Only in movies do unreal stories take place when the expectant mother has everything perfected. Waking up in the night or standing suddenly screaming “It’s started”. How did it start, how did she suddenly understand it, why is she so rational and not upset? On our side of the mirror, we often wake up scared, full of uncertainty, fear and with a thousand questions. Are they real contractions or an indication of why I’m having contractions but my water hasn’t broken or quite the opposite. Every pregnant woman waits impatiently for the birth of her child, but probably none waits with such commitment for the delivery itself. How easy is it to recognize?
The mystery of childbirth, its uniqueness triggers the fear of the unknown, of not recognizing the first signs of labor beginning and not reacting appropriately. Most women, even though they give birth for the first time, know exactly that it is already. Thanks to instinct, exceptional luck, or painful contractions, they know perfectly well when to go to the hospital, and when you can wait calmly at home. The mother-to-be’s body undergoes many changes in the last month of pregnancy that prepare it for childbirth. Physiological symptoms can last a month, a few days or only a few hours, it is extremely rare that labor is so rapid that the baby almost jumps out into the world. The mother-to-be begins to see and feel the first signs of the approaching final of nine months. This mainly concerns the lowering of the uterine fundus and the marking of the anterior part of the placenta. About four to two weeks before birth, the baby begins to move into the pelvis. However, there are a few telltale signs that mark the start of your baby’s release into the world.
You start to feel pressure in your pelvis and rectum. There are cramps and pain in the groin area. In the ninth month of pregnancy, weight gain usually slows down. However, just before giving birth, some women notice a loss of weight from a kilogram to one and a half. The mood and behavior of the future mother also changes. She is constantly tired and feels growing weariness. Other women then get an extra boost of energy and strength. This manifests itself in the so-called nesting instinct, i.e. an increased desire to clean, wash windows and other behaviors that are not very rational at this time. The vaginal discharge also changes, it becomes more abundant and may be colored with streaks of blood. Before birth, the mucus plug is expelled. This is due to the fact that the cervix dilates and the plug closing the entrance to the uterus is pushed out. The shortening and dilatation of the cervix can provoke the rupture of small blood vessels and lead to pink spotting. This spotting usually means that labor will occur within XNUMX hours, although this time may be shortened. The contractions also begin to intensify, they become more intense and frequent. Some mums-to-be experience turbulence in their bowels and have diarrhoea.
Childbirth begins when contractions with changing positions and activities increase, not decrease. Pain begins to be felt in the sacral area and radiates to the lower abdomen or towards the legs. The contractions become more frequent, painful and more regular. The amniotic membranes rupture, it is characterized in different ways, in some women the fluid oozes slightly, in others it squirts.
Just as no two fingerprints are the same, no two births and their accompanying symptoms are alike. It’s always worth being vigilant and prepared. Perhaps that’s it already.