False alarm or X-hour: how to distinguish between training contractions?

In the ninth month, any unusual state of the body can be perceived by a woman as the beginning of labor. Especially if she is pregnant for the first time. In fact, from the 37th week, most pregnant women experience training contractions - a natural contraction of the uterus, which is aimed at preparing the body for the upcoming birth. It is important to know how to distinguish training contractions from real ones. Otherwise, you will put yourself in an awkward position in front of the medical team who came to take you to the maternity hospital or in front of the gynecologist who rushed to you from a warm bed. By learning how to spot training contractions, you can better understand what's going on inside you, connect with your baby, and find peace of mind.

Reasons for increased uterine tone

The uterus is a special organ, hollow inside and having walls consisting of muscle tissue (myometrium). Uterine contractions are a necessary condition for the normal course of labor. If contractions begin long before birth, doctors call this process increased uterine tone, or hypertonicity. There may be several reasons for this:

• stress;
• hormonal imbalances;
• inflammatory processes;
• abortions;
• physical exercise;
• multiple pregnancy, polyhydramnios, large fetus;
• taking certain medications;
• abnormalities of the uterus (endometriosis, fibroids, hypoplasia, bicornuate uterus and reflex);
• bowel dysfunction, unhealthy diet;
• age of the expectant mother (up to 18 years or over 40).

Symptoms of hypertension

Diagnosing hypertonicity does not present any particular difficulties for a specialist. Usually a pregnant woman herself understands that the uterus is under increased tension. These sensations are very obvious and difficult to confuse with something else. However, depending on the stage of pregnancy, symptoms may vary:

• in the first trimester it is pain in the lumbar back, nagging pain in the lower abdomen;
• in the second trimester, the above symptoms are accompanied by heaviness and tension in the uterine area;
• in the third trimester, the abdomen may become denser and even change shape.

False contractions during pregnancy: symptoms

How to understand that you have started training contractions. In fact, to understand this, you just need to remember a few factors that determine this phenomenon:

1. Severe pain occurs in any part of the abdomen - the woman feels as if something is strongly squeezing her uterus.
2. Over the course of an hour, less than 6 such sensations occur.
3. They do not have a specific rhythm or cyclicity; contractions occur suddenly.
4. They stop on their own.

As a rule, all of the above symptoms do not occur until the third trimester. Usually the first false contractions occur at 36 weeks of pregnancy.

Why is this condition dangerous?

In each trimester, the appearance of increased tone requires the supervision of a specialist who, if necessary, will prescribe qualified treatment. In some cases, the condition normalizes on its own, and sometimes hospitalization is necessary to maintain the pregnancy. Particularly dangerous is prolonged tone, which can lead to:

• miscarriage or fetal death in the early stages of pregnancy;
• impaired blood flow in the uterus and placenta, hypoxia and delayed fetal development;
• premature birth.

What is the difference between training contractions and tone?

Uterine tone can also occur in later stages of pregnancy. However, after 32 weeks, regular uterine contractions are already considered normal, which makes it easy to distinguish them from hypertonicity. In this way, the body prepares for the upcoming birth and, as it were, trains. These contractions are called training contractions. These are not full-fledged contractions; when they occur, the cervix does not dilate and they do not lead to the immediate onset of labor. The period of pregnancy in which tone occurs determines how the latter differs from training contractions.

Training contractions are usually short-term in nature, their duration is no more than a minute. They are not regular and last at different intervals.

What to do?

Some women have a hard time with training contractions. It doesn’t matter what this is connected with, whether the low pain threshold or the mental characteristics of the expectant mother are to blame. One thing is important: such contractions are exhausting, disrupt the usual course of life, and become a serious problem. False contractions are not difficult to survive if they progress into labor within 24 hours. But what to do if such a condition has been bothering you for several weeks, you need to find a way to comfortably cope with false contractions.

Help with false contractions:

1. Walk . Half an hour of leisurely walking is a good way to warm up, relieve stress from some muscles and switch to others. It is best to walk away from the highway, in a park or forest. Silence and tranquility are mandatory attributes of a walk.
2. Change of position . The knee-elbow pose will help relax the muscles. In this position, the load on the abdomen is reduced, and uterine hypertonicity goes away. Some women feel comfortable in the side position.
3. Dream . If false contractions occur in the evening and at night, the best option would be to try to sleep. You should choose the most comfortable position - one in which uterine contractions are not so noticeable.
4. Warm shower . The water temperature should be comfortable, not scalding, but not cold either. Warm streams of water relax the uterus and eliminate discomfort. You can use body gels and oils as aromatherapy. You should choose calm, relaxing scents (lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, geranium, mint, rose).
5. Warm drink . A glass of plain water, drunk slowly, will help relieve stress and relax. You can drink berry juice or compote. It is better to avoid tea and coffee.
6. Music . The best way to relax is to turn on your favorite music. Not too loud, but so that you don't have to strain your ears.
7. Massage . A relaxing massage of the upper half of the body can be done by a spouse, friend or other loved one. You can stretch your feet and hands yourself - this will also help relieve tension and eliminate increased tone of the uterus.

