Labor pains and labor pains

Nicole Wendler holds a PhD in biology in the field of oncology and immunology. As a medical editor, author and proofreader, she works for various publishers, for whom she presents complex and extensive medical issues in a simple, concise and logical manner.

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Practice contractions and lowering contractions (pre-contractions) merge in the course of pregnancy. Both types of contractions do not yet have any effect on the opening of the cervix. Read here how you can recognize bowel contractions, when they occur and how they differ from practice contractions.

Exercise contractions: when and why do they occur?

From around the 20th week of pregnancy, your uterus begins to prepare for the birth process. Around this time you may notice a previously unknown feeling of tension or a pulling in your stomach for the first time. The most likely reason for this is what is known as exercise contractions. The smooth muscles of the uterus contract and then relax again. These first contractions strengthen the muscles, and the child and placenta are better supplied with blood. The uterus trains for birth, so to speak.

The so-called Alvarez labor pains can be felt as the first contractions. These short and wavy contractions are relatively weak, irregular, and uncoordinated. Only small areas of the uterus become tense. As the pregnancy progresses, larger and larger parts of the uterine smooth muscles contract, and the contractions become more frequent and somewhat stronger. In specialist circles, one then speaks of Braxton-Hicks contractions. Here, too, it is still a matter of practice contractions that have no effect on the cervix.

How do you recognize labor pains?

The first contractions can be noticed by the fact that the abdomen becomes firm. This condition can be uncomfortable but is usually not associated with pain. Sometimes you experience pain that is similar to menstrual pain. You can tell that this is a practice contraction by the fact that the contractions come relatively regularly, but with even longer intervals between contractions: the uterine muscles contract about every few hours or one to three times an hour. This is followed by a longer break in labor. The exercise contractions should subside when lying down and in warm conditions.

If this is not the case and the contactions occur more than three times an hour or more than ten times a day, you should contact a doctor. The same applies if the pain increases. Incidentally, exertion and stress increase labor. Therefore: treat yourself to some rest and relaxation!

What are contractions?

Also, contractions (pre-labor) do not yet open the cervix. As the name suggests, they ensure that the uterus and baby sink deeper into the maternal pelvis. In the best case (but unfortunately not always) the baby's head will slide bit by bit towards the birth canal with a slight twist. This usually only happens from the 36th week of pregnancy. Thus, practice pains become noticeable much earlier than sink pains. The point at which the vertebral pains occur in individual cases, however, depends on whether it is a first birth or not:

Anyone who has already given birth to a child (or several) will sometimes feel the lowering of the abdomen and the associated labor only a few days before the due date. It is also possible that the head does not move into the pelvis until the onset of childbirth, so that contractions and labor pains cannot be clearly distinguished from one another. It is therefore not possible to make a statement as to when exactly the birth will start after the plummet labor.

How do labor pains feel?

Is it still practice pains or is it already submerged pains? The signs are similar in both cases and the transitions are fluid.

Contractions can occur about every ten minutes or with a break of several hours or days in between. Pregnant women perceive these labor pains differently. Many usually only notice a feeling of tension and rarely complain of real pain. But painful, uncomfortable pulling that radiates down to the back and thighs is also possible.

Like exercise contractions, lower back pains can also be relieved with warmth. In the warm bathtub or with a hot water bottle on the stomach, the pain usually subsides.

New belly thanks to absenteeism

Some women do not notice any physical signs of vertigo and only notice that something has changed from the shape of the abdomen. After the contractions, the abdomen suddenly sits lower, there is a little more space in the upper abdomen, and symptoms such as heartburn, bloating and shortness of breath are no longer so bad. However, as a result of his new position, the child is now pressing on the bladder, which increases the urge to urinate. If you suddenly have to go to the toilet more often, this can also be a sign that you have already had vertigo.

But already real contractions?

Basically, if you have very painful contractions that occur at regular intervals and cannot be relieved by warmth, you should definitely consult a doctor. It may be premature labor. The further the pregnancy has progressed and the closer the due date approaches, the more likely it is that real labor pains become. They should not be confused with practice contractions or vertical labor.

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