The question of what constitutes contractions worries not only pregnant women, but also girls who are just about to experience the nine-month expectation of a baby. In a broad sense, contractions can be compared with sharp contractions of the muscles in the abdomen, but these sensations differ in some individual nuances.
What are contractions
Contractions can be divided into two categories - prenatal and those that arise directly during childbirth. Contractions of the uterus do not always indicate the beginning of the birth of a child. In medicine, there is such a thing as "false contractions" that can occur in the last months of pregnancy. Pain or pulling sensations in the lower abdomen, as a rule, notify about the opening of the uterus. It is this process that is accompanied by contractions of her muscles and an increase in intrauterine pressure.
At first, contractions may occur at some interval, which is gradually reduced. The uterus narrows and expands, thereby pushing the fetus through the birth canal. After childbirth, the contractions stop.
Feelings during contractions
Contractions can occur with varying degrees of pain. Some women compare this condition with severe toothache, others draw an analogy with menstruation, the third category tries to forget the intolerable pain and not remember it. It is important to note that contractions cannot be summed up in a few sentences. This is an individual process that depends on many factors.
You can relieve pain with preliminary preparation. Special exercises for pregnant women allow you to prepare your muscles for childbirth and learn how to breathe during this process. By controlling her emotional and physical well-being, a woman can greatly reduce pain.
The psychological state during pregnancy plays a very important role in the occurrence of labor pains. If a woman is calm and perceives all the processes taking place with her as natural, then she is able to perceive pain to a lesser extent, while feeling only discomfort. If a girl is in a panic, then this directly affects the increase in pain and an increase in the duration of the contractions.
How to determine the onset of contractions
Contractions can start in several ways. Most women first feel a pulling pain in the back or lower back. Then discomfort appears in the lower abdomen. Gradually, sharp and short-term contractions of the muscles of the uterus appear.
Less commonly, contractions begin immediately in the abdomen. In this case, the woman, most likely, simply did not pay attention to the so-called "harbingers" of childbirth. Most often, this situation occurs if your back often hurts during pregnancy.
False contractions can be distinguished in two main ways. Firstly, the resulting pain or discomfort in the back and abdomen disappears if you just walk a few steps. Secondly, during false contractions, no contractions or changes in the state of the uterus are observed. In any case, all painful sensations must be immediately reported to your doctor. If necessary, you must immediately call an ambulance or go to the hospital.
