How early can you have contractions
Braxton Hicks contractions | Pregnancy Birth and Baby
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If you feel tightening or cramping in your abdomen during your pregnancy, you may be having Braxton Hicks contractions. This is normal and not a sign that you’re ready to give birth.
Braxton Hicks contractions are sometimes called ‘false’ or ‘practice’ contractions.
What are Braxton Hicks contractions?
Braxton Hicks contractions are a tightening in your abdomen that comes and goes. They are contractions of your uterus in preparation for giving birth. They tone the muscles in your uterus and may also help prepare the cervix for birth.
Braxton Hicks contractions don’t cause labour and aren’t a sign that labour is beginning.
If you’re not sure whether what you’re experiencing is Braxton Hicks contractions or actual labour, contact your doctor or midwife. They will be able to tell by doing a vaginal examination — if there are no signs that your cervix is changing, it is not labour.
What do they feel like?
Braxton Hicks contractions feel like muscles tightening across your belly, and if you put your hands on your belly when the contractions happen, you can probably feel your uterus becoming hard.
The contractions come irregularly and usually last for about 30 seconds. While they can be uncomfortable, they usually aren’t painful.
If the pain or discomfort of your contractions eases off, they’re probably Braxton Hicks contractions.
When do you get them?
Braxton Hicks contractions occur from early in your pregnancy but you may not feel them until the second trimester. If this is your first pregnancy, you might start to feel them from about 16 weeks. In later pregnancies, you may feel Braxton Hicks contractions more often, or earlier.
Some women won’t feel them at all.
In late pregnancy, you may experience Braxton Hicks contractions more often — perhaps as much as every 10 to 20 minutes. This is a sign that you are preparing for labour — known as prelabour.
How are Braxton Hicks contractions different from labour pain?
There are some differences between Braxton Hicks contractions and true labour contractions that will help your doctor or midwife decide whether you are in labour:
Braxton Hicks contractions:
- don’t result in your cervix thinning and opening
- usually last for about 30 seconds
- can be uncomfortable, but usually aren’t painful
- come and go at irregular times
- usually occur no more than once or twice an hour (until late in the pregnancy), a few times a day
- usually stop if you change position or activity or go for a walk
- usually go if you have a warm bath or shower
Real labour contractions:
- result in your cervix thinning and opening
- last 30 to 70 seconds
- become very regular
- get closer together
- last longer as time goes by
- get stronger or come more often when you walk
- get stronger over time
Should I call my doctor or midwife?
If you are less than 37 weeks pregnant, contractions can be a sign of premature labour.
Contact your doctor or midwife immediately if:
- you feel pain, pressure or discomfort in your pelvis, abdomen or lower back
- the contractions become stronger, closer together and more regular
- there is fluid leaking or gushing from your vagina
If you are full-term, you may choose to wait until a bit later in your labour, depending on what you have arranged with your doctor or midwife. If your waters break, or your contractions are strong and 5 minutes apart, it’s time to go to the hospital.
As any stage of pregnancy, you should contact your doctor or midwife immediately if you:
- you have persistent pain in your abdomen
- you have vaginal bleeding
- you notice your baby’s movements have slowed or stopped
- you feel very unwell
If you are in doubt, don’t hesitate to call your doctor or midwife for advice.
How can I ease the discomfort?
Braxton Hicks contractions are normal and don’t need treatment.
But if you feel uncomfortable, you can try:
- lying down
- taking a walk
- relaxing in a warm bath
- having a massage
It may help to practise your breathing exercises during your Braxton Hicks contractions.
Sources:
Raising Children Network (23 weeks pregnant), RANZCOG (Labour and birth), Elsevier Patient Education (Braxton Hicks Contractions)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: October 2020
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Related pages
- Giving birth - stages of labour
- Health professionals involved in your pregnancy
- Signs of premature labour
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Braxton-Hicks Contractions vs. Real Contractions
Braxton-Hicks Contractions vs. Real ContractionsMedically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI — By Stephanie Watson on January 11, 2018
Final stages of pregnancy
When you’re in the final stages of pregnancy, contractions are like your body’s alarm clock, alerting you that you’re in labor.
Sometimes, though, contractions can sound a false alarm.
These are called Braxton-Hicks contractions, named after the doctor who first described them. You can think of them as practice contractions that get your body ready for your baby’s arrival, but they are not the real thing.
Not sure whether you’re having Braxton-Hicks contractions or real ones? Here’s a guide to help you tell the difference.
What are Braxton-Hicks contractions?
Braxton-Hicks contractions are sometimes called “false labor” because they give you the false sensation that you are having real contractions.