How to distinguish real contractions from training ones

Women who have gone through childbirth, when asked about the difference between false and real contractions, say this: “none of the firstborns can miss real contractions.” However, in practice, anything can happen and those who suffer from false contractions in the last weeks before childbirth often perceive the onset of labor contractions as a continuation of training contractions and are in no hurry to go to the maternity hospital, so in this matter everything is individual, but the distinctive signs of “training” and childbirth Need to know.

So, the main differences are as follows:

1. Before childbirth, contractions have increasing regularity, i.e. for example, they start from 10-20 seconds once an hour, then more often than once every 20 minutes, etc. As a rule, people start getting ready for the maternity hospital if contractions become more frequent than once every 10 minutes. It is important to remember that labor contractions can be irregular!
2. The duration of the contraction itself increases from 10 seconds to 40 or more.
3. If you take painkillers - no-shpa, papaverine, the pain will not go away.
4. If “training” of the uterus occurs, then after a warm shower everything should disappear.
5. If during a gynecological examination it is discovered that the cervix is ​​shortened, smoothed, opens, etc., then this is not “training”.

When is urgent hospitalization needed?

As was said above, every birth is a very individual process, mothers of many children say that all children were born uniquely, each in their own way, so you should listen to your own feelings and if some things worry you, then be sure to talk about this doctor. On the other hand, don’t go to the other extreme and don’t become too suspicious.

You need to go to the hospital if you notice the following:

1. If the pregnancy is less than 37 weeks, the stomach becomes hard more often than once every 20 minutes; if the pregnancy is more than 37 weeks, then wait for contractions every 10 minutes.
2. Bloody discharge appeared
3. The examination revealed changes in the cervix - it opens, smoothes or shortens at a period earlier than 37 weeks
4. Amniotic fluid leaks.
5. Pain in the abdomen or lower back increases in intensity and is not relieved with painkillers.

After 37 weeks, when the baby is considered full-term, it should definitely become easier for the expectant mother when all these signs appear, because all of them will simply mean that the long-awaited time has come and you can go to the maternity hospital. It is much more dangerous if such things begin to happen before 37 weeks. In this case, a pregnant woman needs to be very careful, because delay can lead to miscarriage or premature birth.

. This is, in fact, the question.

I began to notice that the uterus was turning to stone (as if it was cramping) and the stomach was “sticking out” forward, and where the head was, it was sticking out. This continued for several seconds, then let go. I was toned at the beginning of B (we are now 26 weeks).

Doubts arose, it was my tone again (I haven’t taken Mayne B6 since the 20th week - it didn’t really help me with tone) or training sessions. And is it harmful to the child?

Moreover, I also noticed that sex does NOT ALWAYS result in a stone belly (previously, when I was toned, it was always like that). and today I didn’t really strain myself - I was lying on the sofa, and the “tone” came on its own - my belly tightened.

Braxton Hicks contractions

Braxton Hicks contractions usually last one to two minutes, at first the stomach becomes tense and hard, and then suddenly becomes soft. When such “training contractions” appear, many obstetrician-gynecologists advise pregnant women to engage in breathing exercises, thus preparing themselves for the upcoming birth.

But it should be remembered that not all expectant mothers experience these sensations. For some, they are almost painless. However, there are also women for whom such “training” causes obvious discomfort. To ease the feeling of this, you should take a walk or limit physical activity and drink water.

What to do if false contractions start?

When you feel the symptoms of false contractions at 38 weeks of pregnancy, it's time to learn how to breathe correctly. This skill makes it easier for women during childbirth and helps the child to be born faster with minimal consequences for him. There are two good exercises that expectant mothers need to learn:

• When the contraction begins, begin to slowly inhale the air, and when it subsides, exhale quickly and deeply (imagine that you are blowing out a candle).
• During a contraction, breathe frequently (as dogs do), but do not overdo it so as not to lose consciousness, since with such breathing the required amount of oxygen does not enter the body.

