What are the pains during contractions before childbirth: what can be compared with, how to relieve?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Many women who experience pregnancy for the first time are worried that they will not be able to determine in time exactly when labor begins. Therefore, some sensations in the last days of the term can greatly frighten them. What are the pains during contractions before childbirth? How to distinguish false contractions from those that just precede the appearance of the baby? What does it feel like.

It is desirable for any future mother to have an idea about all this, and in advance in order to avoid stress. And from the latter, as you know, nothing good can be expected. One thing is for sure - everything is purely individual: someone experiences severe pain, while others can endure it.

What are contractions?

To begin with, let's delve a little into the essence of this phenomenon in order to understand what contractions are in general. And let's start, perhaps, with a small anatomical introduction, namely with the cervix. In fact, this is a muscular ring and in its usual state it is closed around the pharynx of the reproductive organ. It radiates a smooth muscle structure,which forms the walls of the uterus.

With the approach of the term of childbirth, the fetal pituitary gland, together with the placenta, begins to produce special substances that provoke the onset of labor (for example, the hormone oxytocin). Under their influence, the cervix begins to open up to 10-12 cm.

The reproductive organ shrinks in volume, which leads to an increase in intrauterine pressure. At the same time, under the influence of hormones, the cervix either relaxes or opens due to weak and strong contractions. So the body prepares for the birth of a child. This explains why pain during contractions is felt to varying degrees. In other words, a contraction is a wave-like contraction of the muscular structure of the genital organ.

Snail visualization

Crawling snail visualization can be used to more accurately represent muscle movements. Everyone has certainly seen such a picture, at least on TV. A wave passes along its sole, starting from the tail and towards the head, which occurs due to tensing muscles. This pushes the snail forward.

Almost the same thing happens with the uterus: not all of it tenses at the same time. The upper part of the organ is more "muscular", it is she who squeezes the fetal bladder. The latter puts pressure on the lower part of the uterus, where there are fewer muscles, and it does not shrink, but stretches. At the same time, the cervix is the weak link of this entire “system”, therefore it experiences the greatest pressure from the fetal bladder, which leads to its opening.

Worth itkeep in mind that no woman can keep the contractions under control, however, she can lead the attempts, where the muscles of the perineum, abdominal wall, including the diaphragm, take part. It is for this reason that midwives ask the expectant mother to push or hold back for a few seconds.

Compare the pain of contractions to what?

During the period when the reproductive organ is strained or stretched, the blood flow to its muscle structures is blocked.

In addition, there is pressure on the nerve endings that go to the uterus. Actually, this determines the nature of the sensations experienced by a pregnant woman. The pain may be dull or irregular (that is, it may occur intermittently). But what is characteristic, each expectant mother perceives these sensations in her own way. It all depends on the location of the child, the uterus, and also on how strongly the nerve endings are compressed.

And how does the stomach hurt during contractions during attempts? The process of moving a child along the birth canal is perceived by all women in the same way. Discomfort is felt in the vagina, rectum, perineum, and the nature of the pain is quite sharp.

That's why many women find these bodily reactions unsettling. Is it true that contractions have begun or is this a sign of some kind of disease? There will be no reason to panic if you have at least some idea of the process.

Start

The beginning of the first contraction falls on the upper point of the reproductive organ, gradually, slowly, it spreads to all its muscle structures. Feels like it's likethe way the fibers get taut, but then everything loosens. Moreover, the first appearance of such “symptoms” is usually not accompanied by pain, but rather a manifestation of discomfort.

Some women still experience pain in the lumbar region at the start of contractions. This is mainly due to the location of the child: his face is facing the spine, and he moves with the back of the head. For those girls who are pregnant for the first time, this can be a little scary, but experienced women will not confuse this condition with anything else.

As a rule, in this period of pregnancy relief during labor pains in the abdomen are not strong and do not cause much concern to women. Therefore, it is better to just relax and unwind before the upcoming process. But the birth of a child requires the application of forces from the mother, and sometimes considerable. And how quickly the birth will proceed depends largely on the woman herself.

Those representatives of the beautiful half of humanity who experience difficulties regarding contractions should adopt their character:

• First appearing, then they pass with a certain regularity.
• Over time, the interval between contractions decreases.
• Pain begins to gradually increase.

