Do false attempts occur during pregnancy? False contractions, how to distinguish false contractions from real ones

In the process of bearing a child, a woman experiences a whole life when her body is rebuilt, habits change, and new sensations arise almost every day. And at a certain moment, when childbirth is just around the corner, false contractions appear. How to distinguish them from the true ones? What measures will help relieve pain? When should you see a doctor?

False contractions - what are they?

The term “false contractions” in medical science refers to irregular rhythmic contractions of the muscular walls of the uterus, intended to prepare the reproductive organs for childbirth. During such “training,” the muscles of the uterus and cervix become more resilient in order to actively contract in the future and push the child through the birth canal. The muscles of the uterus are trained before childbirth in order to contract at the right moment and push the fetus through the birth canal.

Training contractions (also called Braxton-Hicks contractions - that was the name of the British doctor who first substantiated this phenomenon) also improve blood supply to the reproductive organs, thereby increasing the supply of oxygen to the fetus.

Interestingly, not all doctors have a unanimous opinion about the purpose of false contractions. For example, some believe that this is only a reaction of the pregnant woman’s body to hormonal fluctuations, and not at all a preparation for labor.

Not all pregnant women experience Braxton-Hicks contractions, this is especially true for first-time mothers. Here, much depends on the individual characteristics of the body (high or low pain threshold), provoking factors. Nevertheless, such contractions occur in every expectant mother, but they can simply not be noticed (for example, due to being busy with work, household chores), confused with increased gas formation and other phenomena.

Causes of training contractions

There are a number of factors that can provoke training contractions or increase the intensity of existing ones:

1. Active fetal movement (turning over, kicking).
2. The activity of the expectant mother herself, for example, physical activity.
3. Emotional shocks: fear, stress or, conversely, joy. Sensitive people are more susceptible to this.
4. Sexual intercourse accompanied by female orgasm.
5. Eating heavy and fatty foods that cause a feeling of heaviness in the gastrointestinal tract, carbonated drinks, overeating or, conversely, severe hunger, dehydration.
6. Inability to go to the toilet on time. This can cause discomfort in the bladder and rectum, causing false contractions.

In some cases, false contractions can occur even if you put your hand on your stomach, yours or someone else’s.

Photo gallery: factors that trigger Braxton Hicks contractions

Sex with a violent female orgasm can provoke training contractions. One of the reasons for false contractions is the consumption of fatty heavy foods, carbonated drinks, or hunger. The cause of false contractions can be emotional experiences. False contractions can provoke active movements of the fetus.

How to differentiate between false and labor contractions

While some pregnant women experience just mild discomfort during Braxton-Hicks contractions, others experience quite severe pain. During attacks, expectant mothers are confused: they mistake this phenomenon for the beginning of labor and are in a hurry to get ready for the maternity hospital (especially if the period is already quite long). Therefore, it is important to learn the signs that distinguish training contractions from real ones.

Table: differences between false and true contractions

False contractions have absolutely nothing to do with childbirth and do not signal the beginning of this process. The attacks are not accompanied by dilatation of the cervix (only a gynecologist can attest to this during examination).

Video: differences between false and true contractions (excerpt from the webinar “Preparing for Childbirth” by the Academy of Motherhood)

Normal sensations for a pregnant woman during Braxton Hicks contractions

You can recognize when a pregnant woman's training contractions have begun by the characteristic symptoms:

1. In a certain part of the abdomen, severe pain appears - as if someone is strongly squeezing the uterus. Nagging pains of varying intensity appear (as a rule, they do not cause significant discomfort).
2. In one hour, such a feeling can be repeated several times, and then disappear for several days. Some people experience seizures from time to time throughout the day.
3. The attacks occur suddenly and do not have a specific rhythm or cyclicity. However, most often they are recorded in the evening or at night, when the rest of the muscles of the body are relaxed (at this time of day the tone of the uterus is simply easier to notice).
4. Contractions stop on their own or together with a change in body position, movement, etc.

