How to understand that the uterus is in good shape: a description of the symptoms, possible causes, consultation with a gynecologist, examination and treatment if necessary

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

Almost 60% of pregnant women hear the diagnosis of "uterine tone" already at the first visit to the gynecologist in order to confirm their position and register. This seemingly harmless condition carries certain risks associated with the bearing and development of the fetus. How to understand that the uterus is in good shape, we will tell in our article. We will definitely dwell on the symptoms and causes of this condition, possible methods of its treatment and prevention.

What is uterine tone?

During pregnancy, brief contractions of smooth muscle tissue are normal. This is a completely natural condition, which usually does not cause any discomfort to a woman. So, the uterus contracts during sneezing, laughter, worries, gynecological examination and ultrasoundresearch. As soon as the action of the stimulus stops, the myometrium again assumes a relaxed state.

Throughout pregnancy, the uterus tenses quite often. Up to 12 weeks, muscle contractions are the least intense, which is related to physiology. At this time, the body works to keep the pregnancy and prevent miscarriage. Gradually, the number of contractions increases, and by 20 weeks they may be accompanied by short-term pain. This is due to the preparation of the woman's body for childbirth.

In European countries, such a physiological process does not require special attention from the doctor, unless it is accompanied by symptoms that cause discomfort and indicate serious disorders in the body. In order not to miss them, it is important to know how to understand that the uterus is in good shape. First of all, a woman should be alerted by the fact that the muscular organ is in tension for a long time. This is a dangerous signal that pregnancy and the normal development of the fetus are under threat.

Danger of increased tone during pregnancy

The constant tension of the myometrium can have negative consequences for the expectant mother and fetus. That is why it is important to understand in time that the uterus is in good shape. Both in the first and in the last trimester of pregnancy, the risks of premature termination of pregnancy are quite high.

The danger of increased tone is as follows:

• violation of implantation of the ovum;
• anembryony;
• spontaneous interruptionpregnancy;
• preterm birth;
• hypoxia;
• hypotrophy.

Most often, uterine tone occurs in the early stages of pregnancy. During this period, the tension of the muscular organ can cause rejection of the fetal egg during its implantation. As a result of this, its development will stop and spontaneous miscarriage will occur.

In late pregnancy, uterine tone is usually not a concern. As a rule, it is associated with training bouts of Braxton-Hicks. The uterus is just preparing for childbirth. This explains the periodic muscle contractions.

Tone can not only cause discomfort to the mother, but also lead to a lack of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. In the first case, hypoxia occurs, and in the second - malnutrition or stunting of the child. All this occurs due to clamping of the vessels of the umbilical cord by the uterus, which is constantly in tension. That is why it is so important to diagnose such a condition in a timely manner.

Symptoms of increased uterine tone during pregnancy

Many women doubt whether they can self-diagnose muscle tension. In fact, this is not at all difficult to do, although the symptoms of uterine tone during pregnancy at 14 weeks and at 38 are significantly different. It is important to familiarize yourself with them as early as possible.

Signs of uterine tone in early pregnancy are as follows:

• heaviness in the lower abdomen;
• drawing pains like during menstruation;
• discomfort in the lower back and areasacrum.

In the second and third trimesters, signs of hypertonicity can be as follows:

• involuntary contractions of the abdomen, during which it becomes hard, literally "stone";
• drawing pains in the lower abdomen and lower back.

Pain in the lower abdomen is usually cramp-like.

The above symptoms at any stage of pregnancy may be accompanied by spotting spotting. This sign of muscle hypertonicity requires emergency medical attention. But first you need to try to calm down. In most cases, with timely medical care, pregnancy can be saved.

To the symptoms of uterine tone during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester and in the third, changes in the intensity of fetal movements should be added compared to previous weeks. A woman should also be alerted to the discomfort that occurs during fetal movements, which may be due to a decrease in space for him in the uterus. All suspicions must be immediately reported to the gynecologist.

In medical practice, there are cases when the tone of the uterus is asymptomatic. In this case, the condition can be diagnosed using a gynecological examination or ultrasound.

