According to abbreviationfinder, contraction is a term that comes from a Latin word and refers to the action and effect of contracting or contracting. This verb is related to narrowing or joining something with something else; acquire customs, vices or diseases ; reduce to a smaller size; or enter into the marriage contract.
For example: “With the first contraction, my wife began to scream and I decided to take her to the hospital”, “The space contraction occurred after the installation of the new machine”, “It is not clear how the contraction of the disease, but the truth is that the animal has been infected for more than two months ”, “ The contraction of marriage generates uncertainty in many men ”.
The muscle contraction is the physiological process that develop the muscles when stressed and systematically relax. Contractions, controlled by the central nervous system, generate motor force. Voluntary contractions are controlled by the brain, while involuntary reflexes are carried out by the spinal cord.
The breathing, the chewing and locomotion involve various types of contractions. These actions can be initiated consciously or unconsciously, although they are usually continued through an unconscious reflex.
For grammar, contraction is the morphophonological phenomenon that consists of the fusion of two or more words to form a single one: “al” (“a” + “el”), “del” (“de” + “el”), etc.
How are contractions in pregnancy
During pregnancy, contraction is the tightening of the abdomen due to the activity of the uterine muscle. They can be caused by movements or changes in position of the baby, among other reasons. The labor contractions are different because they have a more regular and intense pain (though the latter varies: in some cases the pain is unbearable and others, is presented as a slight tingling).
In general, contractions follow the same pattern: they start out mild and as the time of birth approaches, they become more constant. It is convenient for parents to monitor this regularly to know when they should call the specialist who is monitoring the pregnancy.
The why of contractions. Through these muscular changes the woman’s body prepares to expel the baby. It is necessary to clarify that contractions begin long before labor is announced.
Braxton Hicks contractions usually appear early and consist of a way in which the body prepares and takes shape until the moment of birth.
In this stage the uterine muscles contract but generally this movement goes unnoticed and only a very slight pain is perceived; they last a short time and occur every long time. These contractions can begin from the second trimester and are maintained with certain periodicity until the moment of delivery arrives.
Contractions are characterized by tension and relaxation of the uterine muscle; that manages, through this movement, to create the necessary pressure in the upper part of the uterus to push the baby towards the birth canal and, later, outside.
The most noticeable symptoms of contractions are a tightening of the tummy (the entire abdomen becomes rigid), pressure on the lower part of the uterus (because the uterus contracts and because the baby pushes) and dilation (the canal widens to give place for the baby).
The moment of birth comes when the dilation reaches its maximum level and the channel opens so that the child can descend through it. It is important to keep in mind that this last part of the process can take from one to two days.