Although they can thin the cervix (the opening of the uterus) as real contractions do, Braxton-Hicks contractions won’t ultimately lead to delivery.
Braxton-Hicks contractions typically start in your third trimester of pregnancy. They’ll arrive from time to time, often in the afternoon or evening and especially after you’ve had an active day. You won’t notice any real pattern, but Braxton-Hicks contractions may come more often the closer you get to your due date.
When a Braxton-Hicks contraction hits, you’ll feel a tightening in your abdomen. It’s not usually painful, but it can be.
Signs you’re having Braxton-Hicks contractions include:
- contractions that come and go
- contractions that don’t get stronger or closer together
- contractions that go away when you change position or empty your bladder
What are real labor contractions?
Real contractions happen when your body releases a hormone called oxytocin, which stimulates your uterus to contract. They’re a signal that your body is in labor:
- For many women, real contractions start at around the 40th week of pregnancy.
- Real contractions that begin before the 37th week can be classified as premature labor.
Real contractions tighten the top part of your uterus to push your baby downward into the birth canal in preparation for delivery. They also thin your cervix to help your baby get through.
The feeling of a true contraction has been described as a wave.
The pain starts low, rises until it peaks, and finally ebbs away. If you touch your abdomen, it feels hard during a contraction.
You can tell that you’re in true labor when the contractions are evenly spaced (for example, five minutes apart), and the time between them gets shorter and shorter (three minutes apart, then two minutes, then one). Real contractions also get more intense and painful over time.
There are other clues that you’re in labor, including these:
- You may see a clump of pinkish or bloody mucus when you use the bathroom. This is called a “bloody show.”
- You may feel like the baby has “dropped” lower in your belly.
- You may experience fluid leaking from your vagina. This is a sign that your “water” (a bag of fluid called the amniotic sac) has broken.
How can you tell the difference?
This chart can help you tell whether you’re in real labor or just “practicing”:
What to do if you’re having contractions
Contractions that only show up from time to time are most likely Braxton-Hicks.
But if they start coming regularly, time them for about an hour. If they get stronger or closer together, you are likely experiencing true labor.
When they’re about five or six minutes apart, it’s probably time to grab your bag and head to the hospital.
If you’re not sure whether you’re really in labor, call your doctor or go to your delivery hospital. You’re better off seeking medical help, even if it turns out to be a false alarm.
It’s especially important to get to the hospital if you’re less than 37 weeks into your pregnancy, the contractions are especially painful, or your water has broken.
Last medically reviewed on January 11, 2018
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How we vetted this article:
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references.
You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
- Braxton Hicks contractions: Causes and treatment. (2017).
americanpregnancy.org/labor-and-birth/braxton-hicks/ - Contractions. (2013).
marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/contractions.aspx - Labor contractions. (n.d.).
babies.sutterhealth.org/laboranddelivery/labor/ld_contractns.html - Signs that labour has begun. (2016).
nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/labour-signs-what-happens.aspx#close - True vs. false labor. (2017).
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9686-true-vs-false-labor
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Current Version
Jan 11, 2018
By
Stephanie Watson
Edited By
Frank Crooks
Medically Reviewed By
Debra Sullivan, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, COI
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Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.
D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI — By Stephanie Watson on January 11, 2018
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Harbingers of childbirth in multiparous - Juno
Harbingers of childbirth in multiparous - Juno -->home
Articles
Harbingers of childbirth in multiparous
With repeated pregnancies, a woman feels more confident than when she bears her first baby. However, before the birth, everyone is worried and thinking about how everything will go. In the article we will tell you how the harbingers of childbirth differ in multiparous and how to recognize them in time.
Contents of the article
Differences in signs in primiparous and multiparous
In a second-born woman, the body quickly adapts to pregnancy and prepares for childbirth. The muscles of the uterus are more elastic, the cervix opens faster. Signs of impending childbirth in multiparous people appear later - closer to the birth of the child. This interval is 1-5 days.
The woman has already felt them before, so they do not cause much surprise and are not felt so strongly. In debutant mothers, the precursors begin earlier - 25-40 days before the upcoming birth.
If more than 8-10 years have passed between pregnancies, the harbingers of childbirth in multiparous women may appear 2-3 weeks before the baby is born. This is due to the fact that the birth canal loses elasticity, and for the body, preparation for childbirth again becomes an unusual phenomenon.
Signs of the second birth can be very different from the first. Each pregnancy is different. The precursors and course of childbirth are affected by the size of the fetus, the presence of diseases, and much more.
Approaching childbirth
The main harbingers of childbirth in multiparous women are similar to the symptoms of the approaching first birth. The differences are in duration and specifics.
