Contractions, which are physiological contractions of the uterus, include mainly true contractions and pseudo contractions.
True contractions are one of the main signs of labor. These contractions are irregular and weak at the beginning, but become regular, increase in intensity, lengthen in duration and shorten in interval as time goes by. If the interval is 2-3 minutes and lasts 50-60 seconds.
Pseudo contractions, also known as delayed contractions, are episodic uterine contractions. There are three main characteristics: irregular timing, non-cyclicality, and varying intensity. Pseudocontractions usually start around 6 weeks of pregnancy, but many mothers will not feel them until the middle of pregnancy. In the last months of pregnancy, especially during the last weeks, there are marked irregular contractions.
Precautions
20 to 37 weeks of pregnancy: Preventing preterm labor
Sometimes the arrival of contractions is silent and not always noticeable, so mothers-to-be need to learn how to count contractions so that they are always aware of their body’s condition. If you have more than ten contractions during this period, you should seek medical attention immediately and take medication to suppress contractions to prevent your baby from being born prematurely.
If your contractions are not abnormal and no paroxysm occurs, you don’t need to worry too much, you just need to relax and rest and make sure not to use medication on your own. If contractions are accompanied by stronger pain, or if there is bleeding or water coming from your lower body, please go to the hospital for examination in time.
After 37 weeks of pregnancy: pay attention to the signs of labor
If the contractions are accompanied by abdominal pain, this is the real sign of labor. If you have more than 3 contractions in 10 minutes for your first child or 1 contraction in 10 minutes for your second child, you need to go to the hospital immediately for delivery.
Intrinsic causes of frequent contractions
Frequent contractions indicate that the uterus is unstable and there may be a risk of preterm labor, and there are many reasons for preterm labor, the following are some common causes and risk factors.
1. Inflammation and infection in the uterus (the most common cause).
2. Placental abnormalities: e.g. placenta praevia, early placental abruption.
3. Uterine anomalies: e.g. polygonal uterus, fibroids.
4. Oversized uterus: e.g. multiple births or excessive amniotic fluid.
5. Insufficient cervical atresia (painless dilatation of the cervix).
6. Pregnant women smoke or drink alcohol.
7. Pregnant women have their own diseases: for example, gestational hypertension, thyroid problems, autoimmune diseases.
8. The pregnant woman has a previous history of preterm labor.
9. Pregnant women have excessive, overworked physical activities.
10. Pregnant women who have suffered serious trauma or undergone major surgery.
11. The pregnant woman is too young (less than 17 years old) or too old (more than 35 years old).
12. The fetus itself has congenital abnormalities.
13. Early contractions of the uterus without a cause.
External causes of frequent contractions (preventable contractions)
Some external forces can also trigger strong contractions of the uterus in pregnant women, such as
1. Lifting/carrying heavy objects
Because when lifting/carrying heavy objects, the pregnant woman’s waist and lower abdomen need to be strained, which will cause pressure on the abdomen and therefore stimulate the uterus to contract.
2. Tension, fatigue
In clinical practice, we sometimes encounter pregnant mothers who are in a busy and stressful work environment and are hospitalized because of frequent contractions.
Here’s what you should do
Take a deep breath.
If you are at work
It is best to leave the scene for a while.
Find an airy place to rest.
or talk to the baby in your belly.
It’s a good idea to take a break from work and find a place with good ventilation or talk to your baby to ease your tension.
Why is the pain of uterine contractions more pronounced after delivery for second-time mothers?
The contraction of the uterine muscles after delivery will close the blood vessels around the uterus to reduce the possibility of postpartum hemorrhage. However, this contraction will also cause ischemia of the surrounding blood vessels, lack of oxygen to the tissues and compression of the nerve fibers, thus often causing what we call postpartum contraction pain. This postpartum pain is more pronounced in second-born mothers than in first-born mothers.
When a mother is pregnant with her first baby, her uterine muscle fibers are tighter, which means that the uterine muscles are more elastic, so it doesn’t take much force for the uterus to contract after delivery, and often the pain at this time is similar to the abdominal pain during menstruation. But the second child mother because the uterine muscles have been stretched once, more relaxed, so the contraction will require more force, so the mother’s contraction pain will be more obvious, and even comparable to the pain during childbirth. So the father must take care of comforting the mother of the second child, do not feel as if they have been born once and do not care so much Oh.
The pain of postpartum uterine contractions generally lasts 2-3 days, up to a week, and the mother’s body will produce oxytocin when nursing the baby, promoting uterine contractions, specifically when feeding the mother will feel abdominal pain. But it also illustrates the claim that breastfeeding is beneficial to the mother’s postpartum recovery. In order to promote uterine contraction, mothers can rub their hands together at night before going to bed and massage in a circular motion with their belly button as the center, and choose to sleep on their side to relieve the pain when they are in pain.