Near the end of a pregnancy and throughout the labor period, women experience contractions, a periodic tightening and relaxing of the uterine muscle leading up to birth. Timing contractions is a useful way to determine whether labor is occurring and how soon the birth will take place. Read on for information on how to time contractions.
Many women describe contractions as a pain that begins in the lower back and moves in a wavelike fashion toward the abdomen. The feeling is described as being akin to menstrual cramps or constipation. With each contraction, the pain is mild at first, it builds to a peak, and then it subsides.
During contractions, the abdomen becomes rigid.
For some women, the pain stays in the lower back area. Contractions feel a little different for everyone.
At the beginning of labor, most contractions last from 60 - 90 seconds and occur every 15 to 20 minutes. They decrease in duration and increase in frequency as labor draws closer
It's common to feel a contraction every now and then in the months leading up to labor. Your body is "practicing" fort the main event, and it's usually no cause for alarm. When your due date approaches and you feel several contractions that seem to be following a regular pattern, time them so you can determine whether you're going into labor.
Many women describe contractions as a pain that begins in the lower back and moves in a wavelike fashion toward the abdomen. The feeling is described as being akin to menstrual cramps or constipation. With each contraction, the pain is mild at first, it builds to a peak, and then it subsides.
During contractions, the abdomen becomes rigid.
For some women, the pain stays in the lower back area. Contractions feel a little different for everyone.
At the beginning of labor, most contractions last from 60 - 90 seconds and occur every 15 to 20 minutes. They decrease in duration and increase in frequency as labor draws closer
It's common to feel a contraction every now and then in the months leading up to labor. Your body is "practicing" fort the main event, and it's usually no cause for alarm. When your due date approaches and you feel several contractions that seem to be following a regular pattern, time them so you can determine whether you're going into labor.