Most pregnant women notice drooping of the abdomen, increased training contractions, unusual discharge, nesting instinct before childbirth.
increased intestinal peristalsis. Harbingers of the second birth may be less pronounced, or occur immediately before childbirth. They also have certain differences.
Harbingers of labor in a second-born
Moms who are about to give birth again already know what to expect. Harbingers of the second birth appear several days in advance, and sometimes right before the onset of childbirth. The following signs may indicate that labor will begin soon:
- Abdominal prolapse. The baby is in the correct position. It becomes easier for a woman to breathe, but the pressure in the lower abdomen increases. With the first birth, this happens in a few weeks, and with repeated births, in 2-3 days, sometimes already with the onset of contractions.
- Weight loss. Before childbirth, excess fluid is released. An expectant mother can lose 2-3 kg a week before the upcoming birth - approximately at 38-39 weeks. This symptom is usually similar in those who are carrying a second, third child and pregnant for the first time.
- Allocations. Become more abundant and frequent. Sometimes such a harbinger of childbirth in a multiparous woman can speak of water leakage.
- Removal of the mucous plug. This process occurs 1‒ days before the baby appears during a second pregnancy. The cork looks like a clot of mucus, sometimes streaked with blood. In multiparous, the cervix has a larger lumen, so it opens faster. For those who are expecting a second child, this symptom may indicate a very early birth.
- Breast engorgement. In those who give birth not for the first time, the milk ducts are wider and adapted to breastfeeding. Therefore, some people produce colostrum already from the first trimester, and at a period of 39-40 weeks it becomes more.
- Psychological state. For a period of more than 35 weeks, women note that they become more emotional, sleep worse, their mood often changes. This happens against the background of hormonal changes and is more typical for primiparas, but it also happens in more experienced mothers.
Some women report tachycardia, headache and fever 1-3 days before delivery. - Baby activity. Shortly before the birth, the fetus "calms down" because it becomes cramped in the stomach, and it also "accumulates" strength. Reduced activity of the child during repeated births is noted 2-3 days before the opening of the cervix.
- Colon cleansing. Such a harbinger of childbirth in multiparous women occurs closer to the 39th week. The woman begins to go to the toilet more often, constipation disappears, if any.
- Neck ripening. This can only be determined on examination by a gynecologist or ultrasound. A ready (smoothed and short) neck is a harbinger of an early birth in multiparous women and indicates that contractions will begin soon. An immature cervix is more common in primiparas - with a second birth, this is a very rare occurrence.
Preparatory signs are associated with the physiological preparation of the body for the appearance of the baby.
In a second-born woman, this process occurs much faster. Childbirth can start abruptly and pass quickly. Therefore, carefully monitor your condition. Harbingers of labor in multiparous women may also indicate preterm labor if they are noted before 36 weeks.
There is also the opposite situation, when the harbingers of the second birth do not appear at all - childbirth immediately begins.
Start of labor
For each expectant mother, the process of labor activity is launched individually. Some women have a familiar scenario: contractions increase gradually, and the intervals between them are reduced. Others, especially mothers of many children, may have a rapid birth - immediately with active and intense contractions.
As a rule, multiparous women always have forerunners of childbirth. It's just that someone feels them more strongly, and sometimes a woman simply does not have time to come to her senses, because immediately after the precursors, labor begins.
For example, familiar training bouts can turn into real ones.
The approach of the second and subsequent births can be determined by contractions with an interval of 20-30 minutes. There is no acute pain at first, but it gradually intensifies. After 2-5 hours, more active uterine contractions will begin, at which the cervix will open up to 4-5 cm. However, for some, everything happens faster, so you need to go to the hospital if the contractions go in 10-15 minutes. In multiparous, there is a very rapid opening of the cervix. If you gave birth quickly enough for the first time, then go to the hospital at the very first signs.
Sometimes labor activity begins with the outpouring of amniotic fluid or the appearance of bloody discharge. Waters can depart at once completely or pour out in parts. As for the discharge, it may be a cork - in this case, they are not too abundant, with red-brown streaks. If there is bleeding - the pad gets wet quickly, then you need to immediately go to the hospital, as this may be a sign of placental abruption.
Then a caesarean section is indicated - it is done under general or epidural anesthesia.
Childbirth can be premature - before 37 weeks. By the end of the second trimester, it is advisable to prepare a bag with documents, essentials for yourself and your baby. The lists in all maternity hospitals are different, but you will definitely need a shirt, bathrobe, slippers, hygiene items, postpartum pads, diapers, hats, socks and diapers for the baby.