As for the specific timing when a woman can expect training contractions, here again everything is individual. However, this usually happens no earlier than 20 weeks. Many pregnant women experience attacks only in the third trimester. Contractions at 39–40 weeks should be assessed especially carefully, since they may be true.

Situations requiring consultation with a doctor

Despite all the harmlessness of training contractions, there are situations when such “training” requires medical intervention. You should pay close attention to the following signals:

1. The attacks are accompanied by unusual vaginal discharge: watery or mixed with blood (perhaps placental abruption begins).
2. The pain during uterine contractions is too strong, although irregular. For example, too much pain in the lumbar region may not mean false contractions, but an acute inflammatory kidney disease.
3. Pressure on the perineal area increases: it causes pain and discomfort.
4. At the same time, amniotic fluid flows out or it leaks (a large volume of fluid comes out of the genital tract or the underwear simply gets wet quickly).
5. Contractions are repeated too often - over 4 times per minute (the cervix may begin to actively dilate).
6. Fetal movements have noticeably decreased: less than 10 movements are observed within two hours (this happens before childbirth).

All of these signs are especially dangerous when it is too early for the baby to be born. After all, there is a risk of premature birth. If, at the end of the third trimester, a pregnant woman notices that contractions are becoming too intense, frequent, fairly regular and prolonged, most likely labor has begun and it’s time to go to the maternity hospital.

How to relieve a woman's condition during Braxton Hicks contractions

When false contractions cause noticeable discomfort to a pregnant woman, she is quite capable of relieving her condition with simple measures:

1. Find a comfortable position and do what you love. Every pregnant woman can choose a position in which the discomfort will be minimal or disappear altogether: for example, curl up on a soft sofa, covered with a blanket, or lean back on a wide chair. At the same time, it’s good to read an interesting book, watch your favorite TV series or listen to relaxing music. This helps take your mind off the pain.
2. Drink warm tea, fruit drink or just a glass of water.
3. Walking with moderate physical activity.
4. Take a warm shower or bath.
5. A pleasant relaxing massage of the lower back. A caring spouse can do it.
6. If contractions are triggered by hunger, you should eat something nutritious, but not heavy.
7. Breathing exercises help a lot. In addition to the fact that exercises alleviate the condition of the expectant mother, they increase the supply of oxygen to the fetus and serve as excellent breathing training for the upcoming birth. You can try these simple options: “candle” (slow inhalation through the nose and a sharp short exhalation through the mouth), “doggy style” (this is frequent shallow breathing, similar to how dogs breathe in hot weather, but no more than 30 seconds, so as not to feel dizzy ), normal slow inhalations and exhalations (and the exhalation is done during the contraction).

Photo gallery: measures to help cope with false contractions

Moderate physical activity in the fresh air (for example, collecting autumn leaves) will eliminate discomfort. If the discomfort is caused by yogurt, you need to eat something light and nutritious. Breathing exercises will help relieve both false and subsequently true contractions. To cope with false contractions, it is often quite simple take a comfortable position and distract yourself with your favorite activity, for example, read a book. A warm shower or bath can help relieve pain. Warm tea will help relieve contractions, while the woman sits comfortably in a comfortable chair or on the sofa. A pleasant relaxing massage will help relieve pain during false contractions.

When the period of bearing a child comes to its immediate end, a woman may often experience unpleasant sensations in the lower abdomen. Some mothers, especially if this is their first pregnancy, often confuse the symptoms of false and natural contractions. As a result, arrival at the maternity hospital may be premature. Therefore, it is necessary to know the main factors that will help determine whether labor has begun or not.

