Early Labor Contractions: Symptoms and Duration
Introduction
From the moment she finds out she's expecting, the future mother asks herself many questions.
If you are pregnant for the first time - or have had a scheduled cesarean section and are planning to opt for VBAC for the baby on the way - it is natural to ask questions about the contractions that begin labor.
How to recognize them? If you are wondering, in the next lines of this article you can find the answer.
As you can see, I have also prepared an index.
Thanks to it, you will be able to, if you wish, delve into the various facets of the topic in detail by simply clicking on the paragraph corresponding to the theme.
If, at the end of reading, you still have doubts, I invite you to come and visit me on Instagram . I will be happy to welcome any request for clarification both in direct and in the comments.
How to Recognize Labor Contractions
What are the signs that allow us to recognize the beginning of labor contractions?
Before answering this question, we need to take a small step back and focus on using the right terms.
As Dr. Maria Chiara Alvisi, an independent midwife, reminds us in this video, it would be better to use the term “waves” instead of the word “contractions”.
Having clarified this aspect, I remind you that, when we speak of the uterus, we are referring to a muscular organ.
To be precise, of an organ included under the cap of hollow muscular ones.
In light of this, it is important that you work. Even during pregnancy, you should not remain inactive.
During the third trimester, the future mother begins to experience the first uterine activations , often referred to as “ preparatory contractions”.
“My friend who gave birth a few months ago told me she didn't have them”: there are many women who, as they approach the last trimester of pregnancy, cite anecdotes of new mothers they deal with on a daily basis.
In this regard, I would like to underline something that Dr. Alvisi often recalls both in the videos on my YouTube channel and in the prenatal video course she curated and which you can find at the end of this paragraph: preparatory contractions in the last trimester may occur, but they do not necessarily occur.
When they do occur , they are fleeting waves with no regularity. Their rhythm is not predictable.
Another aspect to take into consideration is whether it occurs at particular times of the day or following efforts made by the future mother (for example changing position).
When the waves begin to take on a regular character and do not stop , they could actually be the beginning of labor contractions.
How do you know if it has really started? Follow me in the next paragraph to find out.
How to Tell if Labor Is Starting: Signs You Shouldn't Ignore
There is one criterion above all to consider when wondering whether the contractions of early labor have really started.
What is it? Time . It is a duty for the future mother to give herself time.
This is an essential aspect to understand if we are still going through the early stages of the disease.
During the latter, if you have chosen to give birth in hospital, you do not yet have to make any arrangements to reach the facility.
In any case, remember that it is not necessary to do anything to speed up the process from the outside.
After this necessary premise, I get to the heart of the situations in which the waves of labor are materializing.
I am specifically addressing future fathers, inviting them to observe their significant other.
If a woman is experiencing the waves of labor, it is easy for her to be focused exclusively on herself and her body and much less on what is happening around her.
Compared to the waves that characterize the prodrome period, those of labor involve easily recognizable reactions.
In fact, the woman in labor changes her breathing rhythm and positions.
Another factor to take into consideration when wondering how to recognize early labor contractions is the duration of the waves , which must be at least one minute.
Regularity also plays a crucial role. The labor waves, in fact, appear at intervals of 3 - 5 minutes from each other.
When all the criteria listed in these lines are met , women who have chosen to give birth in hospital must wait 2 - 3 hours before moving from home to the health facility.
The essential thing is to avoid going to the hospital too early.
The risk, in fact, is that of blocking the entire process.
The activating elements connected to physical movement - new environment, need to interact with healthcare personnel, etc. - can negatively influence that wonderful natural process that is the onset of labor.
It is no coincidence that, in the previous lines, I have brought time into play.
Giving it to yourself is essential and allows you to understand if labor has started well .
Once the above-mentioned period of time has passed, you can obviously calmly move towards the place you have chosen to give birth to your puppy.
What to do in the hours between the start of contractions and the moment you leave the house?
There are no strict guidelines. What matters is that the atmosphere is one of well-being and comfort for the future mother.
The woman in labor can, for example, begin to experiment with some positions that will be useful to her during the active phase.
Another idea is to use the help of a fitball.
Also not to be forgotten is the possibility of experimenting with the all-fours position .
In this case, the knees should be wider than the hips and the weight should be concentrated on the hands, which in turn should be placed on the ground on a minimally soft surface (a yoga mat is fine).
I conclude by recalling the importance of putting all the activating elements on standby .
Phone calls and photos to relatives will come at a later time.
The waves of labor, in fact, must be characterized by listening to your body and the signals that the baby who is about to come into the world sends .