Sometimes experienced mothers are more afraid of childbirth than those giving birth for the first time. They already know that contractions can be extremely painful. However, fear interferes with effective labor activity. Relax and tune in to the good, especially today, women in labor are facilitated with the help of anesthesia, they are told how to breathe, and conditions are created for a favorable stay and birth of the baby.
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Harbingers of childbirth - How to understand that it is time to go to the hospital?
January 10, 2017
Alekseeva Inna
Obstetrician-gynecologist, Doctor of the highest category
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Every pregnant woman with excitement and joy awaits the upcoming birth. The closer the cherished date, the more attentively the expectant mother listens to the changes taking place in her body and in the behavior of the baby. Of course, the expectant mother wants to know by what signs it is possible to understand that childbirth is just around the corner.
It is customary to call the harbingers of childbirth external, really tangible changes in the body, which are direct preparation for the onset of labor. The tissues of the birth canal - the cervix, vagina, vulva, perineum - become quite elastic, extensible, but at the same time - very strong and resistant to tearing. The cervix is located in the center of the vaginal vault, shortens by almost half its normal length and softens significantly. The cervical canal - the lumen of the cervix connecting the uterine cavity with the vagina - opens slightly, as a result, the diameter of the cervical canal is approximately 2-2.
5 cm. Of course, such a significant "perestroika" takes more than one day.
Female sex hormones are responsible for preparing for childbirth. During the nine months of pregnancy, progesterone "reigns" in the body of the expectant mother. It ensures the normal tone of the uterus (relaxed state of the muscles), the production of cervical mucus - a mucous plug in the cervix that protects the fetus from infection. The amount of progesterone during pregnancy largely determines the normal development and growth of the fetus, the necessary concentration of nutrients and oxygen in the mother's blood, as well as their timely and uninterrupted delivery to the baby.
Shortly before childbirth, the production of progesterone decreases markedly, it is replaced by estrogens - female sex hormones. The increase in estrogen in the blood is caused by the need to prepare the body for the upcoming birth. It is these hormones that are responsible for the elasticity and patency of the birth canal.
The rate of cervical dilatation in the first stage of labor depends on them. In the second period, when the cervix is fully opened and the fetus passes through the birth canal, it is also very important how elastic and extensible the walls of the vagina are - this will largely determine the duration of the straining period. Finally, the onset of labor itself depends on the level of estrogen: contractions occur as a result of a nerve impulse that is caused by a certain level (“peak”) of estrogen accumulation.
These changes are normal and do not require an unscheduled visit to the doctor or hospitalization. Harbingers of childbirth are manifestations of a planned restructuring in the body of a future mother, the “finishing touches” of preparation for the upcoming joyful event.
The absence of clearly perceptible changes on the eve of the expected date of birth is also not a pathology. Not all expectant mothers note those changes in well-being that are commonly called harbingers.
However, this does not mean that there is no preparation. In some cases, the “final preparations” go unnoticed by the pregnant woman. Therefore, do not worry or urgently contact a specialist.
The appearance of any of the "harbingers" indicates the likelihood of the development of regular labor activity over the next two hours - two weeks. None of the sensations described gives a 100% guarantee that a woman will become a mother within the next 24 hours. Hormonal changes before childbirth begin approximately two weeks before the expected birth. Theoretically, during these two weeks, at any time, a pregnant woman can notice certain changes in her state of health. Consequently, the absence of labor activity an hour, a day, or even a week after the first noted changes is not a pathology and does not require special medical advice.
- Scarlet discharge from the genital tract in any amount.
- Severe abdominal pain.
- Increased blood pressure (above 130/80 mmHg).
- An increase in body temperature to 37.5 ° C and above.
- Increased heart rate (more than 100 beats per minute).
- Severe headache, vomiting, blurred vision.
- Significant increase in edema.
- Absence, sharp decrease, sharp increase in fetal movements.
- Suspicion of amniotic fluid leakage.
Weight loss . Shortly before the expected date of delivery, the expectant mother may notice some “weight loss”. Weight loss during this period is associated with the removal of excess fluid from the body, that is, a general decrease in edema. The more pronounced the fluid retention during pregnancy, the more mass the pregnant woman will “lose” on the eve of childbirth. During pregnancy, water is retained in the body of all expectant mothers to a greater or lesser extent. The reason is progesterone - a hormone whose main function is to support the processes of pregnancy.
Before childbirth, progesterone is replaced by estrogen. It is estrogen that removes excess fluid from the body. The first results are visible on the hands, feet and legs. Depending on the severity of edema, weight loss before childbirth varies from 0.5 to 2.5 kg.