What happens during contractions

For the first time, contraction of a group of muscles of the uterus, which does not lead to dilatation of the cervix, was described by the English doctor D. Braxton-Hicks in the 19th century. That is why they began to be named after him. Training contractions can occur as early as the second trimester. However, not all women are able to feel them. Often, when false contractions occur, the symptoms of their manifestation go unnoticed. This happens due to the fact that they do not cause pain; the pregnant woman often notices only some discomfort. Only closer to childbirth, when the size of the uterus is much larger, muscle contraction becomes more pronounced. The main feature of false (or training) contractions is that their intensity does not increase, and there is no specific time interval between contractions. Over time, the unpleasant sensations fade away and then disappear altogether.

Causes

Many doctors still do not have a consensus on the causes of such a phenomenon as Braxton-Hicks contractions. The symptoms and sensations are somewhat different from the real harbingers of labor, and the cervix does not dilate. One of the versions is that in this way the woman’s body prepares for childbirth, the smooth muscles are trained, which over time will be responsible for the birth of the child. In addition, good blood flow to the placenta is ensured. Other experts do not connect false contractions and the symptoms of their occurrence with preparation for childbirth. They explain this phenomenon by the fact that the uterus comes to tone from time to time, causing discomfort. Hormonal changes that constantly occur in the body of a pregnant woman can also affect the occurrence of muscle contractions.

Training contractions. Feelings and symptoms during pregnancy

In order to understand whether uterine contractions are false or whether they indicate that labor is beginning, you need to know the main symptoms. First of all, such contractions are irregular, they have no rhythm. Their duration is also quite chaotic, from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. They do not bring painful sensations; during a contraction, you can notice how the stomach tenses and turns to stone. As a rule, the number of contractions is no more than 4; they gradually fade out. The presence or absence of such a phenomenon as false contractions (their symptoms may go unnoticed) does not indicate any problems during pregnancy; this is a completely natural condition.

Factors that can cause false contractions

There are a number of situations that can lead to Braxton Hicks contractions. These include increased activity of the expectant mother, as well as the child. Strong emotions and worries can also provoke training contractions. Another point is a full bladder. Contractions often occur due to intense sexual activity (in particular, orgasm leads to this state). Dehydration can cause false contractions to occur. The symptoms that arise can be alleviated, thereby reducing discomfort to a minimum.

What to do if you have Braxton Hicks contractions

To ease the discomfort, you can take a relaxing shower or bath (but the water should not be hot). It is advisable to change your body position. It often happens that muscles begin to contract due to an uncomfortable position. As soon as the woman changes it, lies down, sits down, the contractions will stop. Walking also helps. During this, the contractions usually stop. It is very important to drink enough fluids; during contractions, you can brew herbal tea. A massage that can be done by someone close to you brings good results. There are many relaxation techniques that can be used in this case. The main thing a woman needs during false contractions is rest and calm.

Undesirable actions during false contractions

First of all, you should not carry them on your feet. It's best to sit down and relax. Excessive physical activity will be inappropriate. But you shouldn't spend all your time in bed either. Intense contraction of the uterine muscles can be caused by heavy loads that a woman lifts and carries. False contractions can be caused by drinking alcohol, taking medications, or smoking. Caffeine should be limited, or even completely abandoned. Diets are also useless now, as are all kinds of experiments, such as going to the bathhouse.

Training contractions and childbirth

Often, at 38 weeks of pregnancy, the frequency and intensity of contractions of the uterine muscles increase significantly. Many people are concerned about how not to confuse false contractions, the symptoms, and the sensations they cause during this period with the onset of true labor. Doctors assure that it is impossible not to recognize real contractions. First of all, they are characterized by significant pain compared to training ones. At the same time, the pain intensively increases, the area that is exposed to these sensations is the entire abdomen, lower back, back. Convulsions are also common. Over time, pain lasts longer, the nature of its occurrence has its own periodicity. If you use a watch, you can track how long the contraction lasts and how much time is reduced until the next one. A doctor can recognize real labor pains. If the cervix dilates, then the birth of the child is already close. It is important to know that the shorter the period between contractions and the longer they last (and the pain increases), the sooner you need to contact a specialist.

