When do training bouts begin and how long do they last?

Pregnancy brings a lot of new sensations and emotions to a woman’s life. Unfortunately, not all of them are pleasant, but almost all of them are natural and provided by nature. If stretch marks on the abdomen or chest pain are of quite understandable origin, then a lot of questions arise with manifestations such as false (training) contractions. From this material you will find out when they start, why, and how long they go on, and how not to confuse them with true generic ones.

For quite a long time the concept of “false contractions” was unknown to physicians. There were only basic, labor contractions, the purpose of which lies in the shortening of the muscle fibers of the cervix, leading to its disclosure. Rhythmic and regular contractions of the muscles of the uterus lead to a gradual opening of the cervix to a state in which it can miss the head of the fetus.

Training contractions, which do not lead to the onset of labor, do not reveal the cervix, do not bring the moment of birth of the baby, were first described by an English doctor John Braxton-Hicks in 1972 in a London clinic. He studied them and came to the conclusion that the involuntary short-term and irregular stresses of the female reproductive organ during pregnancy are a completely physiological phenomenon that can in no way harm the mother and fetus.

Training uterine contractions were named after the “discoverer” by Braxton-Hicks contractions. Women themselves are often referred to in abbreviated form as “shorts” or “brextons”. False contractions are strains of the uterine muscles, which arise involuntarily, pass quickly and do not usually bother women.

According to official medical sources, false contractions usually begin after the 20th week of pregnancy. But the training tension of the uterine muscle walls may well occur earlier, later. The norm is also considered a situation in which they do not appear at all.

During the first pregnancy, the muscle tissue of the main reproductive female organ is not so elastic, and therefore the training contractions can be observed earlier, approximately from the middle of pregnancy. During the second pregnancy and each subsequent muscle walls are already somewhat stretched, they are more elastic, less excitable, and therefore the training contractions of the reproductive organ may not be observed almost until delivery.

In the case of multiparative women, the training bouts, if they appear, always cause far fewer questions, because they have the experience of experiencing the true ones, and they cannot in principle confuse them.

2-3 weeks before giving birth, training contractions are usually observed with varying intensity and frequency in most pregnant women, regardless of the number of births before the current pregnancy. Strengthening of such contractions of the uterus is considered a harbinger of imminent labor. But it is not possible to calculate the date of birth. Some precursors for them “start” a couple of weeks before the birth of a child, for others - in a few days, and in the third - literally in the last hours.

It is the understanding that training cuts is the norm that led to the common misconception that their absence is an anomaly. Often, a woman who does not feel any false contractions may encounter the opinion that her real labor activity will not be complete, complications during childbirth may develop, since the uterus has not prepared properly for the upcoming responsible process.

The true causes of the development of false contractile activity of the uterus remain unknown. The English doctor Braxton-Hicks could not find out; he could not discover the truth from his followers. Therefore, modern medicine simply accepts the existence of false fights, but practically does not give them a sensible explanation.

There are two theories that partially explain the training bouts and answer the question of why they are needed at all. According to the first, the most common, it turns out that with the help of short-term contractions of smooth muscles, the uterus “rehearses” and prepares for full-fledged labor activity. The theory can hardly withstand criticism, since it cannot explain how then, without preparation, women who have not observed false fights during pregnancy give birth.

According to the second theory, false labor is a "mind game." As the uterus grows (and during pregnancy it increases as much as 500 times!), The blood supply intensity of this organ increases. All this, coupled with from time to time, leads to the formation of incorrect, erroneous commands of the brain to the nerve receptors responsible for the tension of the smooth muscles of the reproductive organ. The uterus, obeying the commands of the brain, comes to “readiness”, but there is no hormonal support inherent in childbirth, therefore spontaneous relaxation of smooth muscles occurs, the brain “cancels” the wrong order.

A direct connection with the preparation for childbirth was found only in preliminary fights, which usually start 8-10 hours before the birth, sometimes later. During this period, the cervix begins to actively prepare for disclosure, but at the same time the real true contractions that begin to open it, have not yet begun.

Training contractions are felt as a short-term tension of the uterus. Such episodes do not last long - from several seconds to several minutes. If at 28-30 weeks they can be single at all, then at 36-37 weeks they can be repeated more often, and at 39-40 weeks they usually develop into the start of the preliminary period.

During a false fight, a woman feels her own tough womb. On a long term, for example, at 34-35 weeks of gestation, a pregnant woman can usually already feel the bottom of her uterus on the line under the breast at the time of strain on the reproductive organ.