Change of stool. Increased frequency and change in the consistency of physiological functions on the eve of childbirth is also associated with an increase in estrogen levels and the removal of fluid from the body of the future mother. Similar changes in the body of a non-pregnant woman are observed during menstruation. The chair can become more frequent up to 2-3 times a day, at the same time there may be some liquefaction of the feces. More frequent urge to defecate, a sharp change in the color and smell of feces, combined with nausea and vomiting, is a reason for consulting a doctor - food poisoning can be masked under such "harbingers".
Fundal prolapse.
Shortly before delivery, the baby presses the presenting part (most often the head) against the lower segment of the uterus and pulls it down, pressing against the entrance to the small pelvis. The fetus "groups", taking the most advantageous position for itself at the time of the onset of contractions. As a result of such "preparations" from the side of the fetus, the uterus "sags", and its upper part - the bottom - ceases to exert pressure on the internal organs. After lowering the bottom of the uterus, the pregnant woman has no shortness of breath (it becomes easier to breathe, there is a feeling of a full breath). If in the last month the expectant mother had belching, heartburn, a feeling of heaviness in the stomach after eating, these phenomena disappear when the bottom of the uterus descends. However, lowering down to the pelvic area, the uterus will put more pressure on the internal organs located there. The pelvic organs, in particular, include the bladder. It is located directly in front of the uterus, in its lower part.
Behind the uterus, at a distance of several centimeters, there is an ampulla of the rectum - the output section of the intestine. It is not difficult to guess what the result of pressure on the bladder and rectum will be: the urge to go to the toilet before childbirth can become noticeably more frequent.
Isolation of the mucous plug. During pregnancy, the glands of the mucous membrane of the cervical canal (the lumen of the cervix) secrete a special secret. It is a thick, sticky, jelly-like mass that forms a kind of cork. The mucous plug completely fills the cervical canal, preventing the penetration of bacterial flora from the vagina into the uterine cavity. Thus, cervical mucus, or the mucous plug of the cervix, protects the fetus from ascending infection. Before childbirth, when the cervix begins to soften under the influence of estrogen, the cervical canal opens slightly and the cervical mucus contained in it can be released. In this case, the expectant mother may find small clots of yellowish-brownish mucus, transparent, jelly-like, odorless.
The mucous plug can stand out at once or depart in parts during the day. In the latter case, slight discomfort is sometimes noted in the form of "sipping" in the lower abdomen, reminiscent of sensations before or during menstruation. However, most often, the release of the mucous plug is not accompanied by tangible changes in the well-being of the expectant mother. After the discharge of the mucous plug, it is not recommended to visit the pool, swim in the reservoirs and in the bath. When immersed in water, it fills the vagina; thus, in the absence of a mucous plug, the risk of infection of the fetus and membranes through the ajar cervix increases.
Training contractions. Training or false contractions are called such contractions that appear shortly before childbirth and are not actually labor activity, since they do not lead to the opening of the cervix. A contraction is essentially a single contraction of the uterine wall; this contraction usually lasts a few seconds.
At the time of the contraction, the expectant mother feels a gradually increasing and then gradually decreasing tension in the abdomen. If at this moment you put your hand on your stomach, you can notice that the stomach becomes very hard, but after the contraction it completely relaxes and becomes soft again. In addition to involuntary tension of the uterus, other changes in the well-being of the expectant mother during false contractions are usually not noted. It is not difficult to distinguish training fights from real ones. In most cases, false contractions are weak, painless, irregular or alternating at a significant interval (30 minutes or more). Labor pains, on the contrary, are distinguished by regularity and a gradual increase in intensity. Unlike false contractions, real contractions lead to a visible result - the opening of the cervix. In doubtful cases, a simple obstetric examination will be enough to make an accurate diagnosis. In other cases, training contractions, like all harbingers of childbirth, do not require a visit to a doctor or hospitalization.
False contractions may recur for several hours and then stop. Most often, they disturb a pregnant woman in the evening and morning hours for several days.
Discomfort. In the last weeks before giving birth, many pregnant women report discomfort in the lower abdomen and in the area of the sacrum (the area slightly below the waist). Such changes in
the well-being of the expectant mother is caused by sprain of the pelvic ligaments and increased blood flow to the pelvic organs. Usually these minor sensations, described as a feeling of "light languor" in the lower abdomen, are comparable to similar phenomena in the period before or during menstruation. Discomfort, like training contractions, more often disturbs the expectant mother in the morning and evening hours. The level of discomfort is minimal, it should not worry the expectant mother and does not require medical intervention.
All harbingers of childbirth can appear during the last two weeks before childbirth, their presence, as well as their absence, is the norm and does not require a visit to a doctor.