Dangerous condition

Although training contractions themselves are normal, there are several points that should be highlighted when they occur and you should seek medical help.

If the gestational age is less than 37 weeks, and the expectant mother feels painful contractions, then examination by a specialist is extremely necessary. Unusual discharge, bloody or watery, should also alert you. Another factor for concern is a decrease in the intensity of the child’s movements or, conversely, increased activity. It is worth consulting a doctor even when you feel pain in the lower back or spine. And, of course, bleeding and breaking of water require medical intervention.

Every pregnant woman waits with trepidation and impatience to meet her baby. And the closer this cherished date of birth approaches, the more attentive she is to new sensations and listens to the baby’s behavior.

Information False contractions (training or Braxton-Hicks contractions)- These are periodic, spontaneous contractions of the muscles of the uterus, the appearance of which is recorded already in the sixth week of pregnancy. Most women begin to feel them only after mid-pregnancy (20 weeks), and some do not feel them at all. False contractions were first described by the English physician John Braxton-Hicks in 1872.

What does a pregnant woman experience?

As noted earlier, false contractions appear in the very early stages of pregnancy, but the woman may not feel them. As pregnancy progresses, training contractions will appear and the sensations will be brighter and more frequent.

Basically, Braxton Hicks contractions make themselves felt in the evening, when the expectant mother is relaxed and resting. It is then that it is easiest for her to catch these infrequent, painless, irregular contractions of the uterus, which can last from 30 to 60 seconds, and becomes, as it were, “stone-like.” Soon the tone disappears and everything becomes as before. False contractions can also occur in the opposite situation - after a little physical activity (while walking, while shopping).

Causes

There are several assumptions that explain the reason for the appearance of training contractions:

• The appearance of training contractions throughout pregnancy helps maintain the uterine muscle in working condition and ensures good blood flow to the placenta;
• False contractions help the body prepare the cervix for the upcoming birth.

The occurrence of training contractions can be provoked by:

• Touching the stomach;
• Increased activity of the baby in the womb;
• Sex;
• Full bladder.

Differences between Braxton-Hicks contractions and regular contractions

Let's try to figure out what their differences are.

When to see a doctor?

In some cases, false contractions are difficult to distinguish from real premature contractions, which pose a threat to the further bearing of the baby. Therefore, it is necessary to pay very close attention to cramping contractions of the uterus in the following situations:

• If there are more than 3-4 weeks left before the expected date of birth (that is, you are less than 37 weeks pregnant), and you feel painful false contractions, then seek medical help immediately;
• If you discover “suspicious” vaginal discharge: it has become thinner or thicker, or has acquired a pink or reddish color, then you should immediately call an ambulance;
• If you feel pressure in the pelvis and sacrum, pain in the lumbar region, consult a doctor;
• If the baby slows down his movements or, conversely, begins to move intensively.

Conclusion

Additionally The expectant mother cannot always correctly identify false contractions from real ones. And if you are not sure, you are worried about suspicions and doubts, then It's best to see a doctor.

The doctor will conduct an examination, listen to your symptoms and, based on all this, determine what is really happening to you, whether there is a threat or whether there is no need to worry about trifles. You will be able to ask him the questions you are interested in and get answers to them. This will make you feel more confident and calm.

Contractions- these are signs of the beginning of the gradual dilatation of the cervix, this is not yet the birth itself! Why are they accompanied by pain? At the same time, the longitudinal and transverse muscles open, they simultaneously contract and relax. During contractions, a woman should relax as much as possible, because... the woman’s fear and reaction to pain will just interfere with the opening of the cervix. After all, you still can’t help your child now, and it’s too early to help, he’s just getting ready to start his journey into this world, so it’s best to calm down and save your strength for the birth itself.

