Pregnancy
Nov
23
Braxton hicks (exercise contractions):
Your uterus (womb), a strong muscle which is now 20x heavier than before pregnancy (grown from 50 grams to 1 kilo) starts with irregular contractions. It is like a practice for a big sport event. These contractions are mostly felt as a tense, hard tummy, are not very painful and don’t last very long. At the end of the pregnancy most babies are head down and by having these short, irregular contractions the head gets pushed in the pelvic more and more. It can cause some pressure in your lower abdominal or a radiation pain to your upper legs and back. Some women get a little bit upset by all the exercise and engagement contractions, because they think it’s inconvenient and it’s not real labour, but these contractions are very useful. They make the cervix (neck of the womb) soft, thin and stretchy. So when the real strong contractions start, the cervix can open/dilate much better.
Making love:
Everything that feels good is fine. The baby is protected and you don’t have to worry about him or her. Mostly you have to try new positions because of you big tummy. When you are past your 40 weeks of pregnancy, sex can help you to get in labour, it helps to soften the cervix. Don’t have intercourse after your waters have broken, because you are more at risk for infections.
Vaginal discharge:
Clear, white, slimy, not smelly discharge is normal for the end of the pregnancy. The blood circulation in your whole pelvic area is now optimal, so also your mucous membranes and glands are working more, which causes more slime production. Because the head of the baby is pressing down below as well and the higher temperature of your body you are more sensitive for infections. When discharge is turning green, yellow, thick or smelly, please let us know and also tell us when you have pains in your belly or lower back, because bladder infections can happen easily at the end.
Your mood:
Mood will change a little bit at the end; it’s partly a hormonal thing. You can feel very emotional, dreaming, but also tense or irritable. If there is anything in your mind that you often worry about, please try to talk about it with us. Advice for partners is, try to forgive your moody partner and accept that there is probably a lot changing in her body and it’s mostly a temporary thing.