braxton hicks contractions « Back to Group Discussions

[Amor Rays]

Anyone else having them?

I've been having them for months now, my ob wanted me to come in to the hospital to stop them.  hahahah lol, that never happened.

My midwife wasnt' too concerned. Now I have them really frequently and my whole uterus gets hard, but nothing consistent enough to be labor.  I just wonder how subtle it will be when I do slip into labor.

[Sunshine_Amy]

I noticed them a lot with baby #1, but haven't noticed them with this one as much. I seem to get them if I heft something heavy, or work my belly muscles to sit up or something.  So I just don't! haha.  I try not to, anyway.  

A couple of months ago I had a funny thing, where I had a coughing fit that caused my belly muscles to tense up, and that set off a major Braxton Hicks, with even my pelvic floor all tightened up. The weird thing was it just stayed like that: it wouldn't relax!  I called my midwife, and she told me to either drink some wine (already tried it) or get in the bath. The bath worked like a charm!   Relief!

What the heck was the ob going to do to stop them?  Yikes.  I've heard they are normal, that even before pregnancy the uterus will do that to keep the muscles primed and ready for the job of labor. We just don't feel them until our belly is big enough. 

[Amor Rays]

my ob is funny to me, I laugh off most of what she says and wants me to do.  Like get induced, just so i make it to the hospital on time.  

I think they give some sort of iv muscle relaxer to stop pre-term labor and that is what she wanted to do if i have more then 4 an hour, well sometimes i have 8 in an hour and then nothing for the rest of the day so I'm not about to go to the hospital every time that happens.  I can tell it's not labor yet so i'm not worried about it but I think when I do go into  it for real, it may happen real subtle and be hard for me to notice.  I guess that sounds contradictory but I don't know how to explain it any other way.

Bumpy roads give me contractions too.

[typebug]

My constant companions since week 25... :) Thought I'd share some of the Hicks-Busters I've had success with.

Lying down (sitting usually doesn't do much for me)

Yoga positions like Cow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfoAq3MNkus

I've also used a very modified downward dog holding onto a chair or counter if I'm standing in the kitchen and need to release some tension

Getting into a bath usually arrests them or knocks them back to one every 15 min. I use this when I get into a major spasm and they won't stop when lying down.

My midwife gave me a supply of Spasfon to use if nothing above is working. It's a uterine relaxant and unfortunately only available in France and Spain. Worth looking up to see what would be similar in the US.

I have my worst days when I'm low on sleep, dehydrated or stressed in any way. I've found that stairs and walking up inclines really get things going so I just avoid those when I'm out.

[loveandgarbage]

I've been getting intense bouts of these the last couple of days. Last night I definitely had a scary "OMG what if this is real labor?" moment because they were painful. I had just finished eating some spicy Laotian takeout so maybe that's what brought them on!

[LadyCatherine185]

ive been having them too, especially in the evening! last night I had about 5 in a row (only a few minutes apart) that also felt "crampy" in my cervix (like less-intense REAL labor).. (tmi alert) this morning I had a lot of extra cervical fluid too. It was kind of watery though, so I don't think it was my mucous plug at all. Just excited my body may already be doing SOMETHING, as DS2 was born at almost 42 weeks, and I didn't start dilating at all until 40 weeks!

[Jenny01]

I don't think I've ever had one :/

[kellybeth]

Originally Posted by Jenny01 

I don't think I've ever had one :/

me either, just really awful piercing pelvic pain at times, but it's so fast & fleeting. 

[Jenny01]

Originally Posted by kellybeth 

me either, just really awful piercing pelvic pain at times, but it's so fast & fleeting. 

My midwife told me today that when the head drops, that's what it will feel like!

[Sunshine_Amy]

Originally Posted by Amor Rays 

my ob is funny to me, I laugh off most of what she says and wants me to do.  Like get induced, just so i make it to the hospital on time.  

I think they give some sort of iv muscle relaxer to stop pre-term labor and that is what she wanted to do if i have more then 4 an hour, well sometimes i have 8 in an hour and then nothing for the rest of the day so I'm not about to go to the hospital every time that happens.  I can tell it's not labor yet so i'm not worried about it but I think when I do go into  it for real, it may happen real subtle and be hard for me to notice.  I guess that sounds contradictory but I don't know how to explain it any other way.

Bumpy roads give me contractions too.