These signs indicate that labor pains have begun, this is not a symptom of any disease. In this case, the main feature is the regularity of the appearance of sensations. The first contractions can take place with an interval of 30 minutes,subsequently it is reduced.

What hurts during contractions before childbirth?

Feelings that a pregnant woman experiences in the very last hours before delivery are more intense and lasting. At first, they are light and short-lived, but then they increase, become more intense, longer, and for some women they turn out to be painful at all.

Immediately before the birth itself, the duration of contractions is about 60 seconds with short intervals. Many mothers feel the attempts, and they have a desire to visit the toilet as soon as possible. According to many women, these sensations cannot be confused with anything: there is a feeling that a watermelon will eventually be born.

Other women who are interested in what hurts during contractions before childbirth, noticed the "stone" of the uterus during labor. This condition is easily palpable, just put your hand on your stomach. But besides this, immediately before the onset of the birth process, women may experience pain in the lumbar region and lower abdomen.

The birth process

What does a woman experience during childbirth? During this period, contractions become more rapid and intense. These sensations are the most painful, although some women claim that they experienced only discomfort, but there was no severe pain. Something like period pain.

In the process of resolving from pregnancy, pain during contractions will in any case be present in all women, since this is inevitable inthe strength of the physiological characteristics of the birth process. This should not be regarded as a pathology, it is a normal reaction.

During the birth of a baby, the contractions get "maximum momentum", and when the cervix is fully dilated, one contraction is quickly replaced by another. The periods of relaxation become almost imperceptible. Often, under the influence of emotions, a woman does not notice them at all: it seems to her that each subsequent fight begins immediately after the previous one. In reality, there are gaps, but they are fleeting.

With strong contractions, a woman begins to feel attempts. This indicates the final stage of childbirth (exile). Pain in the lower abdomen and lower back is reduced, and all pain is now transferred to the perineum.

Chest pain

This is another answer that it hurts with contractions during childbirth. Many expectant mothers begin to experience discomfort in the chest, being in position or before the birth itself. There is no need to worry about this, as this is normal. It is worth worrying when there is no pain in the chest at all. This may indicate the development of a pathology of a latent nature or indicate a different he alth problem.

By the end of pregnancy, the breast increases, and noticeably, due to the growth of glandular tissue. The pain itself is caused by stretching of the skin and capsules inside the chest. In addition, pain can be caused by the formation of milk ducts and a slight increase in the nipples. Typically, some womensoreness occurs already at the beginning of pregnancy, while others begin to experience these sensations only before childbirth.

As for the intensity of chest pain, it is usually tolerable and does not cause much concern. Also, these sensations are due to the formation of colostrum, and the body itself is preparing for the birth of the baby. In the absence of breast pain, there is a chance that colostrum is not produced and subsequently the baby will not receive full breastfeeding.

False contractions

Thinking about what kind of pain during contractions before childbirth, it is worth considering the presence of this type of contraction. However, they can appear during physical activity or with a sharp movement. Toward the end of pregnancy, they increase.

It should be borne in mind that changes in hormonal levels begin immediately after fertilization of the egg and continue throughout the entire period of bearing a child. In this regard, uterine contractions can begin long before childbirth. Thus, the reproductive organ itself and the cervix are preparing for the upcoming birth of the baby. But these are not yet the contractions that precede childbirth, this is rather a preparatory stage. Such contractions are called Braxton-Hicks contractions, false contractions, or training contractions.

Distinguishing Features

Those women who have already gone through the path of pregnancy and are now expecting the birth of a new child already know what is at stake and can easily distinguish false contractions from real contractions. These feelings cannot be confused with anythingdifferent. But what about those for whom pregnancy is the first experience, because they have no idea what kind of pain during contractions before childbirth? You can’t run headlong to the clinic every time with any unpleasant symptom.

First you need to rely on your own feelings:

• Training contractions are always painless, in extreme cases, a woman may experience discomfort in the form of sensations of a pulling or aching nature. You can feel how the uterus contracts, and the contractions are localized in the upper or lower abdomen with a return to the groin.
• Pain is localized only in one area and does not affect the lower back and other parts of the body.
• Arise, as a rule, unexpectedly, and then gradually subside. Often this happens in the evenings or at night, when a woman is in a relaxed state. But sometimes discomfort can be felt after physical exertion or stressful situations.
• Training bouts last no more than a minute and besides, the interval of their appearance is not uniform. The number of their appearance is also different: you can observe up to 6 times, both within one hour and throughout the day.

