What to eat before giving birth to relieve labor pain

Pregnancy and childbirth are very hard. Some mothers have heard from others that childbirth is very painful. So why do pregnant women feel pain before delivery? What can pregnant women eat before delivery to effectively relieve labor pain? The following editor will give you a detailed introduction.

Why do pregnant women feel pain before giving birth?

In the late stages of pregnancy, women's estrogen levels increase and progesterone levels decrease. Estrogen can increase the sensitivity of uterine muscles to oxytocin and other substances that stimulate uterine contraction, and the increase in local intrauterine pressure can cause the uterus to produce strong contractions.

The second reason is fear and pain sensitivity. The fear of parturients is also due to their lack of understanding of the childbirth process. They only hear about it from others and think that childbirth is very painful or even unbearable, so they are extremely afraid of childbirth.

Some women are usually very sensitive to pain, and they easily believe the exaggerated descriptions of experienced women, and imagine how painful it is to give birth, which is bound to cause great psychological pressure. And such a mentality will definitely aggravate the pain during childbirth.

In fact, childbirth is just a physiological process. When a pregnant woman is about to give birth, the number of nerve sensory fibers that control the uterus is very small, and generally there will be no strong pain. Objectively speaking, childbirth is painful because during the delivery process, certain tissues and organs near the uterus will be involved, causing local pain.

Physical laborers usually have a lot of activity, so their delivery is smoother and the pain is reduced accordingly. Mental laborers or pregnant women who are less active often experience aggravated pain due to extreme tension and fear.

What to eat before giving birth to relieve labor pain

Many women are nervous and have a poor appetite when they are about to give birth, so they should eat food that is easy to digest and absorb.

Childbirth requires a lot of physical energy, so you should eat some foods that quickly replenish energy before childbirth. Carbohydrates that are not recommended for normal consumption can quickly provide energy for mothers, such as chocolate, fruit juice, sugar water, etc., and can be eaten before childbirth.

Avoid eating greasy food, food that contains too much protein, or food that takes too long to digest.

A lot of water is consumed during the delivery process, so before delivery, you can eat semi-liquid soft food with high water content, such as noodles, rice porridge, egg custard, etc.

If a mother has severe uterine contractions and is in too much pain to eat, she can replenish energy by taking in glucose and vitamins.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that before giving birth, the diet should be adjusted to promote labor, shorten the labor process, and reduce labor pain. For example, winter mallow leaves, amaranth, purslane, milk, honey, etc.

What are the preparations for pregnant women before delivery?

1. Clean the room

Before the wife gives birth, the expectant father and his family should clean the room, ensure good lighting and ventilation, and try to make the room warm and comfortable, so that the mother and child can happily spend the delivery period in a clean, safe and comfortable environment.

2. Wash bedding and clothing

In the late pregnancy, the expectant mother has difficulty moving around, so the expectant father and family members should take the initiative to wash the clothes, quilts, sheets, pillowcases, and pillows in the house, and expose them to the sun for disinfection before use.

3. Buy Food

The expectant father should go to the supermarket to buy noodles or longxu noodles, millet, rice, red dates, flour, brown sugar and other essential foods for the mother. He should also prepare fresh eggs, vegetable oil, dried shrimps, day lily, fungus, peanuts, black rice, sesame, kelp, walnuts and other foods.

What are the signs of labor and delivery in pregnant women?

1. Descending of the uterine fundus

The descent of the uterine fundus is a delivery signal light about two weeks before the mother is due to give birth. At this time, as the baby's head begins to sink to the bottom of the pelvis, the uterine fundus descends, making the mother's upper abdomen begin to relax, and breathing becomes more comfortable than before because it is free from oppression. The feeling of the stomach being pressed down is significantly reduced, and the appetite becomes better, so the food intake increases. At this time, the descent of the uterine fundus is only a signal before delivery, not the real beginning of delivery. Pregnant mothers do not need to be too nervous, nor do they need to rush to the hospital for delivery. What pregnant mothers need to do is to eat well, sleep well, and take a walk after meals appropriately to prepare for delivery. At the same time, pregnant mothers should also pay attention to keeping a happy mood.

2. There is a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen

As the uterine fundus descends, it presses on the entrance of the pelvis in preparation for delivery. At this time, the pregnant mother's lower abdomen has a noticeable sense of pressure, and it feels like the baby is about to fall out. In this case, the pregnant mother does not need to worry too much, this is a normal phenomenon because the baby is about to be born. At the same time, as the descent of the uterine fundus will compress the bladder, the pregnant mother will experience symptoms of frequent urination, and walking will be inconvenient because of the sinking center of gravity, and the feeling of back pain and leg pain will become more intense.

3. Seeing red

One or two days before delivery, pregnant mothers will experience "seeing blood". At this time, the baby's head begins to fall into the pelvis. As the uterus contracts, the cervical canal gradually expands, and the nearby fetal membrane and uterine wall separate, resulting in a small amount of bleeding. It appears as a mixture of brown, pink or red mucus. This is a phenomenon in which the uterus begins to expand and is an important signal of labor. It should be noted that under normal circumstances, the amount of bleeding from "seeing blood" is not too much, less than the menstrual flow. If the amount of bleeding from "seeing blood" is too much, you should be hospitalized for observation in time to check whether it is caused by placental abruption and other diseases to prevent accidents.

4. Broken water

As the labor progresses, a few hours before or after delivery, pregnant mothers will experience "amniotic fluid breaking", which is manifested as a yellowish liquid flowing out of the vagina in a jet or dripping shape, making pregnant mothers feel like they are peeing. At this time, sanitary napkins can be used to prevent leakage, and it is also convenient to check whether the color of the discharge is normal to help judge the progress of labor. Generally, pregnant mothers will start labor soon after the water breaks. At this time, pregnant mothers should be admitted to the hospital as soon as possible to wait for delivery, keep a supine position, and prepare for delivery under the guidance and help of doctors and nurses to prevent infection and even give birth to the baby outside the hospital.