The entire period of contractions can be divided into 3 phases:

• Initial (hidden, latent) phase
  • Duration - 7-8 hours
  • Duration of contraction - 30-45 s
  • The interval between contractions is 4-5 minutes
  • Cervical dilatation - 0-3 cm
  • Active phase
    • Duration - 3-5 hours
    • Contraction duration - 60 s
    • The interval between contractions is 2-4 minutes
    • Cervical dilatation - 3-7 cm
  • Transition phase (deceleration phase)
    • Duration - 0.5-1.5 hours
    • Duration of contraction - 70-90 s
    • The interval between contractions is 0.5-1 minute
    • Cervical dilatation - 7-10 cm

    The period of labor itself in primiparous women usually lasts a little longer than in multiparous women. Contractions actually last on average - 8-10 hours.

    There is often a misconception that throughout the entire period, from the onset of labor to the birth of the baby, you will suffer and suffer from unbearable pain. If you do the math, the cervix of first-time mothers dilates at approximately 1 cm/hour, the optimal width of dilation required for the baby’s head to pass through (the most “difficult” part of the body) is 10 cm. As a result, it turns out that contractions will last about 10 hours.

    How painful are contractions?

    Many first-time mothers say that it is basically similar to what a woman experiences every month when menstrual bleeding occurs.

    Sometimes contractions may become more frequent, sometimes become more painful, but in any case it is worth enduring this pain - after all, it only brings you closer to that happy moment when your child sees this world!

    The most painful and noticeable contractions occur approximately 2-3 hours before birth.

    Doctors recommend that women relax, normalize their breathing, walk around or, conversely, lie down and choose the most comfortable position for themselves, in which the pain from contractions is not so clearly felt. Most doctors still recommend moving, because... the woman is distracted, which allows her to endure contractions more easily. In addition, walking makes the cervix dilate faster, allowing the baby's head to move down toward the exit faster.

    How can you reduce the pain of contractions?

    Use proper breathing techniques (1 deep breath and 3-4 short exhalations). This gymnastics will provide you with invaluable help during the 2nd stage of labor - the period of active expulsion of the fetus. You should not try to push during a contraction, as this can lead to premature rupture. You need to push when the cervix is ​​dilated by at least 8-10 cm.

    Long before contractions, practice doing this: contract and slowly gradually relax the muscles of the vagina and anus several dozen times a day. When urinating, hold the stream of urine for a while and then relax your muscles. Hold again and release again. Pay the main attention not to squeezing, but to relaxing the muscles. It is useful to massage the muscles of the perineum with Vaseline oil.

    But shouting is not recommended. Screaming, as a rule, takes a lot of energy, but you still need to prepare for the main moment of childbirth - pushing. Screaming can be replaced with singing. Screaming spasms the muscles, but lingering melodies, on the contrary, help the uterine os to relax. The baby unmistakably senses his mother’s condition. Recent observations by scientists have proven that drawn-out chants have a very positive effect on the baby’s psyche, giving him a sense of calm and harmony.

    Childbirth is a rather long process. The first birth can last 16 or even 20 hours, the second and subsequent ones pass somewhat faster. Save energy, rest between contractions, take a warm shower or get a pain-relieving massage.

    False contractions

    Starting from the 20th week according to the pregnancy calendar, some women may experience false contractions. False contractions are also called. Apparently this learned man quite often felt false contractions, which never led to the development of labor in him, and thus he went down in the history of obstetrics. False contractions do not lead to the development of labor. therefore, when they occur, you should not frantically collect.

    False contractions can appear after 7-10 minutes (and sometimes after 4-5 minutes) and last for 2-3 hours, and then fade away. They are unsystematic in nature, but can be accompanied by quite severe pain in the lower back, sacrum and lower abdomen. Sometimes women experience much more discomfort and anxiety from false contractions than from labor.

