Why does the lower back hurt before childbirth. What labor pains look like. Can contractions be only in the back?

• Pain as during an intestinal disorder
• Lower back pain
• Pain in unexpected places
• Contractions without pain

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QEAna: There are such hard beds in the pregnancy pathology department that every morning I thought that I had contractions (pain in my back, as during menstruation, was definitely observed), but when real contractions began, I realized that you couldn’t confuse them with anything, that’s for sure!

mama_Levika: Two weeks before the birth, it starts to prick a little in the lower abdomen, it seems that the contractions, but, girls! You can’t confuse contractions with anything, don’t rush to call an ambulance ...

What are contractions

So, there comes a time when your child is ready to be born. Labor begins, which many expectant mothers recognize by painful contractions. But what is a “fight” and what happens at this moment?

” A contraction is an involuntary contraction of the smooth muscles of the uterus of a wave-like nature. It is they who allow you to open the cervix - the only "way out" for the child.

To imagine how the muscles of the uterus move, remember a crawling snail: a wave passes along its sole from tail to head, and tensed muscles push it forward. The same thing happens with the uterus: not all of it tenses at the same time.

The upper part of the uterus is more "muscular". It is she who squeezes the fetal bladder. As you remember from the school physics course, a liquid easily changes shape, but practically does not change volume. So fertilized egg begins to press hard on the lower part of the uterus - here muscle fibers smaller, so that it does not shrink, but, on the contrary, stretches. The main pressure falls on the cervix - the "weak link" of the muscle bag. The fetal bladder literally wedges in there: the anterior waters (amniotic fluid in front of the baby) press the fetal bladder into the birth canal and push it apart.

” It is believed that in the uterus there is a dominant focus of excitation, localized more often in its right corner (“pacemaker”), from here the wave of contractions spreads to all muscles and goes in a downward direction.

A woman cannot control contractions, unlike attempts, in which both muscles, perineum, and muscles of the abdominal wall, and the diaphragm are involved. That is why in last period childbirth, the midwife asks the woman to push or, on the contrary, to hold back for a few seconds. Indeed, we all can tighten the muscles of the press, but it is absolutely impossible to strain, for example, the muscles of the stomach by willpower.

During tension and stretching of the uterus, blood flow to its muscles is blocked (if you clench your fist with all your might, you will see how certain areas of the skin turn white), and the nerve endings leading to the uterus are compressed. This is what determines the sensations that arise: the pain is dull, periodic (“it will grab it, then it will let go”), and most importantly, it is perceived by all women in different ways (depending on the location of the child, the uterus, and also on where the nerve endings are most compressed ). But the pain during attempts, which is caused by the movement of the child through the birth canal, is perceived by all women in labor in the same way: discomfort is concentrated in the vagina, rectum, perineum, and the pain is quite acute.

That is why the sensations during contractions raise so many questions - is it really contractions or, for example, osteochondrosis? Let's look at the most typical examples of pain!

Pain like period

Unpleasant sensations are localized in the lower abdomen and resemble pain during the onset of menstruation.

Lyalechka: the pain is like during menstruation, only worse.

CB1980: contractions were similar to menstruation at the beginning.

As a rule, women in labor who perceive contractions as “pain during menstruation” also feel the occurrence - "petrification" of the abdomen.

Pain as during an intestinal disorder

Pain in the abdomen during contractions for many expectant mothers resembles the discomfort of an intestinal disorder, cramping attacks that accompany diarrhea.

ANelli: at the beginning it didn’t hurt, just a feeling that you want to go to the toilet in great need, and when you go to the toilet early in the morning with an interval of 20-30 minutes, but there is no result, you understand that the intestines have nothing to do with it!

Zuleyka: I thought that I was poisoned by something the day before, my stomach was twisting so much ...

By the way, immediately before childbirth, the work of the intestine is really activated, the stool can be repeated.

Lower back pain

Quite often, the lumbar region becomes a source of pain: “pulls”, “grabs”.

vedetta: I had such pains - it seized the lower back and the pain rose from the bottom up the back and stomach. And then she also went down and passed. To be honest, it doesn't look like a period...

Tanyusha_I will be a mother: unexpectedly, my lower back began to ache every 15 minutes and then decrease a little bit ... I immediately did not wait and went to the maternity hospital.

The phenomenon of back pain has two explanations: the pain can radiate to the lower back, or be felt lower, in the coccyx area - most likely it is caused by the divergence of the pelvic bones.

