Types of labor

Types of contractions

Normal contractions are up to 10 contractions in 24 hours, up to the 30th week of pregnancy less than 3, and above that less than 5 contractions per hour. At a pressure of approx. 25mmHg, contractions are perceived as painful.

Practice contractions: From the 20th week of pregnancy, uncontrolled, local contractions with high frequency (so-called Alvarez waves up to 20 mmHg) or uterine contractions of up to 30 mmHg with a subsequent pause in labor (= Braxton-Hicks contractions) can occur.

Lower pains: If the pregnancy contractions increase in frequency and pressure in the last 3-4 weeks before the birth and are accompanied by lowering of the abdomen, they are called lower pains.
Read more on the subject below Labor pains.

Pre-contractions: are irregular contractions with a pressure in the uterus (= intrauterine) of 40mmHg. They occur in the last few days before the birth and are used to ensure that the head of the child presses into the pelvic entrance, especially in the case of first-time mothers (i.e. the pelvic floor is not yet so expanded). You go into labor pains.

Opening pains: are now regular birth pains that affect the cervix. They occur in the opening period of childbirth and there is an increased loosening of the cervix and a stretching of the cervix (=Cervix). The child goes deeper and deeper into the pelvic entrance. The contractions have a pressure of about 40-50 mmHg and occur every 5-20 minutes. on. The duration is approx. 30-60sec.

The opening period lasts approx. 12 hours for primiparous women and 2-8 hours for multiparous women.

This topic might interest you: Breathe in contractions

Expulsion pains: These contractions are stronger and longer than opening pains and occur when the cervix is ​​fully opened. The pressure of these contractions is now 60 mmHg, the contractions occur every 4-10 minutes. on. The expulsion period lasts up to 2 hours for primiparous women, for multiparous women it is usually faster due to the pre-stretching.

Compression labor: These contractions are regular contractions of up to 200mmHg that occur every 2-3 minutes in the last phase of the expulsion period, the pressing phase. In addition to the high pressure in the uterus (=intrauterine), the abdominal press is used. The length of this phase depends on the cooperation of the parturient.

Postpartum labor: This Labor pains serve to solve and expel the Mother cake (=placenta). Pressure and frequency decrease during this time. The placenta should have dissolved after an hour at the latest. By definition, the postpartum period lasts 2 hours. Only then is the birth considered complete.

After pains: are local contractions of the uterus during the Childbed for hemostasis and regression of the uterus (=uterus). These are the Breastfeeding through the release of the body's own hormone Oxytocin stimulated. Sometimes they can be painful, especially in multiparous women.