home Calculators How labor begins, how long contractions last before childbirth. Proper discharge guarantees normal recovery. When and how much

How labor begins, how long contractions last before childbirth. Proper discharge guarantees normal recovery. When and how much

2011-07-10 17:58:39

Irina asks:

Hello! I have a 7-year-old child, there were no problems with pregnancy, but I had a cesarean section because the doctor, during an examination before the birth, said that there was something in the cervix and it would not open. Over time, I was examined and nothing suspicious was found. Now new husband and during my first pregnancy at 13-14 weeks I had a flu temperature of 38.8. But before that, the hCG was too low, although everything was wonderful on the ultrasound. At 16-17 weeks I started having contractions, after which the doctor said that the baby froze at 13-14 weeks. A month after my period, I am pregnant and the baby is attached to the uterine scar after a cesarean section. Diagnosis of pregnancy not developing or frozen pregnancy.
We were advised to have a spermogram. The results are as follows:
Physico-chemical investigations
Volume 8.2 ml
color white-gray
turbidity and cloudy mucus clots
Full liquefaction hour up to 20 minutes
h" is 0.3-0.4 cm
the smell of chestnut flowers
Sperm pH 7.4-7.6
quantity in 1 ml 50 million/ml
total capacity of ejaculate 410 million
live 50%
dead 50%
Morpholo-kinetic investigation
normokinesis 1 year - 23%; 4 year 11%; 8 year - 7%
hypokinesis 8%; 8%; 6%
dyskinesis 7%; 8%; 5%
akinesis 62% 73% 82%
Differential spermiogram
normal shape 30%
young and old up to 0.5%
degenerative forms70%
pathology of the head 1%
pathology of the neck/body 32%
tail pathology 2%
mixed pathology 35%
clitini spermatogenesis (spermatids, spermatocytes of the second order) up to 0.5%
leukocytes (neutrophil groups, lymphocytes) (400x) 2-4-5 per p/z, local accumulation in mucus up to 60-70 per p/z
red blood cells -
epitheliocytes (squamous epithelium) + the same cells, local accumulation
rich-nuclear giant litini (400X) not detected//pseudo-rich nuclear ideoni 0-1 in p/z
spermatophages -
spermaglutination after 1 year -
Lipoid/amyloid bodies +++ (value
crystal seeds -
mucus (diffuse) + local fragments, accumulated microflora -
Fertility indicator 127
Just a reminder about the rental rate before closing: The rental rate has been reduced. Asthenoteratozoospermia is dying. Local elements of a non-specific ignition process.
My husband is 25 years old, an athlete (ballet)
I'm 31 years old

There is no ureaplasma, mycoplasma, or chlamydia, although the urologist said that the problem is at the cellular level, given that the channel is red.
I did all the tests except urea, mycoplasma and chlamydia.
Tell me what to do next. Thanks a lot! I'm sorry for the mistakes.

Answers Medical consultant of the website portal:

Hello Irina! Judging by the spermogram result and the conclusion, your husband’s sperm contains a large number of abnormal sperm, and activity healthy cells markedly reduced, which may be the cause of infertility. These changes may be a manifestation inflammatory process(the signs of which are also evident), which must be treated. It is recommended that your husband take a second sperm test (2 weeks after the previous one) and take the results to an in-person appointment with a urologist, where the doctor will make a final diagnosis and determine the type of treatment your husband needs. Take care of your health!

The expectant mother has been waiting for nine months to meet her baby. What will it be like? Who does he look like? Will he be calm or moody?

Many questions begin to swirl in a pregnant woman's head as she approaches 38 weeks.

But, perhaps, the main ones are: How will the contractions go? Is it painful to give birth? And when is it time to go to the maternity hospital?

Norms and numbers for pregnant women

During an observation with an obstetrician-gynecologist, every pregnant woman hears from the doctor the expected date of birth.

As a rule, it is calculated based on the date of the first day last menstrual period, adding 38 weeks to it. This is the most common method, although there are others. That is, a woman must prepare to become a mother at a certain time.

But why exactly 38 weeks?

A pregnancy is considered full-term at 38 weeks. Starting from 41.5 weeks, pregnancy can already be called post-term.

Delivery should ideally occur between 38 and 41 weeks, but many women give birth to healthy babies at both 36 and 42 weeks.

Therefore, we need to talk not about a specific date of birth, but about expected interval.

The first swallows are the harbingers of childbirth

So, the woman calculated for herself the interval of dates on which childbirth should occur.

They can give you confidence in an early delivery personal feelings future mother.