Pain in unexpected places

Sometimes the pain can radiate to the most unexpected places, so that the woman in labor complains that, for example, her hips or ribs hurt.

Alma: contractions began - and it hurts in the side and gives to the kidney and leg!

Most often, women identify radiating pain as "kidney pain", especially if they have experienced them before. Pain in the hips, knees, numbness of the legs - may be the result of clamping large blood vessels lower abdomen.

Contractions without pain

This also happens, especially at the very beginning of childbirth. Feelings, however, are rather unpleasant. Expectant mothers usually feel how the uterus comes into tone for a few seconds - the stomach “stiffens”, then relaxes again. Similar sensations arise if, during contractions, you make .

Ksyusha_SD: I kept walking and thinking, but how will I understand that this is it, it has begun? I felt good, with appetite, too, there were no changes. Really understood, only when the contractions began - just periodically the tone of the tummy began.

Of course, not everyone is so lucky, but it happens that a woman is not very susceptible to pain. So at the beginning of labor, while the pressure on the cervix is ​​small (or, for example, she has a flat fetal bladder, in which ), the sensations may be unpleasant, but not painful.

As you can see, the descriptions of the fights are very different. How to recognize them?

Periodicity. Contractions, no matter how they feel, occur at regular intervals. This labor contractions differ from "training" - .

increased frequency. During childbirth, contractions occur more and more often.

Gain. The intensity of pain increases.

Lack of response to your actions. Unpleasant sensations do not disappear if you change the position of the body, walk, lie down, take a shower.

Displacement of pain. Gradually, the pain shifts to the perineal region, on which the head of the child begins to press.

Did everything match? It's time for you to go to the hospital!

A woman in the process of expecting a child lives new life. Everything changes: taste sensations, lifestyle. IN different time changes occur with her body: first, a brutal craving for one product wakes up, then toxicosis, a weighty belly begins to interfere with movement, and later false contractions appear. It is the latter that need to be given special attention so as not to miss the onset of labor (women often confuse false and true contractions).

Signs of contractions

False

Training, false contractions (you can find the name “Brexton-Hicks contractions”, after the name of the scientist who first described them) are felt as rhythmic contractions of the abdomen. More often they do not cause significant discomfort, but this is individual and depends on the threshold of pain sensitivity. They begin randomly and end as suddenly as they appear, with no sequence to be traced.

This condition can be traced from about the 20th week and can accompany a woman right up to the very birth, slightly intensifying in the last months of waiting for the baby. More often, contractions are felt in the evening or at night, when all other muscles are relaxed and sensations are focused on changing the tone of the uterus. Often, contractions occur when physical activity. Some women are asymptomatic.

Symptoms of false contractions:

• Irregular contractions of the uterus (may appear several times a day, then do not disturb at all for some time, and reappear).
• More often, the sensations during false contractions are painless, or cause minor discomfort.
• Seizures pass with a change in position, cessation of activity, or an increase in activity.
• There is no dilatation of the cervix (only a doctor can determine).

How to alleviate the condition

When false contractions begin, accompanied by discomfort, you can alleviate the condition with several simple ways. First of all, you should calm down and try to relax. Be sure to change the type of activity and body position. For some women, a warm bath, a nice massage, or a snack helps. You can practice breathing labor exercises, then during real contractions and childbirth, the pregnant woman will feel more confident.

generic

True contractions take place individually for each pregnant woman. Some women in labor feel severe pain at the beginning, others only a slight discomfort, which increases with the increase in contractions. Pain can radiate to the back, lower back, lower abdomen, lateral region, hips, legs, bladder or rectum. Feelings can be compared with pain in the first days of menstruation with painful periods () or pain attacks with diarrhea.

A distinctive feature of true contractions is their frequency. There is a clear decrease in the interval between attacks of pain, the attacks themselves become longer, with a change in position, a change in the type of activity, they do not weaken. Often there is diarrhea, a feeling of nausea and even vomiting. In parallel, the amniotic sac may open with the discharge of amniotic fluid. The obstetrician-gynecologist notes the gradual opening of the cervix.

Questions, the answers to which will help determine the nature of the contractions

The difference between false contractions and real contractions for doctors is quite understandable and clear, but a panicked pregnant woman, constantly worried about the health of her child, often cannot correctly orient herself in a variety of signs and symptoms. Questions will help you get the right answer. If the first answer is your case, then the contractions are false, if the second option is true, then the contractions are true and you need to seek help.