In this regard, the surest way to distinguish real contractions from false ones is to fix their duration and frequency.

Besides the lack of increasing intensity, they are repeated in a chaotic manner, that is, a clear sequence is completely excluded.

What can be done?

We are alreadyfigured out what kind of pain during contractions before childbirth, now is the time to find out how women alleviate their condition. When real contractions appear, it is worth preparing for the birth of a child, and until such time as they become regular, it's time to do personal hygiene, notify relatives about the next event and get ready for the maternity hospital.

When the contractions have already become permanent, in between them it is better to walk or lie on your side (but not on your back) or take a sitting position, periodically changing your position.

Actions to avoid during contractions:

• take a horizontal position;
• eat;
• lure drugs;
• put pressure on the hip joint.

In case of deterioration, with the appearance of bloody discharge, dizziness, you should immediately go to the maternity ward. It's best to call an ambulance. The main thing at this time is to avoid worries, make informed decisions, watching your own condition and your child.

There is no way to determine exactly when you need to go to the hospital. Nevertheless, if the interval between contractions has decreased to 7-10 minutes, you should not hesitate any longer - the time for childbirth has come, and you need to get to the maternity ward as soon as possible.

Breathing technique

How to relieve the pain of labor pains? To do this, it is worth mastering a simple breathing technique. At the same time, a woman can not only relax, but also supply her body and the child with a sufficient amount ofoxygen. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the opening of the cervix of the uterus.

Unfortunately, many expectant mothers are skeptical about this really useful technique. In the lessons of the school for preparing expectant mothers for childbirth for a period of 30 to 32 weeks, women are taught breathing techniques that will make it easier for them to endure the very process of having a baby. At the same time, it is necessary to master it so that subsequently everything is done automatically.

Setting up the correct breathing depends on the intensity of contractions and their phase. The main thing is to observe one important rule - the stronger and longer the contractions, the more frequent the breath. How to relieve pain during contractions:

• Breathe deeply and slowly. This technique is relevant during the latent phase of contractions, when contractions cause only discomfort and are not accompanied by pain. Inhalations are made short and fast, followed by a slow and long exhalation. At the same time, inhalations are made through the nose, and exhalations through the mouth (lips should be pulled into a tube). It is better to keep count - inhale to 3, and exhale to 5.
• "Candle". The technique is suitable when the contractions have gained their intensity and become long. In this case, you should breathe often and superficially. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth (pulling out the lips). That is, breathing should be done in the same way as blowing out a candle if necessary. To end contractions, you can apply the method above (deep and slow breathing). The appearance of mild dizziness is associated with hyperventilation of the lungs. Moreover, as this technique isthe body produces endorphins, which helps to reduce pain.
• "Big Candle". The technique boils down to the following: inhale through a stuffy nose, and exhale through almost closed lips. This is recommended to be done by the end of the first stage of labor.
• Early pushing. At this time, the head is already beginning to descend, but the cervix has not yet been fully opened. How to reduce pain during contractions in this case? You should change position - stand up or squat down. At the beginning of the contraction, breathe in a "candle". Apply the technique until the end of the fight. Breathe freely between contractions.
• "Doggy" - breathe also often and superficially (as in the "candle" method), but through the mouth, as dogs usually do.
• Technique in attempts. At the very beginning, attempts to take a maximum breath and push "into the perineum", making efforts to advance the child. Just do not need to push "in the face", otherwise you cannot avoid rupture of the retinal vessels and headache. In this case, during one fight, you should push three times. With the advent of the head, the attempts should be stopped, breathing in the “doggie” style. Next, the midwife will tell you when to start pushing again. As a result, the child appears completely.

After the baby is born, the afterbirth (placenta with umbilical cord) should come out.

When it separates from the walls of the reproductive organ, the pain may resume, but its intensity is not as strong as at the beginning of labor. In this case, special effortsit is not necessary to apply, it is enough to push slightly, and the afterbirth will leave the uterus.