They are called harbingers of childbirth. This:

Dropping of the abdomen;
Expansion of the pelvic bones;
Braxton Hicks contractions (more on that below);
Removal of the mucus plug;
Discharge of amniotic fluid;
Lower back pain;
Change in appetite.

Precursors may not necessarily all appear, and some of them may well occur even 2 weeks before the onset of labor.

Noting changes in well-being characteristic of precursors, a woman should understand that childbirth with contractions and other delights is just around the corner.

What are contractions?

Real labor begins with contractions. They are contractions of the uterine muscles, which are accompanied by aching pain in the lower abdomen or lower back. The pain can also be irritating.

Something similar woman feels during menstruation.

During contractions, the uterus becomes toned, that is, it becomes rigid and elastic. When the contraction ends, the stomach relaxes. Women with tall pain threshold They may not even feel pain at the very beginning of labor. They can only be noticed by the periodically tense stomach.

Contractions do not cause constant discomfort to a pregnant woman; they are periodic.

At first, pauses between contractions range from 15-20 minutes. Then they become shorter and shorter (3-5 minutes), and contractions become more intense. During contractions, the cervix dilates. Obstetricians monitor the correctness and stability of the process of its opening.

How do you know when contractions are starting?

Typical story: a woman arrives at the maternity hospital, screams that she is having contractions, and after some time calmly goes home. It underlies more than one comedy about childbirth and the life of pregnant women.

What makes expectant mother rush in maternity hospital with insistent demands for immediate delivery?

These are false contractions or Braxton Hicks contractions.

To avoid unnecessary worries, not to frighten relatives and not to rouse doctors for no reason, you need to be able to distinguish false contractions from real ones:

False contractions are not periodic.
False contractions do not intensify over time.
The pain from false contractions goes away when you change body position, take a bath, etc.
With false contractions, the cervix does not dilate. Even if it is slightly dilated, false contractions do not provoke its further expansion.
To understand that real contractions are beginning, you need to time the intervals between them. At first they can be 15-20 minutes, then reduced to 5 minutes, later to 3 (at this time the woman should already be in the maternity hospital).
Also, real contractions may be accompanied by bloody discharge - this is the mucus plug coming off.

Pain during contractions

It so happens that women give birth to children in suffering. The most severe pain is during contractions that accompany the first stage of labor. Their result is the opening of the cervix, through which the child will subsequently emerge.

Pain during contractions increases gradually.

At first, the intervals between contractions are long, and the pain is practically not felt. Over time, the intensity of contractions intensifies and the intervals become shorter.

However, no matter how strong the pain is, nature organizes everything in such a way that a woman can easily rest for that a short time when the contraction subsides.
If you look objectively at the nature of pain during contractions, it becomes noticeable that only 30% of painful sensations have a real basis.

As the fetus passes through the birth canal, it puts pressure on soft fabrics, ligamentous apparatus uterus, perineum, when the uterus contracts, it bursts nerve endings which causes severe pain.

The remaining 70% is caused by fear of childbirth. Future mom afraid of suffering, fears for his life and the health of the baby. “Horror stories” told by more experienced friends also play a significant role.

So one of the most important things before giving birth is correct emotional state.

Help during contractions

Every woman dreams of painless childbirth. How nice it would be if a good doctor gave an injection at the beginning of labor, and the child was born without pain and suffering!

To be honest, there is this kind of pain therapy, but it should only be used when in case of emergency as prescribed by a doctor.

And for women in labor whose physiological process of childbirth proceeds without problems, there are methods of self-anesthesia:

Breathing techniques.
Special positions practiced during active labor.
Massage.

Self-anesthesia techniques are quite simple to perform. Their implementation does not require special abilities, but you still need to practice before giving birth.

Pregnant women can become familiar with these techniques in classes at maternity schools, which are often held at antenatal clinics, or in specialized centers for effective parenting.

When to go to the maternity hospital

So, it’s time to answer one of the main questions: when is it time to go to the maternity hospital.

You can’t be late here, but going to the maternity hospital early is also undesirable.

Firstly, scary stories roommates are not beneficial to a pregnant woman about to give birth.

Secondly, constant anticipation of childbirth negatively affects emotional state women.

Third, it is quite possible that doctors will begin to stimulate labor with the help of medications.

You need to go to the maternity hospital in one of the following cases:

When regular contractions occur.
WITH at this moment a pregnant woman can already be called a woman in labor. As soon as the intervals between contractions have reached 10-15 minutes, you can get ready for the maternity hospital.

We talked about contractions in detail above.

When bloody discharge.

The appearance of bloody discharge may indicate the passage of the mucous plug, which accompanies the opening of the cervix. However, blood in the discharge may also indicate placental abruption, which is life-threatening for both mother and baby.

