Cramps are painful contractions of the muscles of the uterus, without which normal childbirth will simply be impossible.
Pain is inevitable
Practically all expectant mothers are sure to ask the same question: what will they experience when the contractions begin? The sensations will not be the most pleasant - this is obvious, but what exactly?
Let's clarify the situation right away: in normal childbirth, contractions cannot be avoided, because they have a very important purpose. These contractions are needed in order for the cervix to open, which is to become a kind of gate to this world for the baby. If this does not happen, you will have to undergo a caesarean section.
It's hard to explain in words what contractions are like, the feeling of them is also difficult to convey. Women who have gone through childbirth claim that every time everything was different. For some, the pain during contractions starts in the lower back, for many it starts in the abdomen. One moment binds all mothers at this moment: if prenatal contractions have begun, any of them will feel the corresponding sensations. That is, everyone immediately understands that the moment X has come, although earlier she was afraid that she would not be able torecognize it.
Breathing and massage will help
Combines women in labor and the fact that after some time, the pain caused by contractions permeates almost the entire body, necessarily “running” through the legs. Most compare the sensations that arise in this case with menstrual pain, however, multiplied tenfold. It is believed that they can be reduced by applying massage and breathing exercises.
When a woman in labor feels only the beginning of contractions, the sensations are not so unbearable. Some women compare them to the usual tension of the abdominal muscles, somewhat reminiscent of Braxton-Hicks contractions. According to them, these sensations cannot even be called painful, rather, they simply cause some inconvenience to the expectant mother.
However, not all representatives of the fair sex agree that the first contractions and the sensations from them do not cause any inconvenience. There are those who feel severe pain from the first minute. But even if you are more fortunate than these women, know that sooner or later the period of almost painless contractions ends.
How long do contractions last?
The duration and intensity of uterine contractions gradually increase, and the time between them, when the pain fades away, is inexorably reduced. At some point, already closer to the minute the baby is born, there will be a feeling of severe pain with almost no interruptions.
Moreover, contractions shortly before childbirth are “joined” by attempts. Their appearancealso does not reduce pain - it is added to it as if a feeling of fullness in the very bottom of the abdomen. From this moment on, you need to gather your will into a fist - in a couple of hours (or maybe much earlier) your baby will be born.
The period while contractions last is considered the first stage of labor activity. It lasts for each woman in different ways - from 6 hours to a day. As a rule, during the second birth, this stage is reduced, because the body works according to a scheme that is already well known to it. It is believed that often in this case the contractions themselves are not so painful, the sensations from uterine contractions seem to be slightly dulled.