How often do they occur?

1. Appear from time to time, do not have a definite interval.
2. There is a regularity of attacks of contractions, the interval between them is from half a minute to a minute, they gradually become more frequent and increase in duration.

Do uterine contractions weaken with a change in body position and type of activity?

1. There is a weakening of the state when changing activities, after rest or walking.
2. Contractions continue with the same intensity even after a change in position and activity.

What is the intensity?

1. There is a weakening of contractions, the intensity of pain does not increase.
2. Each contraction feels stronger than the last.

Where is pain localized?

1. There is pain only in the anterior region of the abdomen, or in the pelvic region.
2. Pain and contraction are first felt in the lower back, and then spread to the abdomen anteriorly.

If most of the answers are the second option, and it’s still too early to give birth, then you need to contact the doctor in charge of the pregnancy and clarify the situation with him, or go straight to the hospital.

When to see a doctor for false contractions

It happens that not everything goes smoothly and there are situations when training also requires medical intervention. Moreover, it does not matter how long the false contractions last, and what their intensity is, help is required immediately. These signals include:

• The appearance of discharge from the vagina (they may have an admixture of blood, or be watery).
• The discharge of amniotic fluid, or their leakage (in the first case, a large amount of fluid splashes out of the vagina, in the second, moisture is constantly felt in the vaginal area, the panties get wet quickly).
• Pain during uterine contraction is strong, but its regularity is not traced.
• Severe pain is felt in the lumbar region.
• The child began to move less (less than 10 movements for two hours) or stopped altogether.
• Strong contractions at any time up to 37 weeks of pregnancy.
• The contractions are not strong, but often repeated (more than 4 attacks per minute).
• Contractions are not regular, but their intensity is increasing.
• Pressure on the perineum increases and causes significant discomfort and pain.

Why do we need practice bouts?

False contractions are an integral part of preparing the muscles of the uterus and its cervix for childbirth. Contractions promote muscle training (as well as physical exercises for the muscles of the back, legs, arms and other parts of the body). Without them, the uterus will not be able to contract at the right time and push the baby through the birth canal (and this requires a lot of effort). There is an increase in muscle endurance, because in childbirth they will have to strain more than once. Otherwise, the uterus will "hang like a bag" and not toned at the right time.

Training fights also stimulate blood circulation in the reproductive organs, and thereby increase the supply of oxygen and nutrients(including the baby).

Don't worry if you don't feel contractions at all. They are, you just have a high pain threshold or you do not attach importance to them (always busy with work, are on the move, confuse them with increased gas formation, bouts of abdominal pain, or another phenomenon). The body of a pregnant woman works as an autonomous system and will take the necessary actions.

All expectant mothers look forward to the birth of a baby. They listen to their feelings, trying to catch any harbingers of an imminent birth.

It is especially interesting for primiparas, because for them all these sensations are for the first time. One of the signs of imminent labor is pain in the lower back. Therefore, expectant mothers are interested in how many days before the birth the lower back hurts.

Why does the lower back hurt before childbirth

Let's start with the fact that back pain is accompanied by many expectant mothers throughout pregnancy. This is due to a change in the center of gravity and an increase in the load on.

But the pain that occurs immediately before childbirth is different from these sensations, since it is caused by tension in the uterus.

Generic harbingers are irregular and mild tensions and hardening of the abdomen. They happen due to the fact that the uterus comes into tone, thus preparing for childbirth. They can start a month before the expected date of birth or 10-15 days. With repeated births, often the precursors begin a couple of days before the expected event. Such tension of the uterus can provoke slight pulling pains in the lower back.

It's not just stress and pain. This is a set of symptoms that are caused by changes in the hormonal system of the body. Thus, the body of a woman prepares for childbirth. For multiparous, preparation takes less time, since the scheme has already been worked out by the body.

There are no exact terms when to consider pain as normal, and when not. Therefore, in case of any unpleasant symptoms, it is necessary to consult a doctor. They can be due to both an increase in the tone of the uterus, and increased excitability of the central nervous system. Another reason is the displacement of the vertebrae, caused by a violation of posture and an increase in the load on the spine.

Only a doctor can determine the true cause of pain and recommend how to get rid of them. Sometimes wearing a bandage, massage or light exercises helps to get rid of discomfort. If the cause of lower back pain is the harbingers, you just have to come to terms with this phenomenon and wait for childbirth. They sometimes cause severe discomfort, interfere with movement and normal sleep, but this is just a normal preparation of the body for an early birth.

