What kind of pain are contractions?
They are abdominal spasms very similar to the pains one may experience before or during the menstrual cycle and serve to prepare the uterus for delivery. Not all women feel them, but they are very common, especially towards the last weeks of pregnancy.
Where are contractions felt?
They start from the bottom of the uterus and propagate downwards, towards the pubis: they are a physiological phenomenon that occurs during pregnancy and consists of an abrupt shortening of the muscle fibre.
They can often also be felt from the outside, because the belly hardens to the touch.
What are 'preparatory' (Braxton Hicks) contractions?
Braxton Hicks contractions are isolated, non-rhythmic spasms of the uterine muscles, which cause a biting sensation in the abdomen. These 'false labour pains' can be felt as early as the 5th or 6th month of pregnancy and are an entirely physiological phenomenon.
From the 36th week of pregnancy many pregnant women feel the first preparatory contractions. They can last somewhat longer than the preliminary contractions: up to 60 seconds, at large intervals of more than 15 minutes, over a period of up to three hours.
In the weeks leading up to labour, the uterus will begin training for the marathon ahead with a series of weak contractions that you may not even feel. These contractions often last about 30 seconds and come and go at irregular intervals.
What to do to calm down preparatory or isolated contractions?
Move if you have been sitting: contractions usually stop when you move.
Drink some water: contractions can be triggered by dehydration.
Take a warm bath.
Lie on your left side and avoid lying on your back: this can slow down or stop contractions.
When to go to hospital with contractions?
When contractions become more regular and closer together, they will last about a minute, occur every 3-4 minutes and will be stronger: at this point it is advisable to get ready and go to hospital.
Contractions and the beginning of labour
The pain is felt distinctly above the pubis, far below, and can also reach the thigh muscles, or it is reflected in the back, in the kidney area, and can reach the sacral area.
How to resist contractions?
Walking, assuming positions that take weight off the back, and standing so as to use gravity to help the baby descend through the pelvis, are all well-documented methods of speeding up the progress of labour and pain management.