Update on contractions

Contractions during pregnancy

Our belly contracted without warning, we have the impression that we were tightening a belt around our abdomen and then the feeling faded… Like a cramp, painless or not, according to some women. Don’t panic, we won’t give birth in half an hour, we just felt our first contraction! And this weird feeling is going to happen again a few times before D-Day.

You can have about ten contractions a day from six months of pregnancy. and sometimes even before. This is a completely normal physiological mechanism: the uterus as a whole reacts to its distension. It contracts and hardens. The peculiarity of these so-called braxton-hicks contractions: they are irregular and painless. When you are lying down, you can feel them more because the other muscles are not used. Usually, with a little rest, they go away or appear less often.

However, if the number of these contractions exceeds ten per day or they become painful, it may be a threat of premature labor (but not necessarily!). We then consult our doctor without delay. On examination, he will check your cervix. If it is changed, then you will need to remain bedridden until delivery. If he has not moved, bed rest is useless (and even counterproductive because it promotes other pathologies, such as gestational diabetes)

D-day: labor contractions

At the end of pregnancy, more or less painful uterine contractions appear. They will have a direct action on the cervix, which they will shorten at first, then gradually erase.

Usually, labor contractions are more intense and painful. But the pains are felt differently by expectant mothers. Some women compare this sensation to a bad period, others evoke a pain which starts from the kidneys and radiates in the back. To note : at this stage, our uterus is between 23 and 34 cm height and its entire circumference contracts at the time of a contraction. It is therefore normal to feel pain all over your stomach and back.

However, the pain felt during the contraction is not the best way to know if the childbirth has started. The important thing is not so much the quantity, but the regularity. Yes our contractions are renewed at regular intervals every half hour at first, then every 20 minutes, then 15, 10, 5 minutes. If they become stronger and stronger and their frequency accelerates, it is strongly advised to go to the maternity ward. The work has indeed started!

False labor, what is it?

De false contractions can make believe in the beginning of childbirth. They are often felt in the lower abdomen only. They are irregular and will not intensify. After a few hours, they will stop, either spontaneously or after taking an antispasmodic. This is called bogus work. However, it is always safer to get tested.

Contractions after childbirth

That’s it, we just gave birth to our baby. Snuggled up against us, immense happiness invades us. When suddenly, contractions resume. No, we are not dreaming! After childbirth, less intense contractions reappear. They are intended to take off the placenta which descends into the vagina, from where it is retrieved by the midwife who then examines it. That’s what we call delivery.

But it is not over yet. In the hours, the days that follow, we will still feel a few contractions. They are due to the uterus which gradually retracts to regain its former size. These contractions are also called “trenches”. Pain varies among women. But if this is your 2nd or 3rd child or if you had a Caesarean section, you will feel them more.