Harbingers - a great opportunity for the expectant mother to work out the technique correct breathing and behavior during real contractions during childbirth.

How to distinguish back pain from the onset of contractions

In most cases, during contractions, pain appears and the stomach tenses up. But many women noted at the same time pain in the back or even only in the lower back. Therefore, it is important to be able to distinguish real contractions from forerunners:

• Training bouts are irregular. The pain is short-lived, comes and goes at uneven intervals. After changing the position of the body or taking a shower, the discomfort disappears.
• Real contractions do not stop, no matter how you change the position of the body. They are repeated after approximately equal periods, which are gradually reduced, and the intensity of sensations gradually increases.

When in doubt, you should use the contraction calculator, which is easy to find on the thematic site on the Internet. A woman just needs to press a certain button at the beginning and at the end of painful attacks, and the program will decide for itself how likely it is for her to go to the hospital.

If the pain in the lower back has gone, and there are no unpleasant symptoms, you can relax - there is nothing dangerous and it is too early to give birth. The appearance of aching and continuous pain, especially in combination with unusual discharge, is a reason to immediately go to the hospital.

If you experience lower back pain, in no case should you panic. Try walking around the room, lying down, doing a light self-massage, or taking a shower. If painful attacks intensify - go to the hospital, especially if there is a discharge - blood or amniotic fluid. These are signs of the imminent birth of a baby.

Back pain is an indicator of women's health. The pregnant woman carefully enough observes her own well-being, trying to catch the signs that signal the approach of an early birth. When constantly pulling the lower back before childbirth, it is necessary to distinguish training contractions from the onset of labor in a number of ways.

Causes

How long before childbirth does the lower back begin to pull? Mild lower back pain can bother a woman throughout pregnancy. This is due to the load on the spine. The pain that appears on the eve of the birth of a child 10-15 days before the birth has a different reason, it arises from the fact that the uterus is in tension.

Pain in the lower back, which are the first harbingers of imminent labor, appear two weeks before their onset with a certain frequency. In this case, the back hurts before childbirth due to uterine tension, that is, training contractions. A few days before the onset of labor, a woman experiences symptoms very similar to PMS, including lower back pain.

The causes of pain in the back in pregnant women are not always associated with the imminent birth of a baby. They have many provoking factors that are completely unrelated to gestation.

Causes of back pain in pregnant women:

1. wearing uncomfortable shoes with high heels;
2. stretching of the abdominal muscles and an increase in the load on the lumbar region;
3. osteochondrosis that occurred before pregnancy;
4. pressure of the uterus on nearby nerve endings;
5. violation hormonal background which affects the condition of the joints and muscles;
6. weight gain;
7. shift in the center of gravity.

Lower back pain occurs when the fetus begins to grow rapidly and gain weight, this occurs at the end of the second - beginning of the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Contractions in the lower back at the 9th month are most often a symptom of the onset of labor.

Diagnostics

A woman is not able to determine the cause of sudden pulling pains in the lumbar region. It is unlikely that a pregnant woman will have a desire to self-medicate and diagnose herself based on the guesses of her friends and relatives.

Drawing pains before childbirth appear when the cervix begins to open. Expectant mothers are quite scrupulous about their own feelings and, at the first symptoms, they must consult a doctor. Back pain occurs in the second half of pregnancy, when the fetus begins to actively grow and gain weight. When contacting women's consultation examination is scheduled to determine the causes causing aching pain in the lumbar region.

Diagnostic methods:

• face-to-face examination;
• ultrasound diagnostics;
• blood analysis;
• Analysis of urine.

To clarify the diagnosis, it is recommended to consult specialists of a narrower profile: a traumatologist, a neurologist, a gastroenterologist. Depending on the results of the diagnosis, treatment will be prescribed that will improve the condition of the pregnant woman and reduce pain.

How to distinguish training contractions from real ones:

1. pain sensations have the character of PMS;
2. contractions do not have a clear periodicity;
3. pain is relieved by changing the position of the body or medication;
4. pain is not accompanied by vaginal discharge;
5. more than two weeks before the expected date of possible birth.

The difference between contractions and back pain. One month before expected birth future mother back pain may begin to bother - training contractions. They are characterized by pulling pain in the abdomen and lower back, which occur with a certain frequency.

How are contractions different from other types of pain?

