Training contractions: symptoms and sensations with "false" contractions during pregnancy

Pregnancy is an amazing time when a woman becomes more sensitive to her feelings. Feelings can be very diverse, but today we will talk about those that raise the most questions - training (false) contractions. From this material, you will learn how and why such a phenomenon occurs, how to distinguish such fights from true ones, how to behave during training fights.

A little theory - what is it?

Contractions in general terms are involuntary contractions of the smooth muscles of the uterus. In childbirth without contractions, it would be impossible for a child to be born. Muscle contractions seem to push the fetus out of the womb when the time comes.

Training contractions are not associated with labor, they never lead to the opening of the cervix and the onset of labor. They are called training because for a long time it was believed that it is with such short-term bouts of tension of the uterine muscles during pregnancy that the body of the future woman in labor prepares for a real load in childbirth.

The question of why false (aka training) contractions appear is still open and very controversial. If we adopt the theory of training activity, it becomes not entirely clear how women give birth, who have not had a single training fight during the entire period of bearing a baby. Believe me, there are a lot of such women, and they give birth without any peculiarities, just like women who have felt false contractions during their entire pregnancy.

It turns out that the training of the uterine muscles is not so important for the subsequent birth.

Medicine knows another theory of the occurrence of training contractions (synonymous with Braxton-Hicks contractions). It is believed that these sensations are "phantom", not real and they are associated with increased excitability of the uterus itself, because with the onset of pregnancy and the growth of this reproductive organ, nerve endings begin to perceive certain neurosignals differently. As a result, the brain is "deceived" and leads to readiness of the muscles of the uterus (there is a feeling of tone). If this is not childbirth, then rather quickly the brain “adds two plus two” and cancels the “order” of high alert. Thus, according to this theory, contractions are "tricks" of the nervous system of a pregnant woman.

Often women ask who Braxton and Hicks are, who came up with the first description of strange contractions that do not lead to childbirth. In fact, this is one person - the English doctor John Braxton-Hicks, who observed pregnant women in the 19th century and described a mysterious phenomenon. Since that time, his colleagues and followers have not moved a step towards establishing the truth - the nature of the occurrence of false contractions remains a big mystery.

Speaking of training fights, a woman should clearly distinguish between several of their types. Those that appear long before childbirth are called false, training. And those that start a couple of weeks before the birth are preliminary contractions. They are also known as harbingers. They, like early false ones, do not lead to the opening of the neck and the beginning of the expulsion of the fetus from the womb, but they occur more often. It is the preliminary contractions that can rightfully be called training, because it is just before childbirth that the muscles and ligaments begin to relax under the influence of a special hormone - relaxin. It is his action that becomes the beginning of the preparatory period for all organs involved in childbirth.

Should you be wary of training fights? The answer to this question lies in the very definition of the phenomenon. They do not lead to the opening of the cervix, do not stimulate and do not bring the day of childbirth closer, do not in any way affect the condition of the fetus. Therefore, you do not need to worry, the main thing is to know how to behave in case of false cramping activity, as well as how to distinguish such contractions from real ones. Let's talk about this in more detail.

When do they start?

The timing of the appearance of false contractions is another difficult and controversial issue. Officially, medical sources indicate that a woman can theoretically begin to feel the contractions of Braxton-Hicks after 20 weeks of gestation. In practice, these periods may well turn out to be different from theory - for some, they begin up to 20 weeks, for some, they appear only by 30 weeks, and for some, only precursor contractions occur, which begin a couple of weeks before the baby " will gather ”into our world. There are women who do not feel any training tensions of the muscles of the uterus at all, and this is also completely normal.

Experienced obstetricians-gynecologists have long drawn attention to a certain pattern of the appearance of Braxton-Hicks contractions from the number of previous births. So, in primiparous women, such sensations may appear much earlier. And in multiparous, such contractions usually appear immediately closer to the expected date of birth. This can be explained by the difference in the state of smooth muscles of a woman who has given birth and a woman who has not given birth before. For those who have already given birth, smooth muscles are more elastic and stretched, the growth of the uterus and its intensive filling with blood proceed more "gently", as usual.

The opinion that the early appearance of training contractions increases the likelihood of preterm birth is not true. Be that as it may, such sensations only look threatening at first glance, if you look at the phenomenon more closely, you can understand that the presence or absence of training activity of the uterine muscles does not affect the date of birth. Often, those who began to feel false contractions at 20 weeks postpone the pregnancy and give birth only after 42 weeks, and those who have not had such contractions are sent to the maternity hospital much earlier.

Symptoms and sensations

Many official medical sources authoritatively state that fake or training contractions are completely painless. In practice, and the reviews of women are clear evidence of this, much depends on the individual degree of sensitivity. One pregnant woman, indeed, may not feel anything disturbing, but the other will be rather unpleasant.

