Skirmishes before birth - what they say to a woman

Pregnancy is a natural process in the life of every woman, which ends with childbirth. The process of delivery is as follows: through the birth canal (cervical canal and vagina), the fetus and the latter from the uterus are expelled. The onset of labor can be marked by contractions before labor (the classical beginning), or by the escape of amniotic fluid. And it is very important to know and not to miss the first real precursors of childbirth.

Prenatal fights.

The contraction is a periodic contraction of the uterus muscles, performed to expel the fetus.

Along with the real birth pains, there are so-called Braxton-Hicks contractions and false struggles. But, the presence of precursors and false fights is not at all an obligatory attribute associated with childbirth.

Braxton-Hicks contractions (precursors of childbirth) - the appearance of such a possible in a few weeks, or days before delivery (in all different ways). Contractions are irregular in nature and are designed to prepare the woman's body for childbirth, contributing to the softening of the cervix. Cervical opening does not occur with such fights.

False bouts are fights before childbirth, which also perform the function of training. In contrast to the forerunners' bouts, their appearance is possible from the thirty-eighth week of pregnancy. False contractions before childbirth also do not occur regularly and do not cause a woman pain. They can last for several hours, but unlike real battles are not the beginning of labor and calmed down on their own. From birth labor before delivery is also characterized by the fact that the time interval between them fluctuates chaotically (3/5/8 minutes).

If the number of fights is increasing, it causes pain, and the interval of time between them decreases - this is labor.

The average time of the first period of birth labor, about twelve hours (at the first birth) and approximately two to four hours shorter, for those who have births are not the first.

At the very beginning of labor, each fight can last about half a minute, and the pause time between them lasts about half an hour. Important! In order for the midwife to understand at what stage you are in the family, check not only the duration of one fight, but the time between them!

As the time draws near, labor before delivery becomes more frequent. It is believed that if contractions during childbirth are repeated every ten minutes, it's time to go to the hospital, but, of course, you need to pay attention to the state of health of a woman and do not forget about the time that will need to be spent to get to the maternity hospital.

Real labor during childbirth performs a number of very important functions:

1. There is separation and exit of the placenta from the uterus;
2. Fights perform the function of pushing the baby;
3. They soften the cervix;
4. After giving birth, the uterus is returned to its normal position.

In addition to contractions, foreshadow labor can different discharge from the genitals before delivery. From penetration of the infection, the fetus and cork from mucus protect the fetus. Departure of the mucous plug can occur as a couple of hours, and a few days before the onset of labor. But, paying attention to the color of the discharge, you can find out the approximate onset of labor: if bloody discharge, then, until the meeting with the baby, there is not much time left; And if the mucus is white, then in a "one whole" condition, in the full sense of this concept, you will spend a few more days (from two days to two weeks).

However, if the discharge before the birth in the form of a mucous plug or blood appeared much earlier than the expected period of labor, or accompanied by heavy bleeding, this is an occasion to contact the doctor without delay, as placenta praevia is possible or prematurely departing, which requires immediate medical intervention!