Prenatal contractions: how to recognize them and what to do

Contractions are the first of three periods of labor. Then there are attempts, followed by the appearance of a child, and the birth of an afterbirth. It is contractions that most worry women during pregnancy, as they have heard that this is the most painful period of childbirth.

Contractions can begin at any time, starting from the 20th week of pregnancy, but in most cases these are false contractions that occur due to a slight tone of the uterus. At this time, the woman feels slight discomfort, contractions are short, painless and pass quickly.

But how do you know that the real contractions have begun? They occur in different ways for each woman, depending on her physiological characteristics.

There are three phases of contractions:
- hidden;
- active;
- transitional.

The latent phase lasts on average about 7-8 hours, but sometimes less - for each woman individually. Contractions at this time are irregular, the uterus opens slowly. The duration of the bout is 30-45 seconds with an interval of 5-10 minutes. At this stage, a woman needs rest and bed rest, she needs to move as little as possible – it is necessary to save energy for attempts and childbirth. The uterus opens up to 3 cm during this period. The pain of contractions during this period is mild, comparable to the discomfort during menstruation.

The active phase is about 3-5 hours and occurs after the uterus has expanded to 3-4 cm. Contractions begin to intensify, become more painful and frequent - they last up to 60 seconds with an interval of 2-3 minutes. There are severe and pulling pains in the pelvis and lower back. During this period, a woman must be under the constant supervision of a doctor who monitors the condition of the pregnant woman and the child.

The intermediate phase is the shortest – from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Contractions last for 70-90 seconds with an interval of 30 seconds -1 minute. After this phase, there are attempts, where a woman needs to start "pushing" at the moment of opening the uterus.

What to do when contractions start
First of all, you need to calm down – this is a natural process, strong excitement will only get in the way. If a woman is at home, it's time to go to the maternity hospital. As long as the interval between contractions is more than 10 minutes, the expectant mother will have time to pack the necessary things and get to the hospital. But you shouldn't delay too much. If a woman is already in the hospital, it is necessary to consult a doctor. As soon as the contractions begin frequently and at intervals of 5 minutes, the expectant mother will be sent to the prenatal ward, where she and the baby will be under constant supervision of midwives.

Calling contractions
There are cases when pregnancy lasts up to 41, 42 weeks. Here, doctors need to monitor the condition of the amniotic fluid and placenta. If they are in order, the woman continues to carry the child, and if the placenta begins to age, the child's well–being worsens, and contractions do not occur, doctors perform a procedure for puncturing the bladder to induce labor, otherwise the child may die in the womb.

How to ease contractions
Deep breathing, bed rest, and lumbar massage help a woman in labor relax a little. A woman needs to learn how to breathe properly during contractions in advance in order to transfer them more easily. Fitball exercises also help, if available in the hospital. An expectant mother may also be offered an epidural to reduce pain, but there are also strict contraindications, so do not rush to request the administration of these drugs.

It's worth remembering that fake contractions are distinguishable from real ones. Prenatal contractions are increasing, regular, with the same interval, which gradually becomes smaller. A woman needs to keep track of time, count the frequency of contractions in order to know at what stage she is. But the duration of contractions is different for everyone – for some they go faster, and for others they take longer. Therefore, a woman should always be ready to go to the maternity hospital at any time. The main thing is not to panic and listen to the doctors. The 1xbet promo code is a favorite among sports enthusiasts. This type of promotion often provides a free bet worth $15 to $30, which can be used on various sports markets. You might receive it as part of a welcome package after using your initial 1xbet promo code for free bet, or as a weekly reload offer. It allows you to place a wager without risking your own money, meaning any winnings are pure profit. It’s the perfect tool for trying out new betting strategies.