• clear periodicity;
• discharge of the mucous plug;
• convergence of edema;
• nausea and vomiting;
• the pain does not go away with a change in body position and is not relieved by taking medication (No-Shpa);
• diarrhea
• discharge of amniotic fluid.

If the contractions are short in nature, they are most likely harbingers of an early birth. In the case when the lumbar pains become gradually stronger and are accompanied by watery or blood secretions, then you should go to the hospital.

Treatment

To quickly relieve discomfort in the back during pregnancy, which are not associated with labor or training contractions, a bandage and orthopedic shoes are used.

Wearing a bandage will provide support for the spine and reduce the load on the lower back. Avoid uncomfortable shoes, especially high heels. In the second trimester, it is allowed to consume multivitamins with calcium content to maintain bone health. It is useful to attend gymnastics for pregnant women to keep the muscles in good shape, but overwork and stressful situations should be avoided.

How to relieve pulling pain in the lower back during training bouts:

1. a walk in the fresh air and positive emotions are necessary for a future mother;
2. changing the position of the body helps to cope with pain;
3. No-Shpy tablet will relieve muscle tone;
4. you can take a warm relaxing bath.

If the cause of pain in the lumbar region is the onset of labor, which is accompanied by the presence of additional symptoms, then this process is quite natural. Childbirth is a heavy burden for the body and a very complex process with pain. However, discomfort is reduced if done correctly.

How to relieve nagging pain in the lower back during childbirth:

• back and sacrum massage. Knead and stroke the area with light massage movements lumbar. This can be done by the woman in labor, partner, nurse, nurse, mother or friend;
• the special breathing technique that women in labor study in courses on pregnancy and childbirth will alleviate discomfort;
• if the contractions are regular, but the water has not yet broken, it is allowed to take a warm relaxing bath before the ambulance arrives or leaves for the maternity hospital;
• when a woman does not lie, but moves during contractions, the pain is partially relieved by changing the position of the body. If, during contractions, your back is strongly pulled in a prone position, it is permissible to sit on a fitball in the delivery room;
• choosing the right posture during childbirth helps to relieve pain by more than 50% and is the key to a favorable birth.

The mental attitude is important. Don't try to focus on painful sensations. Some women are so afraid of childbirth that doctors have to do C-section due to the inability to normally take delivery of a worried mother. This is a complex and traumatic procedure.

A woman in labor needs to pull herself together to facilitate the quick and safe delivery of a child who is also under stress. If the mother is not sure how to cope with the pain, then it is quite advisable to communicate the desire to use an epidural. Most obstetricians - gynecologists do not advise the use of anesthesia, but if you can't do without it, this is already a necessity.

Women who have already given birth note that pregnant women constantly have lower backs before childbirth. Therefore, if there is nothing left before the expected delivery, and even more so there are additional symptoms, you should not hesitate to go to the hospital.

First of all, it should be taken into account that bearing a child is a serious test for a woman's body in general and for the spine in particular. It suffers especially hard, since the main part of the load falls on it. Before childbirth, the total weight of the baby, amniotic fluid, placenta reaches a maximum, so the pressure on the lower back is sometimes excessive. To ease the pain, it is recommended to use special bandages, as well as to rest as often as possible, in no case overstrain the back.

A weak spine can also be a problem. Carrying a child often provokes a violation of posture, if you do not perform special exercise and do not use bandages to evenly distribute the load. If a woman had scoliosis before pregnancy, especially if the disease has reached stage 3-4, lower back pain can be quite severe. In this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor and strictly follow his recommendations.

Finally, during childbearing female body undergoes serious changes: muscle and bone tissue stretches, diverges, and the ligaments that are attached to the spine are stretched. All this provokes pain in the lower back shortly before childbirth. This is a natural process: after a while after the birth of the child, the body will return to normal, and the pain will disappear.

Why does my back hurt before giving birth?

Immediately before childbirth, the process of bone divergence begins, which contributes to an easier birth of a child. This also becomes one of the reasons why the lower back of expectant mothers begins to hurt.

With the appearance of contractions, including false ones, the pain in the lower back increases. This is due to increasing pressure on the uterus, muscle contraction. In this case, lower back pain is accompanied by strong discomfort in the lower abdomen. This is a completely natural phenomenon. Pain can be reduced by taking correct position and strictly following the recommendations of obstetricians.

One of the worst cases in which severe pain in the lower back before childbirth, associated with the prolapse of the kidneys. At the same time, unpleasant sensations appear in the legs or perineum. In the presence of alarming symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. This will help to take action on time and avoid complications.