False contractions during pregnancy: symptoms, how to distinguish from real ones, what to do

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

Every woman who is pregnant is afraid of missing the onset of labor. What happens if contractions start in a dream? The obstetrician-gynecologist faces this question every day. Don't worry, you won't miss a birth. But false contractions during pregnancy are quite common, being the reason for the premature sending of the expectant mother to the hospital. There is no big tragedy in this. She will be examined by a doctor and, if there are still a few days ahead, she will be sent back home. Today we’ll talk about how to recognize false contractions in order to know exactly what is happening to you right now.

All eyes on you

Birth doesn't start all of a sudden. There are a number of harbingers that warn a woman that it is time for her to get ready for the maternity hospital. But false contractions during pregnancy is a training of the muscles of the uterus, which is very useful at a crucial moment. That's whythey start suddenly and end just as quickly. If you pay close attention to yourself, you can easily distinguish between these two phenomena.

Harbingers of childbirth

You can laugh, but one of the surest symptoms is the so-called nesting syndrome. A few days before the birth, an irresistible desire appears to wash the apartment, wipe the shelves for the tenth time, and iron the things prepared for the baby. This, better than all other signs, suggests that you will soon go to the hospital. The fact is that shortly before childbirth, the body begins to change the hormonal background. We cannot feel it, but the brain receives this information and gives a signal. We need to build a nest, soon the baby will appear.

There are a number of more specific signs of approaching labor:

• Profuse vaginal discharge.
• Slight weight loss.
• Lack of appetite.
• Loose stools.
• Sagging belly.
• Outflow of amniotic fluid.
• Release of the mucous plug.

If you feel cramping against the background of these signs, then you need to call an ambulance. Now let's take a closer look at what false contractions are during pregnancy.

Spawn time

Someone first feels training contractions long before birth. Others, on the contrary, do not even have time to get acquainted with such a phenomenon. In fact, the woman simply does not notice them. These rhythmic contractions occur from time to time onthroughout pregnancy. They usually become noticeable after the 20th week.

False contractions during pregnancy are a short-term increase in uterine tone. She tenses up, becomes firm. But you do not feel much contraction and pulling pain, as when opening the neck. In the early stages, a woman simply does not notice them, busy with daily activities or work.

Main symptoms

False contractions during pregnancy can be subjectively perceived in different ways. Someone will call them painful, others, on the contrary, almost imperceptible. Most often, these are painless contractions that are chaotic, unsystematic. They represent a short-term contraction of the muscles of the uterus. The duration is usually short: from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The contraction of the muscles of the uterus is felt as an increase in tone. Usually, the larger the fetus, the brighter the symptoms of false contractions during pregnancy.

What are they for

To do this, you need to remember a little physiology. What is a uterus? This is a muscle bag, into the wall of which the embryo is implanted and remains in its cavity until birth. Contractions before childbirth are needed in order to open the cervix and release the baby into the birth canal. What are false contractions for?

No, this is not a symptom of preterm labor or spontaneous abortion. This is a normal physiological phenomenon, which is a muscle training. If she does not work for a long nine months, she will not cope with her task on the day of birth. The purpose of such training is to prepare the cervix and uterus for childbirth. And it doesn't matter if a woman has a first child or a third. On the contrary, subsequent pregnancy is characterized by more intense training, which is very noticeable from the 30th week.

Reasons for appearance

In addition to physiology, there are also external conditions that stimulate the appearance of false contractions. In response to a change in the activity of the mother, the uterus reacts with another muscle contraction. This is normal, because everything in the body is interconnected. So, the reason for the appearance or intensification of contractions can be:

• Maternal physical activity.
• Heavy physical activity of the baby.
• Strong excitement and stress.
• Bladder fullness.
• Dehydration.
• Sex. No, this does not mean that you need to give up intimate relationships. On the contrary, semen contains hormones that soften the cervix, make it more elastic.

False contractions last month

The contractions before childbirth are getting stronger. Often at this time even the opening of the pharynx is observed. But, of course, the woman herself cannot verify this. Only a specialist is able to examine it on a chair and assess the degree of disclosure. But this is not required. If you still feel only short-term tension in the abdomen and nothing more, then there is no reason to worry. In multiparous, false contractions in the last weeks can lead to dilatation by one to four centimeters. This does not prevent you from reaching the deadline that nature has measured. Moreover, you don't evenYou will guess before entering the maternity hospital. As you know, in order to release the baby's head, the cervix must open 10 centimeters.

Fake contractions before childbirth are a dress rehearsal that has an important mission. They are necessary in order to prepare the cervix, as they contribute to its softening and shortening. Previously, when there was no ultrasound diagnostics, strong false contractions in the last weeks of pregnancy were considered a sign of imminent labor.

