Contractions.. or a lack thereof « Back to Group Discussions

[tiqa]

I posted this in I'm Pregnant too but got no answers.... I've had contractions - many of them strong - about once every three minutes since about week 20... but now that I'm term, they seem to have disappeared almost completely.  Starting from about a week ago.  I had irritable uterus for my other two kids as well with about the same frequency but the contractions never stopped until birth.  Now I'll have one or two pretty mild ones a day... It's not positioning or hydration or stress or anything like that.  I just can't fathom why they would stop once I was more or less ready to deliver?  Does that even make sense?  =/

[Anilia]

Seems like they are trying to keep you guessing!  Try and rest up, put it out of your mind and take some long walks if you can. :)

[tiqa]

I think unless I take laps around the kitchen, the long walks aren't going to happen... snow reaches to the mailboxes at this point, and we don't even have snow tires on the car to drive the half hour to the nearest mall.  We're going grocery shopping today and I think I'll head down to the super Walmart, not the best place in the world, but that place is huge... maybe I can go back and forth in it a few times lol.

[birthjunkiemom]

I would be thankful for the break from them! It seems as if I am constantly having contractions, & they keep me up at night. Going back to teaching 1st graders at 38 weeks pregnant on Monday is NOT going to be fun with little sleep because of contractions, & contracting during the day, too. I might feel better about them if I felt like I had something to show for them, but despite this being my 5th baby, I'm only 1cm. :/

[tiqa]

Wow, I can't even wrap my mind around having to go back to work at 38 weeks pregnant... I mean I can kind of see if you were already working without having taken Christmas/NY break off... but to go on break, and then have to go BACK for a few days or a week or two?  Way to go, maternal leave act making people.  =/  I'm sorry.

If it helps, it's not like I'm sleeping any at all either.  The contractions might not be there but I just can't sleep... between restless legs, peeing, being hyperaware of every noise, DH's movements, not being able to get comfortable... yeah it's not happening.

[J1379]

I don't have anything to add around why this would be happening other than perhaps the baby is just in a good position now so your uterus no longer feels the need to contract regularly until "the big day"?  Who knows??

Birthjunkiemom - I'm in the same boat as you!!  Due Jan. 21st and I work for a school board (not a teacher though) and have been off for two weeks but will be going back to work on Monday.  I really had hoped that I wouldn't have to but I don't feel myself any closer to labour right now :(

[AnahataChakra]

I agree with J1379 also what you might have been feeling at 20 weeks and on is your uterus growing and now maybe it is the quiet before the storm, as long as you still feel a few braxton hicks everything is probably fine, if your uterus feels floppy and even after you massage it, it still doesn't harden that is something I would talk to your midwife about.   Good Luck!