The female body is an amazingly functional machine, thought out with great care. In order for a woman to be able to bear and give birth to a child, it is radically rebuilt, and then returns to its original state. The expectant mother may not even notice some changes, others are striking at once, and still others can scare even the most balanced person. The latter include training fights. They start suddenly, near the end of the pregnancy, and herald the approach of labor.
Are training contractions dangerous during pregnancy?
It is clear from the definition that such contractions are nothing more than a rehearsal before childbirth. They are needed in order to prepare the woman herself and the organs of her reproductive system for the birth of a baby. After all, they will experience tremendous stress, and childbirth could be unbearable if not for the preparatory contractions. In scientific circles, they are also called Braxton-Hicks contractions - after the British gynecologist who first began to study them.
He was the first to declare that such training is not at all dangerous. The main thing is that a woman can distinguish between training contractions during pregnancy and unhealthy conditions. Moreover, she must understand this on her own, and if the sensations are unnatural, immediately go to the hospital.
How to recognize them
In order not to confuse the preparatory fights with any pathology, you need to know several of their distinctive features:
- During training bouts, the expectant mother feels the tension of the uterus, similar, for example, to the tension of the biceps when lifting weights;
- The abdomen becomes harder to the touch and as if pointed;
- The duration of the contractions is from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, but not more;
- A certain frequency of occurrence: once an hour, once in half an hour or every 20 minutes;
- Contractions usually occur during the day and do not cause severe pain.
When the training bouts begin
Despite the fact that the gestational age as a whole has long been known - 9 full months, every woman starts giving birth in due time: someone at 37, someone at 41 weeks. As for the training fights, the situation with them is even more unpredictable. In addition to the fact that they begin in different women at different times, they also proceed individually for each. Someone throughout the last trimester feels them constantly: sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker, others do not notice them at all.
The earliest start date is 20 weeks. If a woman is very attentive to her condition, then she can feel them, although at this time they are still very weak. But as the fetus grows, the contractions will become more intense, painful, and prolonged. Most women begin to feel them clearly at 32-34 weeks. And in the last days it will be almost impossible to distinguish them from the real ones. This is especially true for primiparous mothers.
In addition, it is believed that evening training contractions are more common than, for example, morning contractions. However, if a woman leads an active lifestyle, then they can appear at any time.
Could they not be?
There is a fairly large category of moms who have never felt training contractions. But this does not mean at all that there were no uterine contractions at all. A lot depends on the woman's attentiveness, on her pain threshold, on the lifestyle and many other factors.
It's all about individual tolerance, and the uterus, in any case, will be prepared for childbirth and strain at regular intervals. It is not uncommon for women who did not feel frequent training contractions before the first birth, feel them during the second pregnancy. Usually they are scared, but this is the norm, and therefore there is no need to worry.
Thus, the absence or presence of these sensations does not affect the course of pregnancy in any way.
Feelings during training contractions
Typically, these contractions are most reminiscent of strong, sudden tension in the abdomen. It appears spontaneously, sometimes increasing, but more often sharply. After a maximum of 2 minutes, everything will return to normal, and then, possibly, it will be repeated several more times after a certain time.
But sometimes, frequent training contractions can be accompanied by severe pain. It is worth remembering that if the pain is acute, prolonged and accompanied by discharge, then you should immediately call the doctor or go to the hospital. But if there are no such symptoms, then you can try to alleviate your condition:
- Change the position of the body. Some experienced moms also advise drinking a glass of water and lying on your left side - this helps the best. Rest is generally the best medicine, and it greatly relieves the pain of training contractions. But if there is no opportunity to lie down, then you need to at least sit down or lean on something;
- Take a warm shower. It relaxes all muscles and helps relieve tension;
- Drink Papaverine or No-Shpu. Antispasmodics can help relieve pain, but they are not advised to be taken on their own without a doctor's recommendation. Not only do these funds interfere with the natural process of preparing for childbirth, but they also, by removing the spasm, can mask any pathology similar to preparatory contractions.
