What Are Postpartum Contractions?

Postpartum contractions are anticipated symptoms in pregnant women whose calculated time is close.

Changes in a woman’s body sometimes cause anxiety as the day of childbirth approaches. There is no doubt that postpartum contractions are the symptoms that cause the most anxiety and expectations. This is because certain forms of contraction may indicate the onset of labor.

Do you think you can easily identify them?

In this article, we will tell you how contractions vary in the last weeks of pregnancy so you can take the necessary steps.

Prodromal delivery or false alarm

To learn to recognize the contractions that lead to childbirth, you must first know what to expect. Contractions, as the name implies, are contractions of the uterine muscles or the smooth muscle tissue that make up the uterine wall. These contractions create pressure that starts at the top of the uterus and pushes the baby toward the bottom, or cervix.

It is common to notice changes and symptoms in the last weeks of pregnancy that are part of the birth process. In fact, one of the most significant symptoms is the onset of notorious contractions. However, not all contractions involve enlargement and childbirth.

The body should prepare for childbirth progressively in advance, especially when it comes to a woman’s first birth. Irregularity is thus a major feature of the contractions experienced during the prodromal phase of labor.

What should be done during the prodromal labor?

The main feature of prodromal childbirth is that the discomfort usually disappears when changing position or reducing physical activity. So there are some things you can do to reduce the discomfort you feel and promote your own well-being.

These include:

• Hot bath or shower. The water temperature does not have to be really high. Everyone can set the temperature to suit them. The goal is to make the pregnant woman feel comfortable.
• Exercise ball to stretch your back and hips. The ball should sit with your feet at a 90-degree angle to your thighs and at about a 180-degree angle when your feet are opened. The ball must then make lateral, rotating and reciprocating movements.
• Lumbar massage. To do this, you need to hire another person who can do rotating massage movements. He can use a little natural oil; almond, calendula and aloe vera oil.

Identify labor contractions

As labor contractions develop over time and intensity, the pressure on the cervix expands it. This leads to the onset of postpartum symptoms with the baby’s continued “sinking down” and subsequent childbirth.

In order to know for sure whether the symptoms are birth defects and to be able to distinguish them from a false alarm, you need to know more about their special properties:

• Regularity. Birth contractions should be regular in frequency and intensity. The rhythm needs to be maintained for a while so you can be sure that the birth process has started. The regularity of the rhythm should last for at least an hour.
• Duration.  Each contraction should also last for one minute from start to finish.
• Detection. Women perceive contractions in different ways. However, it is certain that they do not usually go unnoticed. Pain is not so much a symptom because it is subjective. However, it is important to notice what is happening to you so that when you feel severe pain and the above symptoms occur, they are likely to be labor contractions.

What should you do if you have postpartum contractions?

• If you are convinced that you have birth defects, stay calm and prepare to go to the maternity clinic.
• Try to relax.
• Use the clock to time the contractions.
• Stay calm if you notice fetal movements.
• Ask a family member to come with you.
• Take your baby carrier, suitcase and any pregnancy papers you need.
• Go to a maternity clinic or the nearest hospital.