Persistent Belly Tightness?

[GuavaGirl]

Is it normal to have this belly tightness (like a bh contraction) that just stays there. My belly has just been so tight lately but it's more of a constant (that lets up at times) rather than contractions that come and go. I especially noticed it during the night, last night. I'm thinking, geez, how can that be comfortable for the baby?

Every time I mention something to DH, he just says, "call the midwife..like now," but I just assumed this was something normal ...

[HappiLeigh]

Can you tell where your baby is? Mine felt like that for about three days last week, when my baby turned posterior. Then I woke up one morning and his butt was back out in front, and that tight feeling finally went away.

[busymama77]

I notice it off and on throughout the day. I also feel it moreso when I get up from my chair than I do if I'm sitting down. It could be how the baby is positioned or it could be just how we're each carrying our babies overall. I'm all baby and I have a long torso, so I'm carrying all throughout my stomach and very low. When I feel the stretching/tightness - it's in the front AND in the back.

[GuavaGirl]

He's head down and curled up side facing. I think it would be Right Occiput Anterior, according to the spinning babies site. I'm wondering if it's a mix of his size and position?

[OlyR]

I was just coming on here to ask something similar.

First, my baby is head down, back/bottom curled to my right. For the past couple of days and nights I have been getting contractions that I feel move from my very low abdomen to my back and then radiate for a while (maybe 30 seconds to one minute or a little longer?) but then the feeling - only a slight discomfort - goes away but my belly stays hard for quite a while after.

Last night the contractions were a little more intense and in an every 10 minute or so pattern but the length seemed to be 30 seconds or less but my uterus was tight for at least 2 minutes each time. DH woke up and out of curiosity wanted to time things but I couldn't really figure out when to say start.... stop. When I felt pain? When I felt the tightening?

[GuavaGirl]

OlyR: I have the same problem with timing!

[OlyR]

Originally Posted by GuavaGirl

OlyR: I have the same problem with timing!

I guess I just continue to go off the notion that I'll know when it's real... But it is good to know I'm not the only one questioning this!

[HappiLeigh]

Originally Posted by GuavaGirl

I'm wondering if it's a mix of his size and position?

Sounds reasonable, since it's pretty persistent.

Guava and Oly--I've spontaneously gone into labor and given birth once, and I still don't understand how to time them. To me the beginnings and ends are just never clear-cut. Plus "real" contractions make my tummy cramp, and I find it difficult to tell the difference between the intestinal side effects and the actual contraction. During labor with my DD I had this strange pattern of contractions where one would be hard, then I'd have a really weak one, then another doozy. I never could figure out how to count those either, nor had I ever heard of that happening before. That said, I actually could totally tell when I was in labor, but just not by the clock!

[judybean]

I've been having quite a bit of belly tightness too.. and there's no way I could figure out timing or anything... but it's enough that my belly is almost starting to feel kind of sore (like, tired muscles!)!

I've never actually spontaneously gone into labor on my own, so I keep wondering what things mean!!

[doulawoman]

mine was like this on and off for days the day before I went into labour..though ti could have been the acupuncture and stuff stimulating it...having dh rub me and relax it a bit, even grab it helped it relax and I went into labour next day...still in labour, if only things would pick up again!