It remains to add that every woman in labor is unique, and there are no recipes that would suit everyone. The best friend of any woman during pregnancy is her doctor, who will tell you in case of uncertainty when training contractions begin and how they go. Therefore, if you have any doubts or questions, it is better to immediately contact him for advice.
A pregnant woman may have contractions a few weeks before the expected due date. Often they are unexpected for the expectant mother, and, mistaking them for ordinary contractions, a woman in a panic rushes to the doctor. These are the so-called Braxton Hicks training fights. They are named after the English physician John Braxton-Hicks, who first described this phenomenon in the late 19th century. In our article, you will learn what training contractions are, when they begin, what symptoms and sensations appear when they occur, and how to distinguish training contractions from real labor contractions.
So what is it? Training contractions are contractions of the smooth muscles of the uterus, during which the cervix does not open, and therefore such contractions do not lead to childbirth. In fact, the uterus of a pregnant woman tenses during the entire pregnancy, which is part of the preparation of the body for the upcoming birth. It's just that in the earlier stages of pregnancy, a woman does not feel these contractions, but when the gestational age is more than 20 weeks, such small contractions become palpable.
Training contractions: symptoms, sensations
The main symptom of training contractions is a feeling of tension in the uterus, as if the uterus were turning to stone. This is due to the fact that part of the muscles of the uterus comes into a state of tension.
How long do the training bouts last? Training contractions are short-term - they last approximately 30-60 seconds. These contractions are irregular and can appear at different intervals: they can occur several times an hour, or they can stretch out to the whole day. A pregnant woman can feel them by placing her hand on her belly.
So when do training contractions start and what might trigger them? The occurrence of training contractions can be influenced by:
- Stress, excitement and emotional overload.
- Physical activity, active fetal movements.
- A full bladder.
- Dehydration of the body.
- Sex can also provoke false contractions, therefore, it is recommended to limit intimate life from the 38th week of pregnancy.
What to do during training bouts?
To avoid the occurrence of training contractions, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- Avoid factors that can provoke contractions: try not to worry, avoid stress, and also limit or even exclude intimate life in late pregnancy;
- Take walks in the fresh air more often in the morning and evening;
- Empty the bladder in time;
- Drink plenty of water.
In the event of training contractions, you can do the following:
- Take a warm shower;
- Relax (listen to calm music and lie on your left side with your eyes closed);
- Breathing exercises will help alleviate the condition. It also increases oxygen supply to the fetus. At the same time, you can practice - breathing exercises will need to be done during childbirth. The most popular breathing techniques are:
- A slow inhalation at the moment of tension of the uterus, alternates with a deep exhalation.
- Inhale slowly and deeply through the nose, then exhale sharply and briefly through the mouth, as if blowing out a candle.
- Respiration is rapid and shallow, like a dog's. Similarly, it is not recommended to breathe for more than 30 seconds.
When to see a doctor?
- If the contractions become painful, with increasing pain;
- If there is a pulling pain in the lumbar region;
- If they become intense and frequent;
- If the water has moved away or you notice its leakage;
- If bloody discharge appears or an abundant thick mucous plug begins to recede;
- The intensity of fetal movement has become less frequent.
How to distinguish training contractions from labor contractions?
So how can you recognize training contractions? They have a number of distinctive features:
- Training contractions are poorly expressed, they gradually decrease and, finally, disappear on their own. During labor pains, their intensity increases and they become more painful.
- During training contractions, the tension of the muscles of the uterus is local in nature, that is, it is concentrated in one place (for example, in the upper part of the uterus or in the lower abdomen), and with real labor contractions, the uterus is completely tense. In addition, during training contractions, the pain does not radiate to the lumbar region.