The contraction is manifested by the tension of the muscles of the uterus. Many pregnant women describe that "the stomach turns to stone", it becomes more rigid. A pulling sensation may occur in the very lower abdomen (due to the tension of the ligamentous apparatus that holds the uterus). There may be a pulling sensation in the lumbar region (for the same reason). Often women claim that the sensations are very similar to how menses feel.

Tension in the uterus may persist for several seconds or several minutes. After that, it disappears and does not appear, or appears, but not at certain cyclical intervals. It is the fact that the training contractions are irregular, and allows you to understand what is really happening. Regular contractions are a sign of the onset of labor. Spontaneous episodes of increased tone are false contractions.

Even if the contraction is repeated several more times within an hour, it will not become more noticeable. Pain sensations intensify only with real, labor pains, and with false ones, they always weaken, decrease.

The appearance of such tension can arise spontaneously at any time, even where it is completely inappropriate - at work, in transport, during an important meeting.

There are also circumstances that indirectly or directly increase the frequency of such false episodes.

An active intimate life. With sexual arousal, with orgasm, small contractions of the smooth muscles of the uterus occur, therefore, after intercourse for an hour or two, the appearance of Braxton-Hicks contractions is possible. This is not a reason to give up intimate relationships if the woman has no other contraindications.
Great physical activity of the expectant mother. Bending, lifting weights, walking on stairs, occasional rest, constant standing on your feet - all this can provoke the appearance of a false cramping activity of the muscles.
Child activity. Too active babies, who often and painfully "kick" the expectant mother from the inside, can also indirectly cause increased nervous excitability of the uterus.
Stress. At the time of strong emotional experiences, a woman often feels the tension of the uterus, but most often false contractions "visit" expectant mothers after stress, as soon as the woman relaxes a little.
Overflowing bladder. If the expectant mother does not have the opportunity to go to the toilet (she is in a public place where there is no toilet, she rides in transport), then the bladder filled with urine is strongly compressed by the uterus. But there is also a counter pressure - on the uterus. This effect also causes short-term tension of the musculature of the reproductive organ.

There is also an individual pattern of the appearance of contractions and certain actions of the pregnant woman. For example, for some, false uterine tensions begin to appear after a woman gets out of bed in the morning and stretches, while in others, only after women get up from a sitting position. For others, after taking a shower. Therefore, you need to carefully observe in which situation Braxton-Hicks contractions most often develop in you, in order to minimize such situations or be psychologically prepared for them.

Over the years of monitoring pregnant women, doctors have noticed that training contractions most often occur in the morning and evening. After a hearty meal, you're more likely to feel uterine tension than after a moderate dinner or breakfast. On average, the period of false hypertonicity lasts from 15 minutes to 2-3 hours, but there are also single contractions, as well as longer periods - everything is very individual, there are no two identical symptomatic signs.

Differences from true

The question of how to distinguish training episodes of cramping activity from real labor pains is asked very often, especially by primiparas. A woman who has no experience of childbirth is afraid of confusion, not identifying on time, not recognizing real contractions and not being in time to the hospital. The question becomes especially relevant as the expected date of birth approaches - at 38-39 weeks, as well as a little earlier and a little later. Believe me, it will not be so difficult to distinguish one from the other. When real contractions come, they will not at all look like false ones. Here are the main differences.

Painful sensations. If labor begins, then each subsequent contraction feels more painful than the previous one. This never happens with precursors or early training episodes of tone. The cervix opens during true contractions, which is why the pain will become stronger.
The duration of the bout. If it's about training and preparing for childbirth, then each subsequent contraction does not increase in time. You don't have to worry. If the contractions are painful, and each next one lasts a long time, no less than the previous one, we are talking about labor activity. You need to arm yourself with a stopwatch or a special counter program on your smartphone and just measure the duration of two or three consecutive episodes of uterine tension.
Frequency. Preparatory bouts are not regular. They can be repeated at arbitrary time intervals, while the real ones will be very rhythmic (they will occur at regular intervals). First - at long intervals, then the fight will become strong, long, and episodes will become frequent. If periods of tension in the uterus have become more frequent and occur at regular intervals, it is time to go to the hospital.
Measures to reduce sensations. If a woman, during a false contraction, simply changes her body position, takes a shower, takes a pill, then she will feel noticeable relief. True contractions cannot be anesthetized, they also will not react to a shower and a change in body position. It is impossible to stop the started labor activity.

To accurately distinguish the type of contractions, you need to analyze other accompanying signs. If cyclical tensions of the uterine musculature arose after the mucous plug came off, after the outflow of water, or the discharge and outflow of the amniotic fluid happened after the onset of contractions, then you cannot hesitate - labor has begun, so it will be better for everyone if the woman is in the hospital as soon as possible under the supervision of a qualified medical personnel.

There is such a joke among obstetricians: "If you are not sure that you are giving birth, then you are not yet giving birth." Think about it and calm down. When the time comes, the question of the differences in the types of uterine contractions will not be raised.

