How to distinguish the contractions of Brexton Hicks from real birth

Perhaps now there are no pregnant women who have not heard anything about the contractions of the Brexton Hicks. These training or, as they are also called, false contractions, were described by an English doctor 140 years ago. With this phenomenon, one way or another, every pregnant woman faces.

Brexton Hicks contractions should be distinguished from actual contractions, precursors or uterine tone. In the classic version, they last from two to three seconds to 20-30. There is no defined interval between fights; a break between them can be from a few seconds to several hours. As a rule, a woman experiences unpleasant, but painless sensations. When the false contractions of the Brexton Hicks begin, the uterus may stiffen, sip belly or pull back. It is this irregularity that is the determining criterion by which they can be distinguished from true childbirth.

Brexton Hicks contractions are not a pathology or deviation from the normal course of pregnancy. In fact, this is training the cervix and uterus before childbirth - periodically contracting and stretching, the neck becomes more flexible and elastic. However, the absence of such fights is not a cause for concern. In some, they are so asymptomatic that they do not stand out against the background of a general malaise.

If an unpleasant, pulling and painful sensations, a feeling of petrification bother a woman for a period of 15-20 weeks - you should consult a doctor. Most likely, we are talking about the tone of the uterus, which means there is a danger of miscarriage. In this case, it is better to be safe than accepting premature birth for false contractions. Of course, there are cases that training contractions begin early, but most often they occur in the second or third trimester of pregnancy.

Harbingers are most often found in the last weeks of pregnancy, they can occur periodically, and can last several days with an interval of 1-2 hours. At this time, the uterus is actively preparing for childbirth, and is accompanied by rather unpleasant sensations.

What can I do if I am worried about the painful contractions of the Brexton Hicks?

  1. Symptoms can be removed if you take a couple of no-shp tablets. By the way, the same advice can be used if on the eve of childbirth precursors will bother.
  2. To take a warm (not hot) bath is to lie quietly in it for about 20 minutes. This procedure calms and relaxes.
  3. Rub the lower back or do a light massage.
  4. Change position, lie down - perhaps pulling sensations are associated not so much with false contractions as they are caused by an uncomfortable position, a pregnant woman’s fatigue.
  5. Drink soothing tea at the moment when the stomach begins to grasp, breathe deeply, as in a real birth.

Women waiting for their firstborn are often interested in the question of whether they will miss real fights and childbirth. Doctors and women who have given birth repeatedly claim that they cannot be confused with anything. With real contractions, the frequency of contractions increases, and their soreness increases. In classic births, the first contractions begin 14-16 hours before the baby is born and are repeated every 15-20 minutes. The duration of the bout is a few seconds. Gradually, the interval is reduced to five, three and one minutes (immediately before the attempts), and the duration increases to 30 seconds.

However, the non-standard course of childbirth is increasingly common. In this case, the first contractions can occur both 4-6 hours before the baby is born, and in a few days. And the interval between the first bouts may not be 15-20 minutes, but only 4-5 minutes. However, it also happens that there may not be a clear interval between them at all.

Each birth is unique in its own way. Periodically appearing pulling pains, petrification of the abdomen in the later stages - an occasion to contact the hospital with things.


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