- Braxton Hicks contractions are irregular and irregular (less than 6 contractions per hour). Labor pains are rhythmic and regular. They are constantly growing, becoming longer, and the intervals between them are shorter.
- Training contractions stop when the position of the body changes. And during labor pains, a change in body position does not affect their intensity.
Why do women come to the hospital shouting "I am giving birth!" And then calmly go home? It's all the fault of the training fights. They are able to confuse an inexperienced mother and send her on a cruise to the hospital and back several times a month. Let's figure out what training contractions of the uterus are and how to behave with them.
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general information
Medicine cannot give an absolutely firm answer to the question, what is it - training fights? There is only a theory that no one can refute, as well as to prove: this preparing the body for future childbirth.
The Briton Braxton-Hicks, being a gynecologist, was the founder of this theory and was the first to suggest that all the false urges that a woman experiences, but does not give birth as a result, are nothing more than a test of the body.
Training contractions as a medical term, with its light presentation, came into use and got their second name - Braxton-Hicks contractions.
Not all women experience this condition.
Some first hear about it from their girlfriend, who gave birth two years later, some encounter them already in the second trimester, some simply do not know how to identify them. The reason for this spread in time has not been explained by science. There are only bare facts. Theoretically, the process is explained by the individual characteristics of the body of each individual woman.
Someone is very sensitive, someone has been involved in sports for a long time and persistently, someone has a low / high pain threshold, which is a pregnancy, can also affect the sensations and behavior of the body. It is not worth waiting with a shuddering heart when these same training fights will come. They will come - it will be clear. If they don't come - less nerves. On the process of gestation and childbirth, the presence or absence does not affect.
Real data
It is worth talking about the specific numbers that, over many years of practice, obstetrician gynecologists have systematized and derived a certain scheme.
What week does the training fight start? The earliest time a woman can feel a contraction is 20 weeks of pregnancy... Doctors recorded seizures at the 6th week of pregnancy, but the woman was not able to feel them at this time.
How long before delivery does the training contraction start? False labor often occurs towards the end of the third trimester.
After 38 weeks, the baby is considered fully term and viable. During this period, training contractions that have not been stopped can turn into prenatal contractions.
It's too early to panic. It is necessary to write down the intensity of the contractions on a piece of paper, call the leading gynecologist or an ambulance and dictate the data. Then the doctors will figure it out.
How long do the training bouts last? The duration of one contraction may fluctuate within 30 seconds to 2 minutes... Writing down numbers in a notebook, you should calculate the time between contractions. Depending on how long the contractions and intervals last, the specialist will be able to determine whether they are false or prenatal.
How exactly do the training bouts take place? The uterus tightens and the abdomen becomes very hard. Relaxation occurs after a maximum of 2 minutes.
How often do seizures occur? The norm is considered to be a maximum of 12 seizures per day.
Differences
What is the difference between prenatal and training contractions? The sensations and intensity are completely different.
Important! How to understand what primiparous have: symptoms and signs
When prenatal contractions begin, the following is observed:
- an increase in the duration of one bout;
- reduced time between contractions;
- increased pain with each contraction;
- pain is felt not only in the uterus, but also in the lower back.
False similar phenomena should not be observed.
The following signs are characteristic of false ones:
- irregularity;
- different time intervals between contractions;
- short duration in time;
- sensations are concentrated exclusively in the area of \ u200b \ u200bthe location of the uterus.
The closer the due date, the more noticeable the seizures may be, but not necessarily. How to determine 100% that labor has begun? Along the cervix. - another characteristic feature of the onset of labor. But only a specialist can see and state this. The woman in labor herself is not able to understand what is happening for purely physiological reasons. Asking for a husband / mother / sister / girlfriend, etc. "Look" is useless. A person who is far from obstetrics will not understand anything.
When to see a doctor
You should immediately contact a specialist in situations when training fights begin and a woman observes a number of certain signs:
- a sharp increase in the volume of discharge;
- bloody impurities in the discharge;
- pain, nausea, dizziness;
- one or more symptoms of prenatal labor.
