Contractions: what are they?

During pregnancy, every girl has time to experience a number of discomforts caused by this condition. Excess weight, swelling, heartburn and toxicosis - perhaps the most innocuous of them. But almost everyone is afraid not so much of these manifestations of the birth of a new life, as of the last stage - the birth. Perhaps all is heard about the painfulness of this process. However, the most generic activity is often preceded by a fairly long period - fights. What they are, let's talk in more detail.

Battles themselves are painful contractions of the uterus, which usually precede the appearance of a baby. They announce the beginning of labor activity, and usually begin about 12 hours before delivery. They feel like the beginning of menstruation, and therefore girls, whose manifestations of the beginning of the cycle themselves are quite painful, the bouts will not seem painful. Some do not notice them at all. To others, they bring a lot of unpleasant sensations that can not be prevented - because this process is involuntary and uncontrolled. But this is not yet a complete list of what fights are like.

The first unpleasant sensation in the uterus may appear in pregnant girls for another 30-32 weeks. This is the so-called Braxton-Hicks contraction. They arise because the placenta, as well as the pituitary gland of the baby, secrete specific substances that provoke uterine contractions. For the reason that they do not provoke the onset of labor, they are also called "false labor". What are they usually like? Braxton-Hicks contractions are pronounced in the petrification of the abdomen, stretching the lumbar part of the back or in the lower abdomen. They are irregular and often pass quickly - just lie down for a while, calm down or take a warm bath.

Before the very birth of women, there are so-called precursory fights. What are they like? Variety. They can pass painlessly or with increasing sensations. It is believed that they contribute to shortening the cervix and softening it before giving birth. In general, they are not seen in all women.

What should be the fights, so that the girl understood: it's time to go to the hospital? In the first place - regular. As soon as it becomes clear that the intervals between contractions are contracting, one should already assemble, since the labor activity for women is individualized. Many are waiting for the departure of the "stopper" - a mucous clot that blocks access to the uterus, but this process can not always be tracked. As the contractions intensify, the uterus contracts and contracts, after which the ruptured bladder ruptures - and during the normal course of childbirth, the very process of the child's birth begins. Therefore, it is better not to wait until the water is gone, and when fighting intensifies, contact the hospital.

And most importantly: do not be afraid of pain. Contractions, whatever they are - this is a messenger of the imminent meeting with the future baby. That is why, at their offensive, the best way out will be to relax, not to panic, to try to find a comfortable position and a way of breathing to calmly survive this difficult period.