Are Braxton Hicks contractions dangerous?

This question from time to time visits all women in an "interesting position" who feel such sensations. Especially worried about expectant mothers, who have threats of premature birth, pregnancy pathology. Let's calm everyone at the same time - Braxton Hicks contractions pose no danger to either the mother or the fetus.

There is one theory (how scientific it is, it is difficult to say, but doctors often say this to their worried patients), which states that a training fight increases the blood supply to the reproductive organ, as a result of which, after relaxing the muscles, the child receives more nutrients and oxygen. and therefore false contractions can be written down as useful and productive.

If there is still a lot of time left before childbirth, and training contractions are often attended, for example, they are present all night, then you should still visit a doctor to find out the causes of uterine hypertonia. If even the next morning such contractions disappeared, consult with an obstetrician-gynecologist. So everyone will be calmer.

How to behave in case of false contractions?

If false contractions appear, the woman will have to put up with them. Even if the tension of the uterus is unpleasant, there are many ways to alleviate the condition and with relative comfort survive with these training episodes until the very birth. What do we have to do?

Change the position of the body in space. If a training bout has begun, you need to try changing your posture. If at this moment the woman was lying, it is better to get up and walk, if she was sitting, lie down, and if she was standing, sit down or take a horizontal position. The "cat pose" - the knee-elbow position with the spinal flexion in the lower back helps well. In it, you can not waste time in vain and practice correct breathing, this will come in handy when the time comes to give birth.
To not pay attention. If the false fight is gentle enough and does not bother you much, it is best to ignore it - turn on your favorite movie, good music, open an unfinished book, or return to handicrafts, postponed for later. This will help distract you.
Walk. The advice is simple and effective. During a leisurely and sedate walk in a park or square (away from city highways), a pregnant woman and her baby receive positive emotions and oxygen. Regular walks reduce the frequency and duration of false contractions by several times.

Water procedures. A warm shower can help relieve unpleasant symptoms. It is better to refrain from bathing. It is a shower for 5-10 minutes that will help to completely relax and get rid of the tension of the walls of the uterus. If a woman's contractions occur frequently and worries her greatly, it makes sense to buy a subscription to the pool, to a special group for expectant mothers - swimming will help reduce the frequency and duration of Brexton Hicks episodes.
Medicines. It is necessary to resort to pills and other medicines only in extreme cases, if the sensations are very disturbing. It will not be superfluous to consult a doctor beforehand. Most often, suppositories with papaverine (rectally) or No-shpa (oral) are recommended for pregnant women to relieve increased uterine tone.
Eat or drink. It helps some. Even a glass of milk, water or a light vegetable salad can work wonders - the uterus quickly relaxes and the condition returns to normal.

When should you see a doctor?

In all cases, when the training tension of the walls of the uterus is prolonged, when they last more than 6-8 hours (all day, all night), you should visit a doctor. In some situations, it is better not to risk it and go straight to the hospital, call an ambulance. These situations include the appearance of regular and prolonged contractions and unusual discharge for up to 36 weeks - the onset of premature birth is possible.

Increasing pain, repetition of three episodes of tension of the uterus in 10 minutes - grounds for urgent hospitalization, it is best to come to the hospital.

Women who need about a month to give birth should be especially careful. The training contractions in this case may be abnormal. With normal preliminary maturation of the cervix proceeds simultaneously, that is, the body comprehensively prepares for childbirth. At the same time, the tension of the uterus rarely lasts more than 7 hours and can disappear and appear, but the very next day. The pregnant woman's sleep is good, full, her appetite is not changed. Such a preliminary period is characteristic of about 65-70% of women.

The abnormality of the process is clearly indicated by the prolonged "training" - the contractions are painful, irregular, the baby's movements are also painful, the cervix does not mature, does not smooth out and does not shorten, the woman's body is clearly not ready for childbirth. This occurs in about 15% of pregnant women.

Abnormal preparatory contractions most often occur in women with excess weight, with gestosis, in expectant mothers carrying large children, in women with chronic diseases of the liver, kidneys, heart.

If earlier the expectant mother had done many abortions, dystrophic changes in the uterus are not excluded, which will also lead to a pathological period of preparation and require medical attention.

The risk group also includes women who give birth before the age of 18 or after 30 years (if the birth is the first), whose pregnancy proceeds against the background of polyhydramnios or a small amount of amniotic fluid, in women with a narrow pelvis. If you suspect an abnormal preliminary period, you should also see a doctor. A woman can be stimulated to labor if the cervix does "mature" or stop contractile episodes with the use of sedatives and take time out to prepare the cervix with medications.

If the child experiences hypoxia (and this is often the case with abnormal "training"), a decision may be made to perform a caesarean section. In any case, doctors will make a decision that is optimal for a particular pregnant woman.