Note! If, together with false seizures with secretions, cork particles come out, it means that you will soon give birth.
If moved away or begins to drain water- bags in hand and an ambulance to the hospital. It is not recommended to travel by private transport, because rapid childbirth may begin.
This is a purely individual process that is difficult to predict, and only doctors can respond correctly.
Are you having a spasm and two weeks before giving birth? Worried that they started ahead of schedule? It's early to run to the hospital. You can relieve tension at home and continue carrying your child.
Contractions are a muscle spasm, nothing more. There are some easy ways relieve tension from any muscle, including the uterus:
- warm shower. Warm water is always relaxing. It can be inconvenient to take a bath because of a large belly, or it is contraindicated, and a shower is always allowed for everyone;
- change of position. This refers to the need to change the current state of a particular muscle. If she is relaxed (the woman is lying) - get up and walk around. If tense - lie down / sit down;
- antispasmodics. This is an extreme case, not always recommended by experts. First, prenatal contractions can be overlooked. Secondly, the body will get used to react sluggishly, and childbirth will be very difficult.
One of the popular methods of dealing with uterine contractions, both at home and in the hospital, is breathing. Many people say that if breathe correctly during labor pains and pushing - it will become easier. It may help to fully follow the midwife's instructions, but not always the woman in labor has the opportunity to listen carefully and follow the instructions. Nevertheless, you need to try. It is distracting. When trying to focus on what and when the air is inhaled, under certain circumstances, you can be distracted and forget about what is happening for a couple of minutes. Sometimes it saves.
Three powerful breathing techniques:
- candle. Slowly inhale air through your nose, and then exhale sharply with your mouth, folding your lips with a tube, as if blowing out a candle;
- during a contraction, exhale slowly, and in between, inhale deeply and quickly;
- Like a dog. Short in and out breaths, shallow and frequent. Do not use for more than 30 seconds - dizziness will begin.
It is recommended to just ignore it. Easy to say but not easy to do. Alternatively, you can do your household chores - load the washing machine, rearrange food in the refrigerator, dust off the shelves - the body will switch from moral concentration to physical concentration automatically. You can immerse yourself in a computer game. This is a great way to disconnect from reality.
Causes of occurrence
The uterus, like any muscle, reacts to "stimulus" with tension... Accordingly, the causes of false seizures can be any physical effects on the uterus or the psychological state of a woman:
- sexual intercourse, in particular orgasm;
- physical exercise;
- child;
- dehydration;
- full bladder;
- external factors.
Physical activity during pregnancy is a relative concept. In this case, overactiveness is meant.
General cleaning with a vacuum cleaner in one hand and a mop in the other is a living example of this.
The baby in the mother's belly kicks, kicks and pushes. It is quite natural that after the next poke, the uterus can contract sharply.
Constantly stroking the belly, feeling it, trying to hear what is happening in it is insanely cute, but the body does not always like it.
Even a banal turn on the other side is enough for an attack.
Important! Lack of fluid in the body causes many unpleasant reactions. The uterus presses on the bladder, the bladder presses on the uterus, as a result, muscle contraction occurs.
Useful video: training contractions
Output
The emotional state of a pregnant woman is an amazing phenomenon. A woman can even convince herself to give birth “right today and right here,” and this is medical practice, not myths. Strong excitement and emotional changes can easily provoke not only training, but also labor pains. Therefore, at the deadline, it is recommended to remain titanic calm. The main thing is not to be afraid and to talk. Asking your gynecologist about everything and always writing down his answers - nobody canceled absent-mindedness. Then both false contractions and childbirth will not be a sudden surprise, and all actions will be performed on time and correctly. you can find out from the link.
