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Kidney contractions: how to relieve them?
Uterine contractions heralding the imminent arrival of a baby usually result in severe pain in the abdomen. But once in ten, these pains are manifested in the lower back. These so-called “kidney” deliveries are known to be more trying, but midwives know how to best overcome them.
Kidney contractions, what are they?
Like traditional contractions, kidney contractions are contractions of the uterine muscles. But if the belly does indeed harden with each contraction, the pain which goes hand in hand and which manifests itself most often, quite logically, at the level of the belly, is localized this time especially in the lower back, in “the kidneys ”as our grandmothers used to say.
Where do they come from?
Contractions in the kidneys are most often explained by the position adopted by the baby at the time of delivery. In most cases, it presents in the anterior left occipito-illiac: its head is down, its chin well bent on its chest and its back is turned towards the maternal belly. This is ideal because the diameter of his cranial perimeter is then as small as possible and engages as well as possible in the pelvis.
But it happens that the baby presents with the back turned towards the maternal back, in the posterior left occipito-illiac. His head then presses on the sacrum, a triangular bone located at the bottom of the spine. With each contraction, the pressure exerted on the spinal nerves located there results in violent pains radiating throughout the lower back.
How do you distinguish them from real contractions?
Contractions can occur as early as the 4th month of pregnancy, a sign that the uterus is preparing for childbirth. These so-called Braxton Hicks contractions are short, infrequent. And if the belly hardens, it doesn’t hurt. Conversely, painful contractions, which are close together and last more than 10 minutes, announce the onset of labor. For a first childbirth, it is customary to say that after an hour and a half to two hours of contractions every 5 minutes, it is time to go to the maternity ward. For subsequent deliveries, this spacing between each contraction increases from 5 to 10 minutes.
In the case of contractions in the kidneys, the times are the same. The only difference: when the stomach hardens under the effect of the contraction, the pain is mainly felt in the lower back.
How to relieve pain?
Even though they do not put the mother or her baby at any particular risk, kidney deliveries are known to be longer because the position of the baby’s head slows its progress in the pelvis. Since its head circumference is a little higher than in the case of a traditional presentation, midwives and doctors more often resort to episiotomy and / or the use of instruments (forceps, suction cups) to facilitate the release of the baby.
Because they are also more painful, epidural anesthesia can be very useful. But when it is unwanted or contraindicated for medical reasons, other alternatives exist. More than ever, it is recommended that expectant mothers to move as they wish during labor and to adopt a physiological position to facilitate expulsion. The traditional position of lying on your back with your feet in the stirrups can only make matters worse. Better to lie on your side, doggy style, or even crouch. At the same time, back massages, acupuncture, relaxation therapy and hypnosis can prove to be of great help.