Many people assume that once labor starts, contractions will go on continuously until the baby is born. However, expectant parents may occasionally notice a temporary slowing or cessation of contractions, leaving them confused.
Confusion and frustration can arise from this contraction pause, particularly if you’re excited to meet your child. However, it’s not always an indication that something is off.
Reducing stress and making the experience more manageable for all parties involved can be achieved by understanding why contractions may pause and what can be done during these times.
| Reason for Contractions Stopping | What to Do |
| Baby"s position isn"t optimal | Try changing positions or walking around |
| Dehydration | Drink water to stay hydrated |
| Fatigue | Rest and relax to conserve energy |
| False labor | Monitor for real labor signs or consult your doctor |
An often perplexing condition known as "false labor" or "prodromal labor" occurs when contractions stop for a short while. Even though these contractions might feel real, they usually pass on their own and do not result in active labor.
Reasons
The length, strength, and intensity of contractions increase during a typical childbirth. In order for the baby to exit the mother’s womb, the cervix must open as a result. A condition where contractions stop abruptly or are not strong enough is regarded as a birth process complication. When contractions become less frequent, primary labor weakness is discussed. They discuss the secondary weakness of labor forces if pushing stops.
It is abnormal for uterine contractions to stop during labor. And the uterine smooth muscle’s hypotension is the cause of this. A decreased uterine tone may result from:
- uterine hypoplasia;
- myoma;
- endometritis;
- uterine anomalies – saddle-shaped or bicornuate uterus;
- uterine tissue failure due to previous abortions or diagnostic curettage;
- cervical scars in nulliparous women that arose due to erosion treatment;
- high progesterone levels in a woman"s body, reduced oxytocin levels;
- hypothyroidism, obesity;
- maternity age up to 20 years or over 36 years;
- gestosis.
This problem mostly affects women giving birth to their first child; it is rare but not entirely ruled out that women giving birth to their second or subsequent children will experience weakening of the labor forces.
Statistics show that while weakening of contractions or pushing occurs in up to 7% of first-time mothers, it happens in 1.5% of women who give birth again. Most often, during a post-term pregnancy or premature birth, contractions end abruptly. Women who are carrying multiple large babies at once run the risk of experiencing sudden weakness in labor due to the overstretched uterine walls.
Women who have polyhydramnios or whose pelvic size does not match the size of the fetal head are also at risk from stopping labor. Weak contractions can also arise as a result of premature amniotic fluid discharge. Furthermore, conditions like placenta previa, fetal hypoxia, and congenital abnormalities may also have an impact.
Many times, physicians are unable to determine what is causing the contractions to abruptly stop or to slow down. In good health and with normal tests, a woman may experience psychogenic labor slowdown.
The development of so-called idiopathic weakness of labor is possible if the child is unwanted, if there is a strong fear of childbirth, if the woman was extremely nervous in the final days before giving birth, if she was in the center of family conflicts, if she did not get enough sleep, or if she ate poorly.
Although the latter is less likely, the cause can occasionally be attributed to the woman taking too many painkillers on her own initiative, fearing the pain during contractions, or receiving them in a maternity hospital.
Consequences
With every hour that passes and you do nothing but adopt a wait-and-see attitude, the probability of bad things happening increases.
Considering that the uterus is already partially open, the baby could get infected. Extended periods of fasting pose a risk of hypoxia and child death. Asphyxia and harm to the unborn child are not ruled out if the mother experiences weakness during the second half of labor and starts to bleed heavily.
What to do?
To detect the delay in time, the woman only needs to keep an eye on the length and frequency of her contractions. When there are pathological weak contractions, the duration of the contraction is longer than usual and the rest intervals between uterine spasms are roughly twice as long.
Physicians should make the final decisions. They should first be aware of how much the cervical dilation deviates from the average during primary contractions. The next course of action will then be decided. Therefore, in certain cases, all that is needed to restart labor and have it proceed normally is to put a catheter into the woman’s bladder or puncture the amniotic sac in the event of polyhydramnios.
The woman in labor may be given sleeping pills to help her sleep for a short while, allowing labor to resume naturally, if she is extremely tired and exhausted and the baby does not exhibit signs of distress or hypoxia.
In the event that these interventions prove ineffective, the woman may be put in labor by intravenous oxytocin injection, which strengthens the uterus’s ability to contract. The woman has a cesarean section if stimulation is still ineffective.
Fetal hypoxia, a protracted period of dehydration, and the development of bloody discharge from the genital tract, which could indicate an early placental abruption, are among the signs that initially point to the need for an emergency cesarean section without inducing labor.
It is quite normal for contractions to occasionally slow down or even cease altogether during specific phases of labor. This can be brought on by things like stress, dehydration, or just a natural pause.
However, for peace of mind and advice, it’s best to check in with your healthcare provider if contractions stop for an extended length of time or if you’re unsure of what’s happening.
Keep in mind that every labor is unique, and maintaining composure and knowledge throughout is what counts most.
