Labor contractions are the physical way your uterus tightens to promote delivery of your baby. And the uterus is one of the strongest muscles in the body. Labor contractions are often described as feeling like a wave, because their intensity slowly rises, peaks, and then slowly decreases. Read on to learn more about what to expect from contractions, and what you should do once contractions start. Contractions help move a baby downward by tightening the top of the uterus and applying pressure on the cervix.
This pressure causes the cervix to open, or dilate. The hormone oxytocin stimulates labor contractions and will keep them happening all throughout labor. As labor progresses, contractions usually:. If you experience contractions earlier than 37 weeks, seek immediate medical attention. You may also feel Braxton-Hicks contractions as early as the second trimester.
Braxton-Hicks contractions are sometimes called practice contractions. Some women experience contractions on and off for a couple of days before labor finally begins.
This is known as prodromal labor. Only a trained doctor, midwife, or doula can tell you if your cervix is actually thinning and opening in preparation for the baby to be born. Often, resting, changing your position, and rehydrating will stop irregular contractions before real labor. If your contractions are coming in a regular pattern and you have other signs of labor, call your doctor right away. Labor contractions will come in a regular time pattern that slowly increases in frequency.
Early in your third trimester , your doctor or midwife should start telling you what to expect and how to communicate about labor signs. An analog clock is most accurate for timing contractions. A common rule of thumb for first-time mothers is : Contractions coming every 3 minutes, lasting 1 minute, and recurring for 1 hour. These tightenings are called Braxton Hicks contractions and are usually painless. Your contractions tend to become longer, stronger and more frequent as your labour progresses.
During a contraction, the muscles tighten and the pain increases. If you put your hand on your abdomen, you'll feel it getting harder; when the muscles relax, the pain fades and you will feel the hardness ease. The contractions are pushing your baby down and opening the entrance to your womb the cervix , ready for your baby to go through.
Call your midwife or maternity unit for guidance when your contractions are in a regular pattern and:. Read more information on when to go to hospital. During pregnancy, there's a plug of mucus in your cervix. This mucus comes away just before labour starts, or when in early labour, and it may pass out of your vagina.
This sticky, jelly-like pink mucus is called a show. It may come away in 1 blob or in several pieces. It's pink because it contains a small amount of blood. If you're losing more blood, it may be a sign something is wrong, so phone your hospital or midwife straight away. A show indicates that the cervix is starting to open.
My mom literally never knew when she was having contractions, just knew that she 'felt funny. I had a c-section after pushing non medicated for 5 hours with my fat, 9lb 37 week direct OP baby occiput posterior -- baby who is facing up instead of back , and a non-medicated VBAC with my second, so feel like I really got a sense of what things felt like.
They started as menstrual cramps, and an ache in my lower back, moving around and increasing in intensity deep in my pelvis. I did not have back labor with either, even the OP babe. I have to say that I did not think they were that bad, I mean, intense, yes, requiring deep focus and coping, yes, but the worst pain I ever felt? It was very freeing to surrender to the contractions, doing whatever felt good, no matter how crazy or silly it seemed.
Labors last about 36 hours each, in both labors, I immersed myself in the tub, completely, except for my nose, when I had the intense contractions, removing all the sensory stimulation, ears underwater, eyes closed, remaining really loose. Alternately, I did a lot of deep vocalization.
As I said, hard, yes, intense, yes, all encompassing, yes, body wracking, yes, but incredibly painful -- no. If I could, I would labor and birth once a year! No pregnancy, no baby to keep, just a big ole labor and birth! It was the hardest, most intense, but doable work I have ever done!
Tags Birth Birth stories Coping with pain Contraction. Lamaze Home Contact Us Login. Return to Giving Birth with Confidence. Theme picker. Contact author Message sent. Name: Please enter your name.
Please enter your name. Email: Please enter a valid email address. Please enter a valid email address. Please enter your email. Subject: Please enter a subject Please enter a subject. For you, early contractions may feel quite painless or mild, or they may feel very strong and intense. Typically, real labor contractions feel like a pain or pressure that starts in the back and moves to the front of your lower abdomen.
Unlike the ebb and flow of Braxton Hicks, true labor contractions feel steadily more intense over time. During true labor contractions your belly will tighten and feel very hard. Some moms-to-be liken these contractions to menstrual cramps.
Unlike Braxton Hicks, true labor contractions come at regular intervals and get closer together in time. Look out for other early signs of labor too, like your water breaking.
As your labor progresses, contractions can feel more painful, and you may also experience pressure in your lower back and rectum. It is a good idea to discuss options for comfort measures during labor with your healthcare provider ahead of time. For example, some moms-to-be choose pain medication like an epidural and others opt for non-medicated relief — or a combination of both.
Take our quiz on labor pain relief to tell us more!
0コメント