 7, 6, 3, 2 minutes gradually, over several hours. Moreover, this process proceeds faster in women who give birth not for the first time. Firstly, their cervix is ​​no longer as dense as that of primogeniture. And secondly, many of them understand how to relax and know simple techniques, like walking, that is, what to do if the interval between contractions does not decrease, and they know how to speed up the birth process even without doctors.

Short intervals - less than 7-10 minutes between labor spasms - this is the best time to go to the hospital. This should be done even earlier, for example, when there are contractions every 10 minutes, if the woman is out of town, there are big traffic jams and there are other barriers to quick admission to the maternity hospital.

But if there is no certainty that childbirth has begun. If the mucous plug has not yet departed, the amniotic fluid does not leak and does not leave, the gestation period is full-term and a cesarean section is not planned, while there are the following signs, you can not rush yet:

• contractions appear with an interval of more than 10 minutes, while the time intervals between spasms are different, then 10 minutes, then 20, then 30;
• menstrual pain is not felt, the stomach just periodically stiffens;
• the duration of the spasm is no more than a few seconds and does not increase with time;
• you managed to distract yourself, take a bath, fall asleep.

In addition, there is another way to understand that real contractions have begun - it's just to pay attention to the discharge from the vagina. If thick mucus, that is, a mucous plug, did not come out of it, then the opening of the cervix, if any, is minimal, no more than 1-2 cm, and this is not yet a reason to rush to the hospital.

How to count the intervals between contractions - manually or with the help of contraction counters? In principle, it is possible and so, and so. But it’s not difficult to mark the time and make short notes on a piece of paper. Therefore, if you do not have an application for counting contractions or any device with a program installed on it, it does not matter.

When you determine how long the time interval between contractions lasts, you can safely call an ambulance. Of course, if it is 1 time per hour, they are unlikely to come to you, unless you complain of acute pain or discharge. And at the very beginning, the intervals between contractions can really be quite long, you need to wait a bit, try to calm down and pack your things for the hospital, if necessary, do not forget about the documents - policy, passport, birth certificate.

About what interval between contractions is preferable to go to the hospital, we already wrote earlier. It's about 7-10 minutes. That is, there should be such intervals between spasms when there is no pain. If the intervals between contractions are longer, but you don’t feel well, or the child is too quiet, you didn’t feel any movement for a long time, you also need to call an ambulance. Well, the doctors are already in place with the help of the CTG apparatus and watching the woman in labor will be able to understand whether labor has begun and how effectively the cervix opens. If there are no indications for hospitalization, no one will detain you in the hospital.

Many primiparous women are interested in the question, how to understand that contractions have begun? Normally, childbirth begins with the appearance of systematic contractions at certain time intervals. However, labor may start incorrectly, with amniotic fluid draining rather than contractions. In such a situation, everything is clear, as soon as the waters have receded, you should: calm down and not worry, get together, notify your relatives, call an ambulance or get on your own. Everything is clear with the departure of the waters, but how are things when contractions come? It is very important here to know exactly how to recognize the first contractions. Let's talk about this in more detail.

First birth: how to understand that contractions have begun

Contractions are signs of labor during pregnancy. Therefore, there is an adequate question, how to understand that contractions will begin? To answer this question, you need to understand what contractions are and why they are needed. Contractions are the process of contraction of the longitudinal smooth muscles of the main female organ, which provokes the opening of the cervix.

All births are characterized by the following periods:

• Opening of the cervix;
• expulsion of the fetus;
• The birth of the afterbirth.

The period of cervical dilatation includes several phases: latent, active, deceleration phase. The first phase is the longest. This is the time of the onset of contractions. After a while, they lead to smoothing of the uterine cervix and its opening. But for this you need to wait a certain period of time.

Therefore, if contractions begin, then in order to evaluate the process of changes in the structure of the uterine cervix, you should wait 2-3 hours.

To fully understand that the contractions have come, the study of the woman's vagina will help. Prenatal studies of pregnant women help to find out the degree of opening of the cervix of the uterus, as well as to understand whether the uterine cervix has flattened. CTG should be done by an obstetrician in a maternity hospital, always according to strict indications. The onset of contractions is not a reason to conduct a vaginal examination. As already mentioned, for several hours it is necessary to monitor the development of full-fledged labor activity.

Signs of childbirth

The main symptom of approaching delivery is lowering of the abdomen. The fact is that the child must go down to prepare for his birth. If the bearing of the child is normal, then this process will begin at 36-37 weeks. At the same time, the pregnant woman even becomes freer to breathe, but many experience discomfort, discomfort due to frequent going to the toilet and the development of edema. The upper and lower extremities may swell.

This is explained by the fact that the baby, having gone down, puts pressure on the paired organ / bladder, so you should not be afraid of swelling, this condition only indicates that the birth is close.

Another sign of close delivery is weight loss. During the entire period of gestation, a woman gains kilograms, but suddenly she realizes that she has thrown off a couple of kilos, you should not panic, this means that childbirth will begin soon, which is why it is so important to systematically weigh yourself and record weight. The reduction in body weight is due to the fact that the amniotic fluid is absorbed, and there is no need to panic. The signs that labor is about to begin are different.

One of the main signs is a change in tastes. If a pregnant woman has lost her appetite, and suddenly stopped eating for pleasure, this means that it is time to get ready for the hospital.

