Uterine contractions are a sign before childbirth, and irregular contractions may occur in pregnant women during the delivery period. This is a normal phenomenon, but it is important to distinguish between true and false contractions in order to take appropriate measures. So, is a hard and tight belly a uterine contraction?
A hard and tight belly is a sign of uterine contractions. If it occurs in the middle or late stages of pregnancy but is not accompanied by vaginal bleeding, lower abdominal pain, or other symptoms, it is a pseudo uterine contraction. It is mainly caused by the increase of gestational age. Pregnant women will feel a tightness in the abdomen, and if it is hard, the closer it is to the due date, the more pseudo uterine contractions will occur. For pseudo uterine contractions, pregnant women do not need to be too nervous, pay attention to bed rest more, and usually adhere to the sleeping position on the left side.
If the contractions are accompanied by obvious abdominal pain or vaginal bleeding, it is important to be alert to the possibility of threatened miscarriage or premature birth and seek medical examination promptly. If contractions are regular, pregnant women should pay attention to the frequency of contractions in order to determine whether they are about to give birth. If they feel tight or hard in their stomachs and have regular contractions every five minutes, followed by redness, they should be prepared for childbirth.
Pregnant women often experience pain when they start contractions, some in the abdomen and some in the waist, similar to the pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation. The intensity of the pain varies from person to person, and the pain of true contractions gradually becomes more obvious, with a shorter interval, but the pain time is prolonged, and it may also spread to the lower abdomen or cause a feeling of defecation.