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Pregnancy is probably the happiest period in the life of every woman. At this time, she gets acquainted not only with new sensations, but also with basic medical concepts. For example, in the last weeks of pregnancy, every woman has to deal with training contractions, which are called Braxton Hicks contractions. They got this name due to the fact that the first doctor who described them was John Braxton-Hicks from England. And since the 19th century, when it became known about them for the first time, they bear his name.
What are these contractions? Such contractions occur when the uterus begins to prepare for childbirth. Of course, there are exceptions and such contractions are not observed in the expectant mother, but most women still experience these harbingers.
At the same time, as your tummy grows, so does your baby. And the less time remains for the long-awaited meeting, the more often thoughts about the upcoming birth arise. Especially if the pregnancy is the first, then there are several times more emotions. And also, when there are only a few weeks left before childbirth, women begin to catch every change in their bodies and with every new sensation they are ready to say that childbirth has begun.
But those who have already given birth begin to tell that the beginning of labor is simply impossible to miss and when the contractions begin, the pregnant woman will immediately understand everything. But despite this, women quite often come to the hospital much earlier than the due time. And such situations are mainly due to training contractions.
When the training bouts begin
The first training contractions can begin after 20 weeks, but do not be afraid that something is wrong. This is a completely correct process and an integral part of pregnancy. After all, they are just training. During such contractions, a significant tension of the muscles of the uterus is felt at some frequency. They are very similar to short bouts of 30-60 seconds in length. These contractions are practically painless and do not cause discomfort. In addition, they differ from real ones by irregularity, pain exclusively in the lower abdomen and disappear over time.Few know that the uterus trains and prepares for childbirth throughout pregnancy. Only in the early stages, these contractions are not felt at all. But after 20 weeks, you can clearly feel them. They look like mild spasms and the uterus becomes very hard. Quite often, it is these sensations that a woman confuses with the real onset of labor and begins to run to the hospital.
How to recognize training contractions
The main difference between these fights is regularity. If during real contractions the intervals between them are equal and gradually decrease, while the pain grows in the meantime, then during training this is not. When the uterus is exercising, the woman may experience several contractions, which are quite weak and do not bring much discomfort. They can go through different periods of time, and maybe through the same, but then they will subside.Most often, such contractions are clearly audible in the evening or at night. When the body is completely relaxed, a woman can effortlessly hear mild tensions and contractions of the uterus.
It is also worth considering the fact that real contractions can be along with seizures, lack of appetite, or even diarrhea. Learn more about the differences between training and real fights.
How long do the training bouts last?
The fact that it is too early to get ready for the maternity hospital can be understood by how long the contractions last. Training contractions can be from a few seconds to two minutes. It is important to remember that the closer the delivery is, the more often such contractions can occur and at the same time, their duration will not increase.It is also worth considering that some women completely do not pay attention to uterine contractions as they feel them. But if, all the same, training fights are very unpleasant for you, then you need to occupy yourself with something in order to distract yourself from unpleasant emotions and sensations. And by the time they start you need to learn to understand your body. This will greatly help not only during pregnancy, but also during childbirth.
To calculate the number of contractions, their duration and frequency, you can use our program WE COUNT FRAMES, which will help you decide when you need to go to the hospital.
What to do during training bouts?
First of all, don't worry. It should be remembered that the closer to childbirth, the more intense they can become. But when they are accompanied by lower back pain, vaginal discharge appears, and the number of contractions exceeds four per hour - this means that you can safely collect things and go to the hospital.
There are several reasons why training contractions may start. For example, great physical activity, the child's activity and a stressful situation for the mother. There are times when Braxton Hicks contractions can begin even with a light touch of the abdomen. Knowing about the reasons that cause such contractions, you can easily avoid them. Some of the doctors believe that this is a necessary process that prepares a woman for childbirth, but there are others who claim that the contractions are caused by the maturation of the uterus.
At the first occurrence of training contractions, it is imperative to breathe correctly. There are several ways to properly breathe during contractions. Such knowledge may well be useful in childbirth itself.