The occurrence of false contractions at the 39th week of pregnancy already greatly alarms a woman, because the birth of a child at this stage is a normal process. However, most often, cramping pain in the lower abdomen during this week of pregnancy is in no way related to the true harbingers of labor. If you feel something like this, then try to distract yourself this way:

• Take a walk down the street - go to the park, look at the water - to calm your nerves and relax as much as possible.
• Take a warm shower or, as a last resort, lie in warm water - this is very relaxing and relieves pain.
• If false contractions occurred when you were sitting or standing for a long time, then simply try changing your position - lie down or walk.
• Drink tea, juice or just a glass of water.
• Listen to your favorite music or watch a good TV series.

False contractions at 40 weeks of pregnancy can also occur, but they should be treated more carefully, as they may be true. Despite doctors' claims that real contractions can be easily distinguished from false ones due to very severe pain, you should know that in addition to it, you will also experience other symptoms:

• Your water may break - the amniotic fluid in which your baby has lived and developed for 9 months will pour out of the perineum.
• Within an hour, you experience contractions that last 5 minutes.
• The child no longer moves so actively - no more than 10 times in 2 hours.
• You may experience light or heavy bleeding, which signals the onset of placental abruption.

To make it easier to survive contractions and the entire process of long and painful childbirth, follow our recommendations:

1. Try to relax as much as possible. In a moment of severe pain, do not bite your lips, do not contort your face, you need to control yourself and think about something distracted. It's time to dream.
2. Breathe very deeply. This will not only ease your suffering, but will also significantly help your baby. After all, in the process of its movement along the birth canal. The baby is sorely lacking oxygen.
3. Do not scream, because this will only worsen the pain, you will get tired faster, and you will need strength during pushing, when the baby is already born.
4. Move more actively - don't lie down. The movement stimulates rapid dilatation of the cervix. You can dance, swing on a fitball, walk, squat - whatever you want.
5. Ask the person who will be present for your birth to massage your lower back. Just be careful in this process, because you can get a severe burn, which will only intensify the pain.
6. Listen carefully to the obstetrician who will help you give birth. You must realize that it will depend on you how long the birth will last, and how difficult it will be for your baby to be born.

Your task is also to learn to understand your body during pregnancy and hear its prompts. The ability to feel your body can be acquired in yoga classes. Many women take preparatory courses there before giving birth. If you believe their reviews, the knowledge they gained helped them a lot during childbirth - they took the right poses so that the pain would not be so severe.

How to distinguish real contractions from Braxton Hicks training “exercises”?

It is quite simple to distinguish “training” from real labor pains. Real contractions entail contractions of the uterus that are of an increasing nature. The uterus begins to contract, creating sensations of rhythmic contractions coming from the bottom of the uterus and sequentially diverging throughout the entire uterine organ, from the lumbar region to the pelvic area. Labor pains are repeated more and more often and their intensity increases. The pain moves to the lower spine, and bleeding may appear.

False contractions, as a rule, occur during multiple pregnancies and are sudden in nature: they begin spontaneously and go away spontaneously. As you can see, it is not so difficult to determine what is happening to a woman - contractions or tone.

Deadlines

For the first time, false contractions may appear as early as 24-38 weeks. In fact, there are no strict rules here. Some women feel training contractions of the myometrium almost from the beginning of the third trimester, while others do not notice anything like this until almost childbirth. The complete absence of false contractions during pregnancy is also considered normal.

It has been noticed that in multiparous women, training contractions occur earlier and make themselves felt much more often. It is possible that this is due to the greater sensitivity of the body. Inexperienced expectant mothers sometimes simply do not know about this phenomenon and do not focus on the periodic contractions of the uterus.

How to soften the uterus

When the uterus is toned and tense, the abdomen feels hard to the touch. Well-known antispasmodics help relieve muscle tension - no-spa, papaverine, nifedipine, magnesia. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that the pregnant woman takes a comfortable position, calms down, and does not engage in any physical work.

With good tone, the expectant mother needs to be provided with bed rest. If suppositories and pills do not help, then the pregnant woman is hospitalized.

Sources

• https://VseProRebenka.ru/rody/shvatki/tonus-matki-ili-trenirovochnye.html
• https://VrachMatki.ru/tonus-matki/trenirovochnye-shvatki
• https://www.BabyBlog.ru/cb/sovety/prazlichaem-sostoyanie-shvatki-ili-tonusp

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