I think I'm giving birth! or How to understand that labor has begun At work, I often come across the fact that a married couple is worried that they will miss the onset of labor and will not make it to the maternity hospital on time. Usually both spouses are worried, and it’s unlikely that the husband worries less... And usually these experiences look something like this: - how can I understand that the pain is actually contractions? - what if labor starts unnoticed, and I miss time? - how will I understand, what exactly is the amniotic fluid that has broken? - how long can a child stay without water in the womb? - and if we get stuck in a traffic jam, how much time do I have without giving birth in the car? - is it better to choose a maternity hospital closer to home? - maybe it’s better to go to bed maternity hospital in advance? Of course, your attending physician and the ultrasound doctor have already told you more than once about the expected date of birth (EDD). And you yourself probably calculated this significant day, armed with “magic” circles and calendars? ;) Let's check it out. To get the expected date of birth, use the following formula: From the last date of menstruation (the first day of menstruation), subtract 3 months and add 7 days. For example, your PM was on January 11. Minus 3 months is October 11th. And plus 7 days is October 18. This is the PDR. Did it work out? When calculating the approximate date of birth, it is worth remembering that your baby will probably be born into this world when he is ready. Of course, he will try to please you if you tell him what day there will be a birthday cake and candles. But you should also be lenient with him. Therefore, let’s consider it absolutely normal if your baby is born two weeks before “your due date,” or two weeks later. Delivery between 37 and 41 weeks of pregnancy is considered a full-term birth. And only 5% of children end up in the PDR. I’ll tell you one story from my client about this: The closer the time came to giving birth, the more clearly I understood that I didn’t want the expected date of birth that was announced to me by the ultrasound doctor and my gynecologist! I’m superstitious, but when it came to my child, especially the long-awaited one, I realized that I didn’t want to give birth on a “bad day.” And this is exactly what the date 08.08.08 was called by all and sundry. And the stars seemed to have risen incorrectly, and numerology had let me down. I spent the remaining time before the important event saying “mind me,” and when the time came to give birth, I firmly decided to do it on 08/07/08 or 08/09/08. Therefore, in the early morning of August 7, my stomach hurt, not severely, but boringly, and I got ready. At 9.00 am, I, my husband and my suitcases arrived at the maternity hospital in the south of the city. The doctor looked at me and wondered what to do with me... It’s scary to let me go home, but there seems to be nothing to put me in the maternity hospital, because... There’s something really sluggish going on there. In short, they sent me for a walk for about three hours, just to be sure. During the walk, I actively paced and persuaded my son that today was a great day to get to know this world. At 12.00 they looked at me again, thought about it, and finally admitted me to the maternity hospital. I rubbed my hands contentedly. Then I didn’t know how all this happened, so I decided that if I was in the maternity hospital, then I was giving birth! This means that I won and successfully escaped from the hated date 08/08/08! I won’t torment you with the boring details of my schedule 08/07/08. Let me just say that labor remained sluggish, or I even invented it, and the contract doctor agreed to meet me. In general, I didn’t give birth that day. But I wasn't going to give up. Going to bed (in the maternity hospital), I made plans to give birth on 08/09/08. I firmly decided that I would hold out no matter what happened. Moreover, nothing foreshadowed the active development of events. I calmed down and fell asleep. At 7.00 am on 08.08.08 I woke up from SEVERE PAIN IN THE ABDOMEN AND LOWER. It's funny to you?! At 9.00 o’clock I realized that I would never make it until 08/09/08. As you already understand, I gave birth on 08/08/08 at 17.30. Son. Apparently, everyone is born when he is ready and has to, and not when it is convenient or desirable for us. By the way, I want to say that my son is handsome, smart and healthy. Everything is fine with us. True, if hewhat he has decided (what hat to wear or what to eat), it is impossible to convince him otherwise. As he decided, so he will do it! :) Well, you and I smiled a little, and now we can move on. :) We all usually worry a little before giving birth. And how can we understand that this moment is close? During the last two to three weeks of pregnancy, a woman often experiences new, unfamiliar sensations and harbingers of labor. Let's find out! * About one to two weeks before birth, the baby's head begins to move down into the pelvis, preparing for birth. It is thus, as it were, attached and adjusted to the pelvic bones, to the “place of the beginning of events.” When this happens, you may feel easier to breathe as your diaphragm lowers, reducing pressure on your chest and upper abdomen. Sometimes women say: “Have I been flying for the last few days?!”, such lightness sometimes appears. Usually this is visible from the outside and your family or your doctor may say that “the tummy has dropped.” * Two to three weeks before giving birth, the expectant mother may experience nagging pain in the lower abdomen and pain in the lumbar region. They are similar in nature to pain during menstruation. If such pain is not severe and passes, i.e. it is irregular, don't be alarmed. You are preparing for childbirth, and the muscles of the uterus are also preparing for childbirth. She contracts and relaxes, as if testing her strength before the important work ahead. These sensations are called training/preparatory/false contractions or Braxton-Higx contractions. *Shortly before labor begins, you will be able to observe the mucus plug coming out. She “lives” in the cervix, as if clogging the baby’s “house”. The mucus plug may come off in the form of a thick and sticky discharge, similar to a gel. If you find yourself with a mucus plug coming out, be sure to call your doctor (if you have an agreement or contract), because... labor may begin in the next 24 hours (or the very next few days). With the onset of labor, we begin to feel a cramping, pulling pain in the lower abdomen (the lower back can also join). Such painful sensations will be of a regular nature! In most cases, when labor begins, the contraction lasts about 30-50 seconds, and the rest period lasts about 15-10 minutes. After a few hours (usually about 7), contractions become more frequent, and the rest between them is reduced to 5-3 minutes. It is important to be able to count contractions correctly, because It is thanks to this calculation that we can accurately determine whether we are in labor or not (and what phase of labor we are in). In any case, while we are at home (in maternity hospitals they can put a special sensor on the tummy that counts contractions, but this is usually done with epidural anesthesia). There are special programs for phones that make this calculation easier (there should be at least three columns on the screen: the time you are in labor, periods of contractions, periods of rest). But it’s better to keep a note on a piece of paper so that you (or your doctor, if asked) can see the dynamics of what is happening. In childbirth preparation classes, you will definitely learn how to do this correctly. If your feelings are strong and you want to prepare for the upcoming birth of a baby, it makes sense to consult a psychologist. In classes to prepare for childbirth, you will definitely answer the following questions for yourself: - How is labor going? - Do I have any warning signs of labor? - How to correctly count contractions? - What is the difference between preparatory contractions and labor? - How to understand that I am in labor? childbirth? - How do I understand what stage of labor I am at? - How should I behave correctly at one or another phase of labor? Check out my book How to Give Birth Easily. Guide to childbirthKaterina Istratova (psychologist, online consultant, author of books and trainings for women)☎️+7916 4015150, ☎️+7929 9020234✒️Sign up for consultation and classes via messengers. The knowledge and practices gained in classes to prepare for childbirth will help you relieve excessive anxiety, behave adequately during childbirth and enjoy the happiest moment - meeting your baby.