Reason for condition

If you listen to the symptoms described above, it is easy to understand that the uterus is in good shape during pregnancy. As with other pathologies, the causes of this condition can be varied. FirstIn turn, they are associated with the physiological processes that occur in the body during the period of gestation. But most often it is pathological changes and problems that cause the appearance of symptoms of uterine tone during pregnancy. The reasons for this condition are as follows:

1. Lack of progesterone in the body. In the early stages, a deficiency of the main female hormone responsible for a favorable pregnancy outcome can lead to a disruption in the process of implantation of the fetal egg and spontaneous miscarriage. Similar effects can occur with other hormonal changes in the body.
2. Severe toxicosis. Vomiting often provokes contraction of the muscles of the abdominal cavity and uterus. In this case, it is important to do everything necessary to alleviate the condition of the woman.
3. Anomalies in the development of the uterus. In rare cases, this organ may have a bicornuate or saddle shape, as well as other disorders. All of them interfere with the normal bearing of the fetus or even make it impossible.
4. Rhesus conflict. It occurs when the mother has a negative blood type, and the fetus has a positive one. In this case, the woman's body rejects the child as a foreign body. At this time, hypertonicity occurs.
5. Inflammatory and infectious processes of the genitals or in the uterine cavity. In this case, hypertonicity is often accompanied by other symptoms: discharge, itching, etc.
6. Strong distension of the uterus. This condition occurs with multiple pregnancy, polyhydramnios, large fetus sizes.
7. PsychologicalProblems. Stress has a direct effect on smooth muscle condition.
8. Changes in intestinal motility. With the onset of pregnancy, changes affect not only the reproductive organs, but also other body systems. So, increased gas formation may well cause tension in the uterus.
9. Miscarriages and abortions in the past. Unfavorable outcome of previous pregnancies can adversely affect the state of the present. Women who are at risk need constant monitoring by a gynecologist.

Diagnosis of hypertonicity

To make a correct diagnosis and understand that the tone of the uterus during pregnancy, as with any other changes in the body that are not related to physiological processes, is possible after a preliminary history taking. Medical diagnosis of this condition is carried out in different ways:

1. Gynecological examination. It is carried out by a gynecologist only in the early stages of pregnancy. After 20 weeks, palpation is done through the anterior abdominal wall. In this case, the woman lies horizontally on her back with her legs bent at the knees. This position allows you to relieve tension in the abdominal wall and feel the seal.
2. Ultrasound. This method allows not only to diagnose hypertonicity, but also to establish its degree, as well as which wall of the uterus it affects.
3. Tonusometry. Diagnosis is carried out using special sensors that measure the tone of the uterus. This method is used much less frequently.previous ones, since in most cases it will not be difficult to identify hypertonicity. It is much more difficult to determine the cause of this condition.

It is possible to reveal that the uterus is in good shape, and on your own. But this should be done in the second trimester of pregnancy, when the uterus is located above the level of the navel. How to understand if there is a tone of the uterus? To do this, take a horizontal position on a flat surface, bend your knees and try to relax. After that, with gentle movements, palpate the surface of the abdomen. A hard, especially "stone" stomach will indicate hypertonicity. This is a signal that you need to see a doctor.

How to understand that the uterus is in good shape on ultrasound?

To diagnose hypertonicity, it is enough for a doctor to conduct an examination according to the gestational age. But to confirm their assumptions, the gynecologist most often appoints an ultrasound scan. This is an additional examination that helps to assess the degree of thickening of the muscle layer and the condition of the cervix. According to the results of the ultrasound, the doctor sees whether there is a threat of termination of pregnancy.

The advantage of this method of examination is that it allows you to identify local tone, that is, in certain areas of the uterus. It is this that a woman most often does not feel, while the risk of an unfavorable pregnancy outcome remains.

If the ultrasound reveals that the uterus is in good shape at the 36th week of pregnancy, and the symptoms that bother the woman (pain, spotting) increase, this may indicate the onset of labor. ATin this case, the pregnant woman needs emergency help.

Treatment of increased tone in a pregnant woman

Regardless of how muscle tension was detected - during an ultrasound examination or independently, consultation and examination by a gynecologist are mandatory. Only a doctor can determine how strong the symptoms of uterine tone during pregnancy are. Treatment will depend on this, as well as on the reasons that caused it.

A woman diagnosed with uterine tone is assigned to bed rest. If the stress does not pose a risk to the mother and fetus, treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis.

Traditional therapy includes taking the following medicines:

• "No-shpa";
• "Papaverine";
• "Magnesium B6";
• motherwort tincture.

