How are the BH for everyone? « Back to Group Discussions

[tiqa]

Both my previous pregnancies (that made it this far) I was getting terbutaline right around this point because of irritable uterus.  SO many Braxton Hicks.  I've been doing pretty good this time around (which... I'm not sure I like... I hear that a lot of BH gets your uterus in shape, and I'm not only older but I really want another 30 minute delivery like last time!!) but last night the BH picked up to the point where I called my mw.  She was much less panicky about them than the OB's I've had previously were, and she didn't have me go to L&D or anything like that, just sleep them off.  It worked... but considering how quick my previous labors were I'm halfway nervous about letting things progress to the point of no return... but since there were no other signs of labor I was fine with it too.

Anyway... are BH picking up for anyone else yet?

[Tbutton]

Yes! In my previous pregnancy, I don't remember having any BH until the last month. This time I felt them starting at 19 weeks! That really surprised me. My labor with my daughter was only 4 and a half hours, so I am also wondering if it will have anything to do with length of labor this time. At this point I'm getting a handful in a day- maybe four or five or more usually every day. I'm not worried since I don't feel like anything is wrong. They're not regular or painful, per se, but they haven't gotten strong enough to make me pause and slow down a bit. I'm 28 weeks and 5 days right now.

I hope this helps!

[organicviolin]

I've had a few. Nothing insane. I do tend to be in early labor for 3 weeks and then I go quickly.

[Ms Rabbit]

I was actually talking to DH last night about how frequent, strong and early the BH are this time around. Particularly after supper, I get them so intense I have to stop what I am doing and just lay down for a while.

For me, BH feel like a tightening of tummy muscles, mostly higher up in my uterus - above my belly button. They can be slightly painful, but more of an exhausted, sore muscle pain (that sometimes radiates into my upper back, like I've been working out). Contractions are a raw, scraping feeling low in my uterus, a much different feeling than my BH. Is this similar to how everyone else experiences the two?

I ask because Tiqa mentioned her short labour... the day before I went into labour with DS2, I had very consistent (5mins apart, lasting 1 minute) BH all day long. They didn't get worse or closer together throughout the day. The next morning around 9am, BAM... I felt a contraction - that sort of raw tearing feeling low in my uterus, and just over 1 hour later DS was born. Either I can't tell the difference between BH and real contractions, or the BH really do make a difference? Judging by how strong I am getting them this time, maybe I can expect a 10 min labour? LOL

[tiqa]

Hmm.  Well, for me BH are not painful in the least.  They're actually physically pretty nice feeling.  Mentally, not so much, because I wonder if they're PTL or harmless... so I don't really LIKE getting them, but physically it's kind of nice.  I don't know how to describe it, really, other than tightening.

For me, I don't think they felt much different than "real" contractions...  just not painful.  For the longest time with DD I wasn't even sure it WAS real labor, because I was just getting a LOT of them, quickly.  The bloody show was what convinced me.  But they didn't get painful until about... half an hour before I gave birth.  At that point... hmm.  I wouldn't call it scraping.  I would call it just really intense tightening.  Like the difference between feeling strong because you're lifting something heavy (BH) and feeling like the thing you're lifting is WAY too heavy but you HAVE to hold it, or else (real contrax).  I dunno if that makes sense at ALL... but just much more intense to the point of unpleasant.  But just a matter of scale I think... not really a "different" feeling.

[Tbutton]

For me "real" contractions and BH feel very different. The BH I feel as a tightening all over that isn't painful, but does at times take my breath away. I would say I feel it most around my belly button. Real contractions, for me, felt like menstrual cramps. With DD, they started out irregular but felt obviously different from BH, then they just increased in intensity and regularity. They always felt like menstrual cramps for me, though. I thought the correlation between BH and length of labor was more to do with just how toned and ready your uterus is from all the "practicing." I don't know, though! What seems confusing to me is differentiating BH from prodromal labor. I'm not sure I totally understand it...

[tiqa]

I don't understand it either, tbh.

Is it weird that I never got menstrual cramps before in my life?  That's not to say that my periods have been FUN or anything... I had headaches and bloating and stuff.  But the only remotely crampy feeling I ever got with them weren't crampy at all - they just felt like I was really hungry (even when I wasn't).  Hmm...  I wonder if that's why my "real" contrax don't feel much different than BH?  Just musing heh.

[2sweetgrrls]

It's incredibly bizarre, but I can honestly say I haven't felt ANY BH with this pregnancy yet--and I'm coming up on 29 weeks! I did have one bout of contractions after my glucose test last week that I went into L&D for, but outside of that? Nothing I've felt.
 

[Pogo0685]

I haven't felt any either. Last time I don't remember feeling them at all, but I know I had some in the few weeks before labor. But my nipples have started leaking already, I am just over 29 weeks last time my nipples never leaked at all before baby came.

[ella'smommy]

I've had sharp pains that surprise me, usually in the middle of my abdomen on the left side, and then electrical shock type pains in my right ribs that my doc said was probably my ribs spreading. Nice. I've never had BH or contractions, so I don't really know what I'm looking for. I'm at the end of 26 weeks and breasts have started leaking too. I"m taking it as a good sign, because I delivered at 27 weeks last time and my milk never really came in. Hoping for copious quantities of breast milk to feed this baby :)
 

[tiqa]

Maybe it's a bit TMI but DH informed me the other night that I too have some milk-making action going on.  I had no idea.  =X

[Pogo0685]

Well I am so glad its not only me! I was seriously worried when it first happened, but I looked online before I freaked out and called the midwife and Google said its normal.

[tiqa]

I didn't have any milk with my other two pregnancies either, during pregnancy.  Well, with my son I never got milk even after he was born (I was broken or something) but with DD I had plenty of milk - but definitely didn't produce any until the birth.  So this is new to me.  Oh well, I guess it's a good thing?

[JamieCatheryn]

I always get lots, but for a while they haven't been bad with this pregnancy. Taking magnesium helped make them quit when they were starting up. But I didn't get the chance to drink water this morning and had quite a bit every time I started to walk anywhere today until I was able to get hydrated.

[Anilia]

I'm getting more BH this time.  If I have more than a couple in a row I really tank up on water and that usually helps them go away.  It is kind of funny, because they feel downright good.  I don't remember having any with my son....

Don't forget to hydrate ladies!!

[sapientia]

I've had a few here and there and they tend to be related to not drinking enough water. They don't hurt at all, just tightening. It's funny some days I won't have any and then the next day I will have a few within an hour and I start to freak out-then I drink a bunch of water, pee like a fiend and it's better.

[itsajenism]

I always seem to get a lot of them in the third trimester. They don't seem at all related to water intake and magnesium (etc), though I *always* get them when riding in a car. Maybe I can thank all of them for my short labors. 

[Anilia]

The car seems to be a trigger for me too.  Weird.

[tiqa]

Mine have eased off a bit too.  I don't think they're related to drinking water for me, either...  They always said they're worse when you're dehydrated, but for me it's being up and about that bring them on.  If I'm really active during the day I will feel them much more.  I've been feeling crummy for the past week with headaches and lounging about a lot, and I've been getting far fewer BH.  But I've also been drinking a lot less too, and so you'd think I'd have MORE... not so.  Huh.