    False contractions in most cases are noticed by multiparous women, who are much more wary of everything that happens to them. A primigravida woman notices them only if she has increased sensitivity. A warm bath will help you cope with unpleasant sensations, but under no circumstances a hot one! If you immerse yourself in water at a comfortable temperature for 20 minutes - 1 hour, false contractions either subside completely or occur much less frequently and at the same time their intensity becomes noticeably less.

    From all of the above, the following conclusions can be drawn:

    • Contractions are not the birth itself
    • The pain from contractions is almost the same as before menstruation
    • Don't strain during a fight
    • Don't scream during contractions - it's better to sing
    • Proper breathing will help you endure the contraction easier
    • In multiparous women, the period of contractions is shorter than in primiparous women
    • False contractions sometimes cause more discomfort than labor.

Some of us had never even heard of training contractions before pregnancy, well, unless our friends, who had already become mothers, enlightened us. But even for those who knew about the “dress rehearsal” before childbirth, the appearance of training contractions often comes as a surprise, frightens and forces them to urgently drop everything and go to the maternity hospital, even if the preliminary date of birth is still only a few weeks away.

What is this, training contractions? Why do they appear, does everyone have them and how to distinguish a false alarm from a combat one?

Theory

Theoretical knowledge is a good and necessary thing in order to at least have a general idea of ​​what is happening. Therefore, let's start with theory.

First, let's understand the terminology. Training, false or Braxton-Hicks contractions (named after the gynecologist who first described them back in the 19th century) - it’s all about them, those very “rehearsal” moments. Contractions that appear at the end of pregnancy are called precursor contractions.

All these different names mean the same thing and they represent the preparation of the uterus (which, as everyone knows, is a muscular organ) for the difficult work ahead. Muscles can and should be trained. So the uterus trains to do everything that is required of it at the right moment. Such a “rehearsal” should not frighten the expectant mother. Therefore, let’s figure out point by point how and what happens during training contractions, so that later, when everything starts, we don’t panic.

Fact #1

Training contractions feel similar to periodic pain during menstruation. Moreover, many (but not all) expectant mothers discover that if their menstruation is usually painful, then false contractions are also strong.

What else, besides unpleasant sensations similar to menstrual pain, can a woman feel or see if she has false contractions:

• tension in the abdomen, similar to cramps, in different parts of the abdomen (upper, lower, or even closer to the groin area), but not all at once
• during them it is not difficult to palpate the uterus; it, as is often said, “turns to stone”
• sometimes you can see clear contours of a tense uterus
• contractions gradually “fade out” and their intensity decreases (while the strength of prenatal contractions normally only increases)

Fact #2

Most often, training contractions occur in the morning and evening, although, of course, not always and not for everyone. Moreover, if the contractions began in the evening, then at night they, as a rule, subside, and in the morning they can resume again.

The duration of the period of false contractions usually does not exceed two to three hours, but there are also exceptions to this rule. What can we do - we are all different, and the female body, as one of the Orthodox priests noted, can be compared to the most complex computer, while the male body, in his own funny expression, is just a typewriter.

Fact #3

Not all women experience training contractions. Or rather, not everyone feels them. Since the frequency, intensity, duration of contractions, as well as the individual pain threshold, are different for everyone. Therefore, some pregnant women can feel them after 20 weeks, others only towards the end of the nine-month wait, and still others do not even know what it is.

So there is no need to worry if things are steadily moving towards the “performance”, but the “dress rehearsal” has not yet taken place. Most likely, you simply do not feel false contractions.

Fact #4

Although you can often read in specialized literature that training contractions do not cause pregnant women much discomfort, many mothers categorically disagree with this far from indisputable statement.

Often false contractions are quite long in time and strong. They can exhaust even very persistent and positive-minded expectant mothers. And, if you are going to give birth for the first time, you may well mistake them for real contractions. Therefore, if in doubt, go to the doctor or call an ambulance. There's nothing shameful about it. If you are expecting a second, third, and so on child, you will understand what’s what without doctors. In the meantime, you have no experience in this matter and it is better not to take risks. Let the experts reassure you.