All these remedies will help relieve muscle spasm, but they will not eliminate the cause of the uterine tone during pregnancy (2nd trimester). The symptoms will reappear after a while. In addition, toxicosis usually lets go by the beginning of the 2nd trimester, which means that it cannot cause spasm of the muscles of the abdominal wall. Therefore, by the end of the 13th week, a woman must pass all tests to detect hormonal disorders and blood to determine the Rh factor.

According to the results, the doctor will prescribe the necessary treatment. If the tone is associated with a lack of progesterone, it is eliminated by taking special medications, but if the tension is formed due to an excess of malehormones, then it is corrected by antipodes. In case of Rhesus conflict, another, but no less effective therapy is prescribed. And it is also worth noting that the sooner a woman goes to the doctor, the sooner she will be prescribed the necessary tests and the cause of this condition will be found. Do not risk your own he alth and the life of your baby.

When is hospitalization needed?

If the tone continues for too long and cannot be removed on an outpatient basis, the doctor will insist on further treatment in the hospital. Despite the fact that most women try to negotiate with the gynecologist not to give them a referral to the maternity hospital, it is worth noting that hospitalization has its advantages:

1. A pregnant woman will 100% comply with her prescribed bed rest. She can no longer be distracted by household chores such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.
2. In the hospital, the woman will be under the supervision of doctors around the clock, who will be able to bring down the intensified spasms in a timely manner, if necessary. In addition, the pregnant woman will not have to guess and try to understand if the tone of the uterus, as she did at home. Regular examinations by doctors will help to detect any changes in a timely manner.

After the causes and symptoms of increased uterine tone during pregnancy are eliminated, we can talk about continuing therapy at home.

And it is also worth noting why it is so important to go to the hospital on time. The fact is that childbirth that began after 28 weekspregnancies are considered premature. And although the child is not yet full-term, you can try to save his life. Therefore, doctors will do their best to make it at least until this period, but even better if it can be extended. But if the tone of the uterus provokes the onset of labor at week 25, gynecologists will take all measures to stop it. Children born at such a period rarely survive or have multiple developmental pathologies in the future.

How to relieve the tone of the uterus at home?

Most women, especially in the case of re-pregnancy, do not rush to the hospital with pulling pains in the abdomen or lower back. Even if they already know how to understand if the tone of the uterus is increased and were able to independently identify its cause, as a rule, expectant mothers first try to remove it on their own. In addition to such medicines as "No-shpa" and "Papaverine", the following actions and exercises will help eliminate the discomfort caused by muscle spasm:

1. Good rest and he althy sleep. According to reviews, the symptoms of uterine tone during pregnancy often appear after intense exertion (cleaning, lifting weights, a busy day). In this case, the woman needs to ensure a good rest. It is important to create conditions so that she can relax. Then the tone will be removed as if by hand.
2. Exercise "cat". The pregnant woman needs to get on all fours, bend her back and raise her head up. After a minute, return to the starting position. Perform 3-4 sets, then take a horizontal position and rest for about an hour. After a while, you need to check that the tone of the uterus is not increased. How to understand this has been described above.
3. Get on all fours with emphasis on the elbows so that the uterus is in limbo. This will remove or reduce hypertonicity.
4. Lower your head down, relaxing the muscles of your face and neck as much as possible. At the same time, you need to inhale and exhale air only with your mouth.

Prevention measures

If you listen to your feelings, it will be difficult to miss the obvious symptoms of uterine tone. And to understand how to eliminate them, consultation with a gynecologist and strict adherence to his appointments will help. Well, in order to completely forget about discomfort during pregnancy, prevention is needed:

• avoid excessive exercise;
• try to resolve any conflicts peacefully, avoid stressful situations;
• adhere to the principles of proper nutrition and daily routine;
• ensure proper rest during the day and he althy sleep at night;
• give up alcohol and smoking even in small doses, it is advisable to do this at the planning stage;
• monitor your weight;
• refuse sexual intercourse in the last weeks of pregnancy;
• wearing a prenatal bandage that will support the uterus and relieve muscle tension.

Such symptoms of uterine tone at 33 weeks of pregnancy, such as pain in the lower back and lower abdomen, are often associated withphysiological processes and preparation for childbirth. But to exclude the possibility of complications and minimize the risk of premature birth, you should consult a doctor. In addition, regular visits to the gynecologist and constant gynecological control will help save the life of the unborn child.