Therefore, in this case, contacting the maternity hospital should be immediate.

When amniotic fluid breaks.
In this case, you should not wait until contractions begin, as any delay can be dangerous for the child’s life.

The discharge of amniotic fluid should occur when the cervix is dilated by 4-5 cm. However, in 15% of pregnancies it occurs even before contractions begin.

You should remember the time when your water broke and immediately go to the maternity hospital. A long period without water is dangerous for the baby due to the development of infections.

In fact, it is very difficult to be “late” for the maternity hospital - rather, this is the lot of third-rate Hollywood comedies. Your body itself will give a clear signal to your mind!

Mommies, remember that childbirth is a normal physiological process. With proper theoretical, physical and emotional preparation, childbirth will take place without problems.

Childbirth is just the road leading to meeting your child - the most beloved person in the world!

Childbirth is over, a wonderful newborn is in your arms, you are in the postpartum ward or at home. The first hours and days after giving birth have passed.
A time of peace and happiness, but of course you also have enough worries. And your body, by the way, too - for example, establishing milk production for a newborn. If you put your baby to your breast on demand, then everything will be fine.

However, your body has one more important thing to do after giving birth. It is necessary to return the uterus to its pre-pregnancy state (this process is called “involution”). Before birth, the uterus is enlarged 25 times relative to its “pre-pregnancy” size. And after giving birth, she needs to contract. Moreover, it’s not just a matter of size - the faster and better uterus will be reduced, the less blood the woman will lose after childbirth. How does the uterus contract? With the help of contractions.

How, again? Contractions again?

Yes, not very good news. But there is some good news.
Firstly, if this is your first birth, you will not feel these contractions at all or almost at all.
Secondly, if this is not the first birth, there are ways to make it easier painful sensations.

How will you feel?

Postpartum uterine contractions are felt as periodic pain in the lower abdomen, in the area of the uterus, these pains can be quite severe and resemble labor pains. In the American version, these postpartum contractions are briefly and aptly called “afterpains.”
Of course, they are not as powerful and prolonged as during childbirth, but sometimes they are difficult to cope with. After all, during childbirth you have the support of endorphins, and purely psychologically you are ready for the situation, you are determined to live through contractions, you use all methods of assistance - breathing, postures, massage, and shower. Or an epidural if that was your choice. In any case, childbirth is childbirth and you are ready for it and know what to do.
And here - you are not able to deal with any pain or contractions at all - you have a newborn at your chest! In a word, it's unpleasant. But nothing - read on, now we’ll figure out what to do about it.

When and how much?

Postpartum uterine contractions are directly related to breastfeeding - when the baby sucks, your body produces the hormone oxytocin, which causes contractions - both during childbirth and now. In an interesting way we are designed, everything is connected - feeding a child causes increased contractions of the uterus, and this helps us return to normal as quickly as possible, reduces blood loss, promotes speedy recovery after childbirth. And the fact that it hurts us is, well, production costs.
So, every time breastfeeding will be accompanied by contractions for some not very long time.

And if you don't breastfeed, you won't have postpartum contractions? There will be, of course. Maybe they will be less intense and more spread out over time. They will be especially noticeable when you hold the child in your arms, communicate with him, hear his voice, etc. - all this also contributes to the production of oxytocin.

The process of uterine involution takes up to six weeks, but the most discomfort Uterine contractions will occur only in the first days after birth, and after 3-4 days you will stop noticing them.

What helps?

Alarming symptom

Speaking about the fact that pain in the uterine area after childbirth is normal, it is important to note that we're talking about exactly about cramping pain, which are especially noticeable during feeding.

If your stomach hurts constantly and severely, and this is accompanied by a rise in temperature, it is important to consult a doctor, because this may be a sign of inflammation in the uterus. In this case, the doctor will prescribe treatment, most likely antibiotics (again, compatible with feeding).

In conclusion:

Dear mothers, please Get plenty of rest after giving birth! At least for the first few days, try to lie down more. Do not take on any burden other than caring for the child. Yes, I know that it is easy to say, difficult to do, especially if this is not the first birth. But try anyway. Think through and prepare everything you can in advance. It is no coincidence that there is such a thing as before childbirth.
And after giving birth, take care of yourself.
Ask your husband, your mother, friends, etc. for help with housework.
You will still have to spend time in the role of superwoman, but try to put it off for now.
Your child needs you to treat yourself with care.

Very often, after childbirth, a woman faces the problem of pain in the lower abdomen.

There may be several reasons for this phenomenon. Some of them are physiological in nature, some are associated with certain pathological conditions. Let's look at them in more detail and try to understand why the stomach hurts after childbirth, how it hurts and how long these pains can last.