- The first method is called economical breathing. This is when you take the deepest possible breath and exhale very slowly.
- The second way is to breathe like a dog: intermittent and very rapid breathing. The most effective way is breathing, when you inhale slowly through your nose and exhale sharply through your mouth.
It is better to hurry to the doctor if, during the contractions of the Braxton-Hicks, spotting appears, water flows away, or pains in the lower back appear, and the child stops moving. But in most cases, such symptoms can occur only at rather late stages of pregnancy and can end either with premature birth or with the observation of a pregnant woman in a hospital until the fetus is fully ripe.
It is very rare that training contractions cause complications in pregnancy. To a large extent, everything ends relatively well for both the woman in labor and the newborn.
But be that as it may, you need to remain calm and understand that training fights are created in order to prepare you and the whole body for the difficult changes that will occur in it and for very hard physical work, which will surely end with joy.
Every pregnant woman looks forward to meeting her baby with trepidation and impatience. And the closer this cherished date of birth approaches, the more attentively it treats 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 as early as the sixth week of pregnancy. Most women begin to feel them only after the middle of pregnancy (20 weeks), and some do not feel them at all. For the first time, false contractions were described by the English physician John Braxton-Hicks in 1872.
What is a pregnant woman experiencing?
As noted earlier, false contractions appear in the earliest stages of pregnancy, but a woman may not feel them. As the pregnancy progresses, the training contractions will appear and the sensations will become brighter and more frequent.
Basically, Braxton Hicks contractions make themselves felt in the evening, when the expectant mother is relaxing 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". Soon the tone disappears and everything becomes as before. False contractions can also occur in the opposite situation - after a little physical activity (on a walk, while shopping).
Causes of occurrence
There are several assumptions that explain the reason for the appearance of training contractions.:
- The appearance of training contractions throughout pregnancy helps to maintain the muscle of the uterus in working order and ensures good blood flow to the placenta;
- False contractions help the body prepare the cervix for the upcoming birth.
Training contractions can be triggered by:
- Touching the stomach;
- Increased activity of the baby in the womb;
- Sex;
- Full bladder.
Differences between Braxton Hicks fights and regular fights
Let's try to figure out what the differences are.
| False contractions | Regular contractions |
| Irregular | Regular |
| There is no definite cyclicality, may appear at any time of the day | Periodic, characterized by a decrease in the interval between contractions and an increase in their duration |
| May occur 1-2 times a day / week, lasting from a few seconds to a minute | Initially, they appear every 20-30 minutes, gradually the time interval decreases to 5-6 minutes. |
| Painless. In rare cases, if contractions bring discomfort (more often it happens closer to the end of pregnancy), then you can get rid of this feeling: by changing the position of the body, walk or, conversely, lie down, perform breathing exercises, take a warm shower. | Very painful, giving the woman significant discomfort |
| The cervix does not open | There is an opening of the cervix and its preparation for childbirth |
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 be very careful about the cramping contractions of the uterus in the following situations:
- If more than 3-4 weeks remain before the expected date of birth (that is, your period is less than 37 weeks of pregnancy), and you feel painful false contractions, then immediately seek medical help;
- If you find yourself having "suspicious" vaginal discharge: it has become thinner or thicker, has acquired a pink or reddish color, then you should immediately call an ambulance;
- If you feel pressure in the pelvic and sacral region, pain in the lumbar region, see your doctor;
- If the baby slows down his movements or, conversely, begins to move intensively.
Conclusion
Additionally Not always the expectant mother can correctly identify false contractions from real ones. And if you are not sure, you are worried about suspicions and doubts, then it is best to see a doctor.
The doctor will conduct an examination, listen to your symptoms and, on the basis of all this, determine what is really happening to you, whether there is a threat or there is no need to worry about trifles. You can ask him the questions you are interested in and get answers to them. So you will feel more confident and calmer.