In the last weeks of pregnancy, a woman increasingly listens to her body, so as not to miss the moment of the onset of childbirth and in time to reach or reach the hospital. The very first signs of contractions are more of a concern to primiparas, because a woman has never encountered the process of childbirth. Although the contractions are so different in every pregnancy that even a multiparous mother can not always correctly assess the situation.
First you need to say that there are so-called precursors of childbirth. They appear a few days before the birth and can show the woman that the birth of the long-awaited baby is not far off. These include abdominal prolapse, cervical mucus discharge, slight weight loss, pulling back pain, and more frequent contractions of Brexton Hicks (false contractions).
The abdominal prolapse indicates that the child's head sank into the pelvic floor. Thus, the child prepares for the birth of the light. You may feel relief of breathing or a decrease in the manifestation of heartburn during this period, since the child is no longer putting pressure on the diaphragm.
Departure of the mucous plug is the preparation of the birth canal for the onset of labor. The mucous plug throughout the entire period of pregnancy protected the uterine cavity from infection. Departure of the mucous plug is observed 2-3 days before the birth, so soon you can expect symptoms of contractions.
Before the very birth, standing on the scales, you may find that not only did not gain weight, but even lost a couple of kilograms. This is normal and indicates that soon you will need to go to the hospital.
Increased false contractions and lower back pain are also harbingers of childbirth. Many women confuse the signs of contractions and the false contractions of the uterus called the “Brexton Hicks contractions”. In fact, determining the onset of labor is not difficult. If contractions occur periodically and their intensity does not increase, then, most likely, this is a false alarm. It is very difficult not to notice the real signs of contractions. The onset of labor is accompanied by rhythmic contractions of the uterus and a gradual increase in their frequency and an increase in pain. How to determine the start of contractions? To do this, you need to keep track of time. When a certain period of time elapses between the first and other contractions, for example, 15 minutes, and after some time already 10 minutes and so on, it means that labor has begun and you should not hesitate to visit the hospital.
In addition, contractions over time become more tangible and painful. This is due to the opening of the cervix. False contractions usually occur from time to time and are not very painful.
Some pregnant women worry that they will not have time to notice the onset of labor, since labor can begin at night when they will sleep. Do not worry about this. These signs of contractions will certainly lift you out of bed.
After you determine that it is labor pains, immediately go to the hospital. For some women, childbirth is fast, so waiting for reinforced labor at home can be dangerous.
If the water has moved away at home , but there are no contractions, you need to put a clean sanitary pad and immediately go to the hospital. If amniotic fluid is absent, fetal infection or hypoxia may occur. Look at the color of the amniotic fluid. They should be transparent, slightly yellowish. If the water has a green color or tint, this may indicate a disadvantage. In this case, a trip to a medical institution should be immediate.
Closely monitor changes in your body. Thus, you can determine the beginning of labor and arrive in time at the hospital, where you will be under the supervision of competent specialists. Have a good birth!