Hi lovely lady! Are you a first-time mum wondering what braxton hicks
contractions feel like and also what real labour contractions feel like and
how you can tell the difference? Are you also wondering what to expect in
labour and how you can manage your contractions with calm and confidence? If
you said "yes" you've come to the right place!
and this video if for you. My name's Anja and I'm a holistic pregnancy
coach specialising in hypnobirthing. I'm mum to a little girl and the founder of
hypnobirthingwithanja.com and I absolutely love helping pregnant mamas
all over the world to prepare for calm and positive birth experiences. Don't
forget to hit the subscribe button on this screen because I'm going to be
uploading new videos every single week and I don't want you to miss anything. So
what is a contraction? well a contraction is defined as a
shortening of the uterine muscles that occurs at intervals before and during
childbirth. Most women will experience Braxton Hicks contractions
during the third trimester of pregnancy and these will gradually increase in
regularity until real labor begins. Braxton Hicks contractions usually feel
like uncomfortable but painless tightening that starts at the top of
your baby bump and spreads downwards Braxton Hicks contractions can cause
your abdomen to become very hard and possibly look a bit contorted. Braxton
Hicks normally lasts between 15 and 30 seconds but sometimes they can last up
to a few minutes. They usually go away when you move or change positions. You
can think of Braxton Hicks contractions like a dress rehearsal for labour so
what's happening when they occur is your uterine muscles are flexing like this in
preparation for the big job that they'll be doing when real labour begins. Braxton
Hicks don't dilate your cervix like contractions do in labour but they do
play a role in softening your cervix ready for cervical dilation to start.
When it comes to real labour contractions, if you experience a spontaneous and
natural labour, your contractions will start off slowly and they'll build in
intensity and frequency over time. The contractions of early labour feel very
much like menstrual cramps and you'll feel them down at the bottom of your
abdomen. That might also be combined with lower back ache. In early labour,
contractions can last about 20 to 30 seconds and they usually come every 10
to 15 minutes or so but over time, as your labour progresses and your cervix
dilates more and more, your contractions will increase in frequency and intensity
and in the end they'll be coming every couple of minutes and lasting between 60
and 90 seconds. Unlike Braxton Hicks contractions,
real labour contractions won't ease or disappear with a change of position or
movement. Labour contractions form a continuous pattern so you're looking to
gauge consistency over the period of an hour or so to be sure that your labour
really has begun. in labour, your contractions are designed to draw the
muscles of your uterus up to the top of your womb like this until your cervix is
fully dilated at 10 centimeters and then squeeze and push your baby down your
birth canal and out of your body into the world. The stronger your contractions
get, the more discomfort and intense the cramping sensations will feel in your
abdominal area and you'll also experience increased discomfort in your
lower back your upper legs and your hips. To manage
contraction pain and contraction discomfort in labour,
I recommend that all of my hypno birthing mamas visualise their
contractions as waves and you just have to ride each wave. So every time you get
a contraction, your contraction will start off it will peak in power and
intensity then it will fall down and fade away. Then you'll have a little
break before the next one begins. I used a mantra during each of my
contractions and labour every time I had a contraction I would say to myself in
my mind "I am the relaxing, I am relaxing" and that really
helped me to stay calm and focused and just to really breathe slowly through
each contraction to not get ahead of myself and feel overwhelmed by all the
other contractions I would have to breathe through. Just to focus on the
present moment, get through that contraction and then I always knew that
I would have a break before my next contraction started. If you want to learn
how to breathe correctly during contractions please check out my
breathing technique videos that are already uploaded on my youtube channel and
remember this mama: each contraction that you experience in labour is normal
natural and necessary as it's bringing you one step closer to meeting your
beautiful baby! Thank you so much for watching this video today mama! I hope
you found the information useful. Please share this video with a pregnant friend
of your's if you think it can help them, don't forget to subscribe to my channel
because I upload new videos every single week and I don't want you to miss out on
any important information. For more information about my hypnobirthing
classes and hypnobirthing online courses, please click the links beneath
this video. Take care of yourself lovely lady, bye!