How long will it take for labor to occur after contractions begin?

Many people know that when the uterus begins to contract, the pregnant woman will give birth immediately, but too many people do not actually know how long it will take for the uterus to contract before giving birth. In fact, uterine contractions can be divided into false contractions and real uterine contractions. False contractions actually occur frequently during the labor process, and false contractions are not a sign of delivery. So, how long will it take for true uterine contractions to occur before delivery? What are the signs of delivery?

How long does it take for the uterus to contract before giving birth?

Uterine contraction is one of the symptoms of pregnant women before delivery. When uterine contraction occurs, the frequency and duration of uterine contraction can be recorded. If your uterine contractions have become more regular and you feel you are about to give birth, you can call the hospital. If the uterine contractions become very frequent, almost once every 5 to 6 minutes, or the pain becomes more severe with each uterine contraction, you should go to the hospital for delivery immediately. Generally speaking, the first delivery process usually lasts within 12 to 14 hours, and you can choose to wait for a few hours at home. You can walk slowly around your home and take breaks when you feel you need them. In addition, in the last three months of pregnancy, pregnant women sometimes experience false labor. True and false uterine contractions are difficult to distinguish for inexperienced pregnant women, but false uterine contractions are not a sign of labor, and it is generally difficult to estimate how long it will take for false uterine contractions to lead to labor. If any of the following symptoms such as spotting, rupture of amniotic fluid, or pain occur, these are generally signs of impending labor, and you can go to the hospital for delivery. Otherwise, observe the uterine contraction condition again.

Signs of labor

Lowered uterine fundus

About two weeks after the first birth, the fundus of the uterus will drop. At this time, the upper abdomen will feel relaxed, breathing will become more comfortable than before, the discomfort in the stomach will be relieved a lot, and the appetite will also increase.

Pregnancy spotting

In the last few weeks of pregnancy, the cervix secretions increase and leucorrhea occurs spontaneously. Normal cervical secretions are viscous liquid. Usually, mucus plugs are formed in the cervix to prevent bacteria from invading the uterus. During pregnancy, this type of secretion is larger and more viscous. As the uterus contracts regularly, this mucus plug is expelled with the contractions of the uterus at the beginning of labor. Also, because the fetal membrane at the endometrium is separated from the uterine wall, there is bleeding. This type of bleeding mixes with the uterine mucus plug and is discharged from the vagina, which is called pregnancy spotting. Spotting during pregnancy is a relatively reliable sign that labor is about to begin. If the bleeding exceeds the usual amount, you should consider whether there is any abnormality. It may be placental abruption and you need to go to the hospital for a physical examination immediately.

A feeling of oppression in the lower abdomen

Because of the descent, the part of the body that will be exposed first during delivery has already dropped to the entrance of the pelvis, causing lower abdominal pain and bladder compression. At this time, you may feel back pain and leg pain, difficulty walking, and frequent and urgent urination.

Regular abdominal pain

The pain usually lasts for 30 seconds, with an interval of 10 minutes. After that, the pain duration gradually increases and the time interval decreases, which is called regular pain.

Water breaking

The discharge of amniotic fluid from the vagina of a pregnant woman is also known as "water breaking". Due to the strong contraction of the uterus, the pressure in the uterus gradually increases, the cervical opening expands, and the head drops, causing the amniotic fluid to rupture and discharge from the vagina. At this time, birth is very close.

The article explains in detail how long the uterus will contract before giving birth, and also introduces in detail some signs of childbirth in pregnant women. If you are a pregnant woman and have uterine contractions, then you must go to the hospital to give birth immediately. In fact, it takes some time for delivery after uterine contractions occur. If a pregnant woman has the signs of delivery described in detail in the article, then she is close to delivery.