Main differences

The most difficult question is how to distinguish false contractions from real ones. Even experienced women who have already given birth sometimes cannot answer it accurately. Let's take a look at the distinguishing features that will help you get your bearings:

• The muscles of the uterus with false contractions tighten for 30-60 seconds. At the same time, there is no pulling sensation, as before childbirth, there is no pain.
• In childbirth, a woman often feels a certain hopelessness. With the onset of labor pains, the body understands that there is no escape, you need to go through it. Now there is no such thing. Even if the “stone” stomach causes discomfort, it is static. The sensations do not increase, but simply gradually fade away.
• Brexton Hicks contractions are irregular, irregular and unpredictable. It is this property of theirs that allows you to quickly understand what is happening to you now.
• A woman with false contractions feels the upper or lower abdomen contract, but the pain is not girdle, as with real contractions.
• The fight starts unexpectedly andintense, and slowly fade away. Labor pains, on the contrary, gradually seem to flare up.

Workouts for the uterus and for mom

Since it is easiest to distinguish false contractions from real ones in dynamics, then, having felt them, it is best to stand up and walk around a bit. This is a great opportunity to practice breathing exercises. If you're taking pre-maternity courses, you've probably already learned basic breathing rhythms:

• During the contraction, slowly exhale, and at the end of the deep entry.
• Doggystyle - when the contractions are very intense and you need to provide oxygen. Breathing is shallow and rapid, the way one usually breathes at the peak of a contraction.
• We take a deep breath through the nose, and then exhale sharply and quickly through the mouth.

False contractions will be the platform for mastering practical skills. The sensations of each woman will be different in intensity, so it is difficult to rely on someone else's experience. The main thing is not to panic, but to try to explore your new state. To do this, stand up and walk a little. The muscle spasm will ease up a bit and you will feel better.

If you ask your doctor how to identify false contractions, he will also recommend walking a little or taking a shower. If the feeling of tension is gone, then it was them. For some mothers, simply changing the position of the body helps. Perhaps the tension of the uterus is associated with an uncomfortable position of the body. Breathing exercises and relaxation are also very helpful.

When to See a Doctor

The training contractions themselves are common and not dangerous. But if alarming signs appear against their background, it is better to consult a doctor. What can be included:

• Pain in the lower back or lower spine.
• Lots of watery vaginal discharge.
• Bleeding.
• The waters broke.
• The baby has not shown signs of activity for a long time.

If everything is fine, the specialist will examine you and send you back home. Nothing wrong with that. You can contact the consultation or the examination room of the maternity hospital.

Last weeks of pregnancy

It is during this period that a woman begins to pay close attention to her condition, taking any change for an approaching birth. Frequent false contractions in the 39th week of pregnancy can indeed be a harbinger of an emergency trip to the hospital, especially considering that the maximum duration of pregnancy is 42 weeks.

First of all, do not panic if you feel that the stomach is tense. All you need now is one thing. Take a piece of paper and write down the time when the contraction started and when it ended. Now you can go on with your business. If after a while the second one starts, repeat the recording procedure. Usually the third fight, which began after an equal period of time, already speaks of cyclicity. So, not far off and childbirth.

First and second pregnancies

Is it changingthe course of false contractions depending on whether the first child is carried by the mother? Yes, most women note that with one baby they hardly noticed them, and with another, the contractions were very painful. And sometimes it does not depend on what kind of pregnancy was on the account. Most often, false contractions in multiparous women are more intense, but the second child is often larger than the first. But the subjectivity of describing one's own feelings complicates the task of doctors.

The easiest way to tell false contractions from labor is to measure their duration. They are too long for the first real contraction, which lasts no more than a few seconds. It is safe to answer the question of how long false contractions last. Standard duration - from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Labor pains reach this duration approximately by the end of the first phase, that is, already before the expulsion of the fetus.

The birth of a new life

Real contractions are difficult to confuse with something. Unlike false ones, in which tension in the muscles of the uterus is simply felt, here you will have to face increasing intensity and soreness. Moreover, contractions are concentrated not only in the stomach. At the same time, it breaks the lower back, pain and cramps appear. Gradually, the interval between contractions decreases, and the pain of the process increases.

Painful false contractions at 40 weeks of gestation may well turn into labor. Therefore, you need to know the main differences:

• If you stand up and walk around, then false contractions stop, and true contractions intensify.
• False contractions irregular,unlike generic ones, which immediately proceed with a certain cyclicity.
• False contractions begin with maximum intensity, which then weakens. Labor pains, on the contrary, are short at first, and then the intensity increases.
• In case of false contractions, only the stomach “hardens”, and during labor, the pain is girdle, it also captures the lower back.

If you are not sure about the nature of the contractions, if the water has broken, if you feel pain, then feel free to call an ambulance. It is much better to be vigilant once again, because complications sometimes develop rapidly.

Instead of a conclusion

Pregnancy is a time of waiting for a miracle and hope. Most mothers note that by the end of this period, stress increases. Every day begins with the thought that maybe today my baby will be born. If childbirth begins at the 38th week, the expectant mother sometimes says that the pregnant woman did not even have time to walk properly. Others, on the contrary, cannot wait for the day of birth, but the 38th, 39th, 40th week comes, and the baby is in no hurry to be born. Against the backdrop of such tension, false contractions are an occasion to immediately grab bags and go to the hospital. But doctors advise you to wait a few minutes and evaluate your condition again. If these are false contractions, then you can safely spend a few more days at home. Try to sleep more, soon you will need a lot of strength.