Causes of abdominal pain after childbirth

Pain in the lower abdomen of a cramping nature is associated with the fact that after childbirth the uterus still continues to contract, and this is quite natural process. Doctors perceive complaints about this kind of pain positively. This is explained by the fact that after the birth process, a large amount of oxytocin, the hormone responsible for uterine contractions, is released into the blood. This hormone regulates labor pains.

These pains continue until the uterus returns to its previous state. After all, from the size of a large ball it should decrease to the size of a fist.

These pains may become stronger when a woman begins to breastfeed her baby, because during this physiological process There is also an increased production of oxytocin, which leads to increased uterine contractions.

Typically, such pain in the lower abdomen persists after childbirth for 4-7 days. To reduce pain you can do special exercises. If after childbirth your stomach hurts very much, you should definitely consult with your doctor about prescribing painkillers.

The lower abdomen hurts after childbirth even after surgery. This is also a variant of the norm. After all, after all surgical intervention Painful sensations remain at the incision site for some time. In such a situation, a woman needs to monitor the condition of the seam and maintain hygiene. After a certain time, the pain will stop.

Pulls bottom part abdomen and after curettage, which is done if after childbirth a woman has traces of placenta. After this, the woman feels pain in the lower abdomen for quite a long time.

If a woman had ruptures during childbirth, the stitches may hurt. Moreover, pain from the perineum can move to the lower abdomen. In such a situation there is also no reason to worry, since such pain goes away as the sutures heal.

Another reason for abdominal pain of a physiological nature is that after childbirth you have to re-establish the process of urination. At first this is accompanied by a raw pain and burning sensation, but then everything returns to normal and the pain goes away.

All of the above-described causes of abdominal pain after childbirth are natural, and there is no point in worrying about them.

Pathological abdominal pain after childbirth

But it also happens that abdominal pain can be caused by certain pathological changes in the body that deserve special attention.

Such changes include inflammation of the endometrium, the layer lining the uterus. It can occur after childbirth by caesarean section when the uterus is penetrated pathogens. With endometritis, abdominal pain is accompanied by fever, bloody or purulent discharge.

Sometimes the pain can be caused by exacerbation gastrointestinal diseases. In this case, you need to try to adjust your diet. You should eat little, but quite often, and drink more fluids.

Very often after childbirth a woman loses her appetite. Eating as needed and resulting in constipation can also cause abdominal pain. Therefore, the nutrition of a woman who has given birth to a child should be complete, regular and balanced.

If symptoms occur pathological conditions It is very important to consult a doctor in a timely manner to prevent complications of diseases.

Description:

During the first week after giving birth, you may experience postpartum contractions or uterine contractions. Their intensity varies different women. They are stronger if this is not your first child, because the uterus has to do more work to restore its previous size and shape.

Now that your baby is with you, significant discomfort seems unfair. Do not despair. Remember that postpartum contractions play important role for your recovery. Contractions will be more intense during feeding. Oxytocin, the hormone responsible for milk secretion, also stimulates uterine contractions.

The process of returning the uterus to its original state is called involution. Around the sixth week of the postpartum period, this process will be close to completion. Postpartum contractions can occur at any time during involution, but usually with less intensity than in the first days after birth. The uterus, which simultaneously contained your baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid, returns to its previous size, about the size of your fist.

Symptoms:

In the postpartum period, contractions of the muscles of the uterus are felt as weak cutting pains. True, they stop paying attention to them after two or three days.

Causes:

The baby receives milk from the breast due to the existence of the “trigger” reflex. The sucking movements, the cry of the child, saying that he is hungry, even the very presence of the child in the same room with the mother instantly affects the appearance of a special hormone in the mother’s body - oxytocin. Oxytocin makes you contract muscle fibers around the mammary glands, due to which milk begins to be released through the milk ducts. Oxytocin also causes contraction of the uterine muscles

Treatment:

For treatment the following is prescribed:

If postpartum contractions are bothersome or painful, gently massage your lower abdomen. You will be able to feel your uterus. IN postpartum period it is easy to distinguish: it is dense and about the size of a grapefruit. Try lying on your stomach on a hard pillow to press your uterus against other organs. Another method that women involuntarily use in response to postpartum contractions is to sit in a chair and, leaning forward, press the uterus with the palm of your hand. Gently massaging the abdomen helps even better.

During contractions you can also use breathing exercises, a relaxation technique used during childbirth. But the most The best way- Lie on your back and place the baby on your stomach. Its weight and living warmth best relieve the pain and severity of contractions. Because the uterus does most your work during feedings, then in the same position you can give the baby the breast, using a pillow placed under the arm with which you support the baby’s head.