Contraction Counting

Posted by mamas

Posted: December 21, 2008 - 8:35 pm

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When I was pregnant with my first child, my husband and I anxiously waited for the big event. The question “Is this it?” haunted me day and night. It seemed like every contraction was a reason to pull out the stop watch or second hand clock and start documenting. After hours on end of this time-consuming pattern, the contractions would then disappear, leaving us frustrated. This went on for nearly two weeks, prior to the start of labor.

Nonetheless, it’s important to be aware of how often your contractions are coming, even if timing them can really take it out of you in the weeks leading up to labor. When timing contractions, be sure to time them from the start of the contraction through to the start of the next contraction. This will give you the answer to “how far apart are they?”. Also time how many seconds a contraction is lasting from beginning to end to know the duration of each contraction. Contraction Master is a website that can help you track contractions, if you don’t want to physically write the information down.

Standard process is to call your care provider if the contractions are coming approximately every five minutes or closer. However, check with your provider to see what they recommend. Also, recognize that each woman’s body is different and you may need to call your provider even if they are further apart. It is also a good idea to drink fluids and change activity to see if the contractions continue to come in a pattern despite what you are doing. If you are in true labor, the contractions will continue to increase in intensity and frequency.

Braxton-Hicks contractions can begin when you are only a few months pregnant, but most women will not notice them until sometime during their third trimester. Others do feel contractions at all until they are in labor. There are even those women who are in labor and are not feeling the uterus contract during the process. It is a good idea to listen to your body, especially while pregnant. Counting contractions can be a way to take note of your body’s pre-labor cues.

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