Fact #5

Yes, training contractions are completely normal, but if they last long (longer than 3-4 hours in a row) and exhaust you, then you should definitely tell your doctor about them. Perhaps this is a symptom of some kind of trouble.

Fact #6

It is difficult to predict the occurrence of training contractions. However, it has been noticed that they often occur:

• with a full bladder (so try not to let it get to that point)
• after an orgasm or during active sexual activity
• if the expectant mother is stressed
• during heavy physical exertion experienced by a pregnant woman
• in cases of maternal dehydration

Although everything, of course, is individual. What causes your girlfriends or even your sister to start training fights may well have no effect on you. Just try to observe your feelings and, perhaps, you will be able to discern the relationship between some of your actions and the subsequent onset of training contractions.

Fact No. 7

Many people fear that, having gotten used to training contractions, they simply won’t understand when it comes to action.

Do not worry! It is difficult to confuse precursor contractions (even if they are quite strong) with real ones. But you shouldn’t relax either. After all, training contractions may well turn into prenatal contractions. Therefore, even if false or precursor contractions have become commonplace and familiar to you, still listen to your body, pay attention to the frequency, duration and regularity of contractions.

Fact #8

You can distinguish training contractions from the onset of labor by the following signs:

• intervals between contractions of different durations
• contractions are irregular
• pain often decreases or even disappears when changing body position; try to lie down if you were sitting or standing, or get up and walk around if, on the contrary, you were lying down

Fact #9

False contractions can cause many unpleasant moments for the expectant mother, but they are absolutely safe and painless for the child. So no need to worry about the baby either.

Fact #10

If the “rehearsal” continues, albeit intermittently, for several days, then even the most persistent and calm expectant mothers begin to fear that this is not a training session, but the beginning of labor. And they have a fear of not being able to get to the maternity hospital in time.

Don't worry, doctors say that training or precursor contractions never do not precede rapid (4 - 5 hours) or rapid (3 hours) labor. So you will definitely have time to get to the maternity hospital. And this, you see, inspires some optimism.

Training contractions. We alleviate the condition

If you are unlucky and training your body before childbirth, contrary to the assurances of smart books for pregnant women, causes unpleasant sensations and exhausts you, you can try to alleviate your condition in the following ways:

• lie on your left side or just try to find a comfortable position using a pregnancy pillow or regular pillows
• take a knee-elbow position or kneel by the bed and lean your hands on it
• drink water, sometimes it helps relieve stress
• do breathing exercises, try out the breathing methods that are recommended to be used during childbirth (at the same time, you will also practice)
• try counting during contractions: on inhalation - up to four, on exhalation - up to six, the need to concentrate on counting distracts you from thoughts about pain
• take a shower
• watch a good funny movie

Experienced mothers recall that these simple methods helped many of them and, if they did not completely relieve the unpleasant sensations, then at least distracted them from them and allowed them to forget about the discomfort for a while.

It's time - isn't it time?

The first sign that the time has come to move from training to “performance” is the systematicity and regularity of contractions. For one to two hours, record the frequency of contractions, their duration and time intervals between them, or use special contraction counters, which are available on many sites for expectant mothers. If you understand that contractions are regular, their duration is increasing, and the time intervals between them are, on the contrary, decreasing - go to the maternity hospital.

In addition, you should consult a doctor, the sooner the better, if, in addition to training contractions:

• spotting appears (this may be a symptom of placental abruption)
• amniotic fluid has poured out or begun to leak (the information contained in the article will help you understand this)
• the child is “quiet”, barely moving
• nagging pain in the lower back, diarrhea or nausea appeared

So be attentive to yourself, listen sensitively to the slightest changes occurring in your body, do not take unusual signals too lightly, but do not be nervous in vain. And everything will definitely be fine.

Photo - photobank Lori