Contractions are movements the uterus makes, contracting the fibers that form it. There are different kinds of contractions during pregnancy that you need to recognize in order to know what to do in each case. 

Braxton Hicks contractions

They are named after the doctor who discovered them. The first time you experience a contraction it may seem like a very strange feeling. Your belly hardens and elevates and stays that way for a few seconds or minutes and then it relaxes again.  

Braxton Hicks contractions, unlike delivery contractions, are not painful. They usually start after the 20th week of pregnancy. In general, they are irregular and disappear when you walk a bit, shift position or drink water. When you’ve had a few, you’ll recognize them immediately. It’s important to be able to differentiate these contractions from those that could cause preterm labor or from the contractions that indicate the onset of labor.  

Labor contractions

These contractions usually indicate the onset of labor. The main difference between these and  Braxton Hicks contractions is that labor contractions don’t subside, whether you shift positions, drink water, take a warm bath or do any other activity. The objective of labor contractions is to deliver the baby. That’s why, if these contractions start before your 37^th week of pregnancy, you should go to the hospital immediately.  

Some of the symptoms that go hand in hand with the onset of these contractions are as follows:  

• Pain or diffused discomfort in your back

• Pain that radiates from your back to your pelvic area

• Diarrhea

• Abdominal pressure

• A feeling of indigestion or general malaise

• Spotting  

• Passing the mucus plug that seals the cervix

It is sometimes possible to stop these contractions with medication or, at least, treat babies so that their lungs will mature faster in the event that they are going to be born preterm.  

Contractions during labor

Once you are in labor, the function of contractions is to gradually stretch the cervix until it is sufficiently big for the baby to pass through it. As time goes by, the contractions are usually more intense.  

If your contractions take place more or less every five and ten minutes and they are at least one minute long, it is quite possible that you may be in labor. As labor goes on, the time between contractions will diminish and the duration of contractions will increase.  

During labor, contractions are monitored to check their intensity and to know how they are affecting the baby. This control is done using a band around your belly that monitors the baby’s heartbeat and your contractions.

How to deal with the pain of contractions

Even in the event that you have decided to use an epidural in order to better manage the pain of labor, the epidural is usually not administered until you have at least two or more centimeters of dilation. If it is your first baby, these first contractions may be uncomfortable for you, and you should be familiar with relaxation techniques in order to manage them.

It is key to do your best not to panic. You are most likely very scared due to all these new and intense sensations. If you are able to relax and not tense up, you will make labor a lot easier, since you won’t be fighting it.   

Breathing, as you have learned or will learn in your prenatal classes, is one of the key factors to control your body’s relaxation. Breathe in air slowly until you fill your lungs completely and exhale slowly. While you breathe, you can close your eyes and concentrate on something specific in order to maintain your breathing rhythm.

In any case, take into account that millions of women have gone through this throughout history and hundreds of thousands of babies are born every day. Your body is designed to give birth.