Along with the tension, a slight aching, pulling pain appears in the very bottom of the abdomen, rarely in the lumbar region. It resembles the feeling of menstruation. The pulling sensations are nothing but the tension of the ligamentous apparatus that holds the uterus in a stable position.

The voltage drops off spontaneously; the time gap is not long. After some time, the tone may repeat, or may not be repeated within a few days.

Women note that very often the tension in the uterus appears in such situations:

• after sex (sexual arousal and orgasm cause increased sensitivity of the uterus, lead to short cuts in the muscles of the reproductive organ) - contractions are not dangerous if the woman does not have other contraindications to intimate life during pregnancy;
• with a full bladder (filled bladder begins to put pressure on the uterus, which increases its sensitivity) - going to the toilet and emptying the bladder usually helps to quickly get rid of the feeling of tension in the uterus;
• during physical exertion (especially after lifting something, bending forward, down, squatting, walking the stairs on foot);
• during stress (if the expectant mother is experiencing, is nervous, the release of stress hormones is stimulated in her body, the sensitivity of smooth muscles increases, a tone occurs);
• with complete relaxation (before bedtime, while quietly watching a movie or reading a book);
• active movements of the fetus (mechanical stimulation of the uterine wall occurs during movements of the baby).

In addition, each individual woman can have their own, individual situations. In some, false contractions start during excitement, in others - after awakening during washing, in others - after eating.

From the real labor battles to distinguish training episodes is quite simple. In most cases, women themselves understand the difference when true contractions occur. Nevertheless, the question of differences is one of the most acute, especially for women, who only have a few days to give birth.

Harbingers are always irregular. They appear, disappear, then appear again. They do not increase, do not increase, it is impossible to trace the cyclical nature and rhythm of such fights. The pain is weak, and in some cases it is not noticeable at all; discomfort is delivered only by the tension of the walls of the uterus. Localization of sensations - lower abdomen, less often - lower back. With false fights and harbingers, a woman may well fall asleep. She is helped by a change of pose, a pill "No-shpy", a warm shower, even and quiet breathing. Unusual discharge with a false fight does not happen. The general condition of the woman remains normal.

True, real fights from the very beginning become regular. At first they are repeated once every half hour or less, then gradually become more and more frequent. The duration of each contraction from the very beginning is uniform, the same, as the development of labor, the contractions become painful, can last for quite a long time, and the intervals of rest between them become shorter and shorter.

To sleep, to distract a woman with these contractions can not, no matter how she tried. In the maternity hospital you need to go when contractions become obvious and repeat every 10-15 minutes. Birth can begin with the discharge of amniotic fluid. In this case, there is no need to wait for contractions, you should immediately call an ambulance and go to the obstetric institution.

Today, there are applications for the smartphone, which are the counter contractions and help a woman not to miss the very moment when the training contractions turn into true ones. Such applications are free. A woman can download and install them on her phone at any time during the pregnancy.

With training fights do not need anything. If they appear, you just need to accept them. In most cases, they do not cause any discomfort expressed to the expectant mother.They do not affect the health of the child and do not prevent him from growing and developing. Childbirth they do not bring closer - everything will happen when it should happen.

If, however, false contractions still cause some discomfort, after prior consultation with the doctor, the woman may begin to take "No-silo" or enter rectally candles with papaverine. Walk in the fresh air helps if you walk at a leisurely and measured pace. You can take a warm shower or enroll in the pool in a special group for women "in position".

Helps steady and deep breathing, stroking the abdomen with his own hand. In response to the touch of the hands of others, a false fight may become longer. It will be useful for a woman to give up excessive physical exertion, to rest more, to make sure that stresses pass by.

The best "friend" of pregnant women, who often experience palpable false contractions, is a “cat pose”, in which you need to stand on all fours with elbows and with soft and light movements to bend your back in the lumbar region and round your back. At the same time, it is necessary to breathe correctly, as pregnant women are taught on courses in antenatal clinics.

A woman should be consulted if the training bouts continue throughout the whole day with short breaks or a whole night, if they generally cause rather unpleasant sensations and recur frequently.

The period of false labor can be carried out with maximum benefit. First, it is a great way to learn how to breathe properly. This skill will help in the future when the real contractions and childbirth begin. Uterine training tensions give a woman the opportunity to get to know her own body better, as well as to prepare herself mentally for real contractions.

For example, in Japan, obstetricians recommend that training fights be perceived as real, to imagine it that way. Then there will be no fear of labor pains. It has long been proven that the stronger a woman is afraid of pain, having heard stories about “painful and terrible” fights, the more severe the pain she will experience when the time comes to give birth.

To learn how to recognize false fights from the real ones, see the next video.