Contractions

Do women have a number of contractions when in labour or a range? Has it ever been calculated before?

It crossed my mind today for the first time ever and i thought 'i wonder if there is an average number of contractions you have'?

I know labour is unpredictable, but just a thought..................



xx

Don't know of anyone having ever done a study - or indeed of anyone that has counted. All the women I have been with have had extremily varied experiences. They say it's about a cm an hour - then an hour for the head to descend - then an hour to push - so about 12hours in all.... Though you only need look at the birth stories thread to see not many folk fit into that remit! I knew a lady on community that niggled for a few hours - having a 'tightening' 1 in 10 - but not painful at all. Went into hospital because she had a big blood loss - big for early labour that is. Got to hospital - and nipped to the loo before they examined her and had a baby on the bathroom floor 5 minutes later - she reckons she only had about 20 contractions - none of which really hurt! Amazing! She was buzzing for days!

I suppose you could average them - like anything - count the number of contractions (although even that is open to interpretation - when does a tightening become a contraction?) a number of women have in total and then divide the total number of contractions by the number of women - and you have your average - I'm just not sure it'd mean anything - if you see what I mean???

Sorry - really rambily today - even for me! No suprises if you can't follow it!

ha ha, no i follow!! That's what i wondered, when does a contraction become a proper one, there's not always a definate feeling or change so what if you miss some of them then realise they were contractions, it would be a hard one to study!!

Thanks for info though i didn't realise the head descended, how many cm are women at this point, i thought everything descended by the time 10cm came. am i wrong?

xx

Sorry, i meant i know the head descends (duh!!!) i just thought it all came down at once ready to come out once you had reached 10cm, do you mean once you are 10cm you have around another hour for the head to position ready for pushing? Or within the 1st stage the head makes its way down, then pushing begins?

Im not explaining this how i want it to sound!!! I mean is there a period of time between contractions (1st stage) once you are fully dilated and pushing where the head descends x

Not necessarily - but it's the period of time that is allowed (in our trust at least??) between a ve confirming full dialation and when we'd get the lady to start pushing - in the abscence of the fergusons reflex (the urge to push) - mostly for ladies with epidurals on board. If however a lady who's fully wants to push straight away - she does - if that makes sence??

Obv the contractions continue throughout - for lots of women - the head does indeed descend with dilation - more multips than primips though.

Does that make sense?!

Yes thank you norman, that explains it perfectly! x