At pregnancy our body undergoes a hundred physical and hormonal changes. As time passes, anxiety and fear of childbirth it invades us, and the minimum contraction seems to us the beginning of that long-awaited day. But did you know that your body trains, weeks before delivery, with a type of contractions?
Approximately around week 20, and although you may not notice them yet, the first contractions known as Braxton Hicks contractions. Its function is train the uterus for future labor contractions, in addition to soften the cervix and thus facilitate the process of dilatation on the day of delivery. They are also called prodrome of labor or antepartum contractions and it is very easy to differentiate them of true labor contractions:
- Braxton Hicks contractions, as a general rule, are of low intensity And even if at that moment they seem strong you should not worry; with a little break the common thing is that end up disappearing.
- They are characterized by being irregular, unlike labor contractions that are quite regular and increasingly followed by each other as the minutes go by.
- Conclusion Of short duration; they can last about 30 seconds. Labor contractions are long (lasting more than 1 minute).
- Pain (more than pain is a annoying feeling) of the Braxton Hicks is usually located; they do not spread throughout the gut and lower back as occurs in childbirth.
During the day there are approximately about 10 contractions Braxton Hicks. However, if you still have more than 3 weeks to give birth and you feel that these increase in number and intensity, it would be advisable go to your gynecologist or midwife for monitoring in case they were a sign of premature birth.