The approach of childbirth can be accompanied, and vice versa, by an increase in appetite, if the woman ate moderately during the entire period of gestation. The second sign that allows you to determine that delivery will begin in a few days is a pulling pain in the pubic area. If pain in the back and lower back during pregnancy was considered normal, now all the pain is coordinated precisely in the pubic area. The fact is that for delivery, it is necessary for the bone tissue to soften in order to facilitate the process, so there is a certain softening of them, which is accompanied by a dull pain syndrome. You should not be afraid of such manifestations, you must: prepare to go to the hospital. In addition to physiology, there are also psychological changes.

The character and mood of a pregnant woman change:

• Then she cries;
• That becomes irritable;
• That laughs.

A woman may experience apathy, she behaves unusually. During the gestation period, this is not as noticeable as the other day before delivery, so this symptom of the upcoming birth should also be paid attention to. A woman is tormented by insomnia, or she can oversleep for a very long time, she worries over trifles, has become aggressive or, on the contrary, indifferent to everything. Don't worry - this is how the birth is approaching. As soon as you give birth and see your child, such symptoms disappear, with the exception of postpartum depression.

The beginning of childbirth: what to do

If a pregnant woman has noticed several of the symptoms described above, and if these signs intensify, then it is time to give birth.

Approximately 7 days later. But, in the last trimester, you should behave carefully.:

• Lead a healthy lifestyle;
• Do not lift weights;
• Get more rest and walk outdoors.

But, light physical activity will be useful, otherwise you can go through pregnancy, that is, the baby will be born later than it should. According to doctors, this negatively affects the body of a woman and a baby. It will be right to walk for 2-3 hours on the street, in the park area, in the garden, to do light household chores - wipe the dust, wash the dishes, “mess around” with food, iron, but there is no benefit from washing the floors in an incline or hand washing. will be.

It is better to shift these matters to your beloved relatives, let relatives provide help, or you can wipe the floors with a mop with a comfortable long handle, and wash the linen in a washing machine.

Attention! The main thing before giving birth is the positive emotions that a pregnant woman should experience as often as possible, so that the child feels the mother’s excellent condition, he should not feel any stress so that nothing frightens him before being born. The emotional state of the child also depends on the state of the woman.

How does childbirth begin?

All the harbingers of childbirth, manifested in pregnant women, let her know that childbirth is about to happen, that it is necessary to be on the alert, you should prepare the necessary things that will be needed in the maternity hospital. But, the closer the time of the upcoming birth, the more the woman worries about whether she can determine that the birth is starting. How not to miss the beginning?

To determine that the onset of delivery is taking place, you need to pay attention to the obvious symptoms of a change in the state of the pregnant woman:

1. There is an adrenaline rush, her palms and feet become wet, she begins to get very worried.
2. Without fail, a certain liquid is released from the reproductive organ, sometimes with blood - this is a special mucus that resembles a cork that protected the fetus throughout the entire gestation period. But, sometimes, when she leaves a couple of days before delivery, but usually this happens right before the birth.
3. There are fights. The first contractions are slightly painful sensations, a pain syndrome that moves from the lower abdomen to the lumbar region. If a woman does not immediately understand that she has started contractions - do not panic, the first birth can last up to 14 hours, it can be even longer, there will be time to get to the doctor. Gradually, the strength and duration of contractions increase. What is the time interval between contractions? Prenatal are with an interval of about 5 minutes. and more often.
4. You need to understand that when the waters break, you already need to prepare for childbirth. You can't delay. Why? The most negative consequences can come. If the pregnant woman did not leave the maternity hospital when the waters broke, you should record the time the waters broke, how they looked, how many there were, how they smelled. These data are needed by the obstetrician.

For multiparous women, contractions are a common process, and primiparous women can be very worried from excitement, they may experience chills and heartburn.

Symptoms of preterm birth

How much is the gestation rate? Pregnancies are considered normal when the baby is gestated for about 40 weeks.

You should consult a doctor if:

1. Contractions began, which are repeated every 10 minutes.
2. A watery fluid came out, which may mean damage to the bladder with amniotic fluid.
3. Cramps began in the lower abdomen, similar to those that occur during menstruation.
4. Pain in the lower back developed. The types of pain can be different.
5. Presses in the pelvic region.
6. There are abdominal cramps.

If these symptoms are detected, it does not matter in the first, second, third or subsequent pregnancy, a doctor should be called. This will help prevent premature birth.

If a pregnant woman already regularly has contractions, gradually the interval between them becomes smaller and smaller, and the pain syndrome intensifies - then delivery is about to begin.

Childbirth is divided into 3 stages:

1. Elementary. A pregnant woman may feel a slight cramping pain, while the attacks last no more than 45 seconds, and the interval between them is about 8 hours.
2. Active. The duration of the attacks increases to a minute, and the intervals become shorter - 3-5 hours.
3. Transition. The most rapid stage of delivery, on average it lasts 30-90 minutes. The duration of uterine contractions is about one and a half minutes, and the interval between them is not hours, but minutes.

It is important at the beginning of contractions to immediately call an ambulance or quickly arrive at the hospital on your own. Preparing labor activity long before the birth of the child.

Start of labor (video)

Attention! As soon as there is a delay, you need to do a test and visit a gynecologist. Pregnancy should be under the supervision of doctors until the baby is born.