Contractions started how long

Ready Steady Baby! How long contractions last Each contraction usually begins gently, builds up to a peak and then tails off. At the start of the first stage: they may last about 40 to 50 seconds you may get one every 10 minutes By the end: they're likely to last over a minute there'll probably be less than a minute between them Are contractions painful? Coping with contractions You should get some tips to help you to manage your contractions at your antenatal classes.

Braxton Hicks contractions From week 28 onwards you may feel your abdomen: tighten for about 30 seconds several times a day harden and see it remain tense for several seconds These are Braxton Hicks contractions. How Long It Lasts : This stage of labor lasts 3 to 6 hours for a first-time mom, and 1 to 3 hours for subsequent labors. If you've taken Pitocin , a drug that induces contractions, this phase may go more quickly, but if you've had an epidural, things can slow down.

Contractions : Contractions are increasingly more intense, last for 45 to 60 seconds, and are 3 to 5 minutes apart. Other Signs: Some women feel discomfort in their back and hips and cramping in their feet and legs; this is the point when many women ask for an epidural.

However, even with pain relief, active labor can unhinge some women's tempers. What to Do : By this point in labor, you have been admitted to the hospital or ensconced at your birthing center. If you have your epidural in place, you may not be able to get out of bed, but it's still a good idea to change position every half hour or so.

If you can get out of bed, try walking up and down stairs for a few minutes at a time if hospital policy allows it or marching in place. This is also a good time to use the relaxation techniques you learned in childbirth education class and to enlist your partner for emotional support. Your hospital may also want to monitor the baby's heartbeat with a stethoscope, a handheld Doppler device, or an electronic monitoring device.

Contractions during this phase are usually intense, spaced about one to three minutes apart. Increasing fatigue, shakiness, and nausea are all common in this phase, as your body does the hard work of reaching complete dilation and effacement.

You may feel a strong urge to push or bear down, along with pressure in the rectal area and stinging in the vaginal area as the baby's head moves down toward the vaginal opening. But you should NOT push—wait until your practitioner gives you the go-ahead, which will happen when the cervix is fully dilated. How Long It Lasts : This is the shortest but most intense phase, typically lasting from 10 minutes to 2 hours.

You may feel overwhelmed, and it's also normal to feel discouraged, as though labor will never end. What to Do : Imagine you're in a place that makes you feel safe and relaxed—lying on the beach, resting against a tree, or sitting in a rocking chair in your baby's nursery. Breathe deeply and develop the scene, filling in the details. What do you see? What do you smell?

What do you hear? If you're in more pain than you expected, it's usually not too late to ask for pain relief at this point. A contraction is when the muscles of your uterus tighten up like a fist and then relax. Contractions help push your baby out. They get stronger and closer together over time. You feel pain in your belly and lower back.

This pain doesn't go away when you move or change positions. You have a bloody brownish or reddish mucus discharge. This is called bloody show. Your water breaks.

Your baby has been growing in amniotic fluid the bag of waters in your uterus. When the bag of waters breaks, you may feel a big rush of water.

Or you may feel just a trickle. What are signs that you may be close to starting labor? You may be close to starting labor if: Your baby drops or moves lower into your pelvis. This is called lightening. It means that your baby is getting ready to move into position for birth. It can happen a few weeks or even just a few hours before your labor begins. This is called show or bloody show. It can happen a few days before labor starts or at the beginning of labor. At a prenatal checkup, your health care provider tells you that your cervix has begun to efface thin and dilate open.

Before labor, your cervix is about 3. Once labor starts, contractions help open your cervix. You have the nesting instinct. During pregnancy, these painless tightenings are called ' Braxton Hicks ' contractions. When you are having regular, painful contractions that feel stronger and last more than 30 seconds, labour may have started.

As labour gets going gets established your contractions tend to become longer, stronger and more frequent. During a contraction, the muscles in your womb contract and the pain increases. If you put your hand on your abdomen, you can feel it getting harder.

When the muscles relax, the pain fades and your hand will feel the hardness ease. The contractions are pushing your baby down and opening your cervix entrance to the womb ready for your baby to go through.

Your midwife or doctor will probably advise you to stay at home until your contractions are frequent. When your contractions are coming every 5 minutes, it's time to go to the hospital.

You may have either backache or the aching, heavy feeling that some women get with their monthly period. While you are pregnant, a plug of mucus is present in your cervix. Just before labour starts, or in early labour, the plug comes away and you may pass this out of your vagina. This small amount of sticky, jelly-like pink mucus is called a 'show'.

It may come away in one blob, or in several pieces. It is pink in colour because it's blood-stained, and it's normal to lose a small amount of blood mixed with mucus.

If you're losing more blood , it may be a sign that something is wrong, so telephone your hospital or midwife straight away. A show indicates the cervix is starting to open, and labour may follow quickly, or it may take a few days. Some women do not have a show. Most women's waters break during labour, but it can also happen before labour starts. Your unborn baby develops and grows inside a bag of fluid called the amniotic sac.

When it's time for your baby to be born, the sac breaks and the amniotic fluid drains out through your vagina. This is your waters breaking. When this happens, call your midwife or doctor, so they can ask you some questions and check your condition. You may feel a slow trickle, or a sudden gush of water that you cannot control.

To prepare for this, you could keep a sanitary towel but not a tampon handy if you are going out, and put a plastic sheet on your bed. Amniotic fluid is clear and a pale straw colour. Sometimes it's difficult to tell amniotic fluid from urine. When your waters break, the water should be clear or slightly pink.