30 weeks lots of BH- when do I worry?

[is it puppies?]

I have had BH off and on for a long time now (months)- and the last few weeks by end of the work day on Friday they become constant until I get home and sit around. They appear sporadically through the week, particularly when I am exerting myself at all (even going for a walk). Now this week, Thursday was like my Friday (many BH by end of day till at rest), and Friday they started earlier in the afternoon, then calmed again once I was home doing nothing much (though still sporadic while sitting around and I think sporadic through the night).
Today they pretty much start up again when I get up and do things but if I sit down they stop almost immediately. I have been hydrating as much as I can today and peeing often. I don't think I am dehydrated, which has definitely increased my braxton hicks before. I don't feel any pain from them, save for a spot on my upper right where I think I pulled a muscle sneezing the other day. My back doesn't ache. It's like it is every week, except hasn't calmed like it usually does by the time my Saturday is going. I am concerned enough that I am not doing much, but baby moves around like usual when I am sitting down and my intuition isn't bothering me or anything.
I am wondering if I should just keep resting (and hope they slow again like usual on the weekend), if I should call my MW, or if I should go about my day and try to time how often they happen and worry if it's more than the 5/hr.

[MaerynPearl]

If its really just BH and go away when you attempt to make them stop... I wouldn't worry. They can go on and sometimes get quite strong for months before baby ever comes. It is, as always, something to mention to your dr/midwife at your next appointment though (or call if you are quite concerned). Of course if you try to get them to stop and they don't, then I would worry and at 30 weeks that would warrant a trip to the hospital just to make sure everything is okay. I had to do that a lot with DD... I would get dehydrated and get contractions and I couldnt drink enough to keep myself hydrated so they would put me on an IV and NST for a couple hours then send me home feeling fine... in a week or two it would happen again (and I really tried to drink enough water, with her I just couldnt get enough)

[is it puppies?]

That's kind of what I think- they go away when I try to make them stop, so I am not feeling too concerned. I will keep an eye on what happens when I get up again!

[slgt]

I would say it wouldn't hurt to call your MW. A friend of mine started having BH at 30 weeks that wouldn't stop - i.e., a single contraction would last for a long time. She ended up going in to her doc, they monitored the BH for a little while and that all looked normal. However, when they went to do a physical exam, they found she was effacing & dilating and baby was moving through stations - premature labor. She's been on bedrest for I think 3-4 weeks now.

Not intended as a scare - but as a "it never hurts to check in" story!

[tngirl11]

I agree that if you can get them to go away, it's probably nothing to worry about. Some women just tend to have lots of them (like me!) I was very worried during my last pg, ended up going into L and D, finding out I was 1 cm dilated at about 22 weeks, and got put on bed rest for the rest of my pg. In the end, I went almost a week past my due date and was sorry that I had given up all my exercise for nothing! This time around, I have mostly ignored my contractions. If they start to come one after the other, I will sit and drink some water until they stop. Activity definitely increases them. I teach spinning classes and pretty much contract the whole time!
So I would stay cautious, but try not to be too worried.

[GoBecGo]

I've been having fierce BH for weeks and weeks now. They are uncomfortable (with DD i could feel them, but they were totally painless) and long (over a minute sometimes) and often quite frequent - i will have 6 in an hour but then none for the rest of the day or 3 an hour for hours and hours. I have them most when i'm active, stressed or conversely, when i'm snuggling with DH and feeling that intimate vibe (i don't mean actual sex, just being close).

I talked to my MW about it, and she wasn't concerned, just said it was a good sign my uterus was going to be toned. I tend to ignore mine as much as possible. They definitely lack the "edge" of prelabour so i don't think about them. I checked my cervix at about 22weeks and it was dilated (the outer os anyway) to 1cm, and was short and mushy, but it generally is those things when i'm not pregnant (shortish - right before AF it's only about 3cm, it's just not long, and open to 1cm all the time) so again, i'm not worried. I tried to check it again recently but i couldn't reach it.

[is it puppies?]

Unless something changes, I plan on talking to my MW when I see her in a couple of weeks, but as has happened for the past few weeks, they almost totally went away- they just started sooner in my work week, were a bit fiercer, and did take a bit longer to go away. Since maybe mid-day Saturday they quieted down, and today I think I had maybe one so far. I like to think that I will have a very easy birth when the time comes from all the practice!
If something changes in the pattern I will be sure to contact her.

[ScarletBegonias]

my bh have been really strong and frequent this pg too. i've had bh practically since i conceived and i've also been "dilated" to 2 since around 16 weeks. every woman and pregnancy is different!

both of my children have been born vaginally in the past 4 years and sometimes having kids/pregnancies close together will do strange things to your body. personally, i think my uterus is slightly slack and is toning up to carry all the baby and amniotic fluid weight, and for labor and birth. i'm also hoping it means a quick labor! though my last labor was only about 2 hours, i still wouldn't mind a quick, orgasmic birth!

[dachshund mom]

I had BH just like that from 20 weeks on. I ended up quitting work two months before my due date because it was so uncomfortable to be up walking around. My midwife was never too worried. They tapered off around 36 weeks, and I went past my due date. I had a very quick labor after all that contracting practice. Drink lots of water!