If the contractions occur every 4 minutes, does it mean that the baby is about to be born? When will the baby be born after the contractions appear?

We all know that after a woman's pregnancy reaches a certain stage, her body will become heavier and heavier, and she will give birth around the due date. Pregnant mothers usually feel pain before giving birth, which is caused by uterine contractions and is a normal physiological phenomenon. So does it mean that the baby is about to give birth if it hurts every four minutes? Let's take a closer look!

If I have contractions every four minutes, does that mean I'm about to give birth?

Generally, if an expectant mother experiences lower abdominal pain (uterine interval time) for about 3 to 5 minutes, it means she has entered the labor process. At this time, the expectant mother should immediately go to the hospital to prepare for delivery.

Generally, from the onset of regular uterine contractions (regular abdominal pain) to approaching delivery, the intervals between the mother's contractions will become shorter and shorter, possibly decreasing from about 10 minutes at the beginning to 2 to 3 minutes. After the mother's cervix is ​​fully dilated, the baby will be born.

It should be noted that the speed of delivery is different for each expectant mother. For some expectant mothers, it may only take a few hours from the onset of uterine contractions to delivery (more common in multiparous women), while for others, it may take more than ten or even dozens of hours from the onset of regular uterine contractions to the birth of the fetus (generally it will take longer for first-time mothers).

In short, if the expectant mother feels pain every four minutes, she needs to seek medical attention immediately. After going to the hospital, she should cooperate with the doctor for examination, and the doctor will also evaluate the expectant mother's delivery method based on the examination results.

When can I give birth after the contractions start?

After uterine contractions begin, delivery usually does not occur so quickly. The baby will be born only after the cervix is ​​fully dilated.

But everyone's contraction reaction may be slightly different. Some pregnant mothers have contractions every ten minutes at the beginning, 4-5 times an hour, and each contraction lasts for dozens of seconds. Then every hour, the frequency of contractions becomes faster. Until the pregnant mother is pushed into the delivery room, the frequency of contractions will reach once a minute, accompanied by strong pain. It will not stop until delivery.

Therefore, even if the uterine contractions occur every four minutes, the baby will not be delivered so quickly. The baby will not be born until the cervix is ​​fully dilated.

If the pregnant mother is already in the hospital waiting for delivery at this time, then she can rest assured to listen to the doctor's arrangements. However, if she has not yet gone to the hospital, she must go to the hospital immediately to wait for delivery, listen to the doctor's instructions, and be prepared for delivery.

How to tell if it's labor pain

We all know that uterine contraction pain is a sign of impending labor, but uterine contractions can be divided into true and false contractions.

Uterine contractions are divided into false contractions and true contractions.

False labor occurs without any regularity or pain, and the pregnant mother only feels the uterus contracting in waves. Especially in the third trimester, the frequency of false labor occurs more frequently.

True uterine contractions are a sign of the mother's delivery. They are regular and painful. They are very weak at the beginning and can be ignored. Later, they will become stronger and more painful until the mother delivers. During this period, the mother may also experience water breaking or spotting.