Yikes!  I'm glad you can laugh her suggestions off, but honestly, proactive intervention-oriented suggestions like that set off all my warning alarms!    I'm really glad you have a midwife too, not just the ob. 

I know what you mean about wondering if you'll be able to tell you're in labor. Probably it's different for everybody, but for me, early labor felt exactly like PMS: lower abdomen cramps, and lower back-ache. I don't even remember my belly tightening as part of labor--probably I just didn't notice it, like you're saying, being so used to BH!  LOL!  Then again I also had a back labor, so it could have been overshadowed by that as well. 

Typebug, those are great suggestions, thanks for sharing!  

Jean and Catie--hearing you two talk makes me feel like, "Wow, we're really getting close, huh?"  I mean--one of our club here could end up in labor any day. I don't imagine I'll go for at least a month from now, but ...hey, you never know at this point!  Which kind of freaks me out, because I am SO NOT READY, ack!  We still don't have any idea on a name for this boy--that is my biggest stressor at this point I think!  

Anyone got any good Irish boy names?? 

[Amor Rays]

I haven't even begun to think of names yet.  I'll save that for after the baby gets here.

[loveandgarbage]

Amy, you should post in the names thread! Is Rowan an Irish name? That's the first one that popped into my head.

[typebug]

Originally Posted by Sunshine_Amy 

Yikes!  I'm glad you can laugh her suggestions off, but honestly, proactive intervention-oriented suggestions like that set off all my warning alarms!    I'm really glad you have a midwife too, not just the ob. 

I know what you mean about wondering if you'll be able to tell you're in labor. Probably it's different for everybody, but for me, early labor felt exactly like PMS: lower abdomen cramps, and lower back-ache. I don't even remember my belly tightening as part of labor--probably I just didn't notice it, like you're saying, being so used to BH!  LOL!  Then again I also had a back labor, so it could have been overshadowed by that as well. 

My birth Yoga teacher thinks I may not have a clue I'm in labour till I'm close to active labour because I've had these contractions for so long. ;) I guess that'll make labour seem a little shorter? 

[typebug]

Originally Posted by Jenny01 

My midwife told me today that when the head drops, that's what it will feel like!

Mine dropped this past week! (At 34 weeks here) The head is engaged and it's been kinda subtle but I feel a little more pressure at the cervix at times and a few of those "lightening crotch" episodes in the evenings. I'm a little achy in the round ligament and pelvic floor before bedtime again and I definitely walk with my feet a little further apart feeling like my pelvis is shouldering the burden a little more. I haven't had more BH but they ache a little more. Anyway, that's my best description of what that's been like so far!

[Jenny01]

Wow!  I had some really uncomfortable low sensations this morning too and cervix punches that made me stop dead in my tracks  lol.  We are having a home visit tonight so maybe she can check position again for me and see what is going on!

[Amor Rays]

I have an appointment today with my OB that I really do not want to go to. I really don't want to see her anymore at all, but I want someone to give me an iud after the baby and there are only a handful of ob/gyn's here.  I don't want to establish care at a new dr.  I'm not planning on going to her for the birth but she thinks I am.  I'm just dreading the pretending going along with what she wants and then not really doing it. 

[katiesophie]

I felt them quite regularly for a few weeks.  Nothing too extreme, just mildly uncomfortable.  But I haven't noticed any in a little over two weeks.  

I am definitely feeling more pelvic pressure and what has to be lightening crotch.  Ouch!  DH thinks the name is hilarious, I assure him however that the pain is not!

[typebug]

Originally Posted by Amor Rays 

I have an appointment today with my OB that I really do not want to go to. I really don't want to see her anymore at all, but I want someone to give me an iud after the baby and there are only a handful of ob/gyn's here.  I don't want to establish care at a new dr.  I'm not planning on going to her for the birth but she thinks I am.  I'm just dreading the pretending going along with what she wants and then not really doing it. 

I'm doing the same little routine with the hospital we chose as our "just in case we transfer" place. They keep trying to get me to pay a deposit and choose a room. Fat chance! I've fabricated fake business trips to dodge them.

[buko]

I think I have felt a couple now, in the past few days (I am just 34w today).  Just that all of a sudden, my belly/the baby feels "heavier," so I touch my belly and it's harder than usual.  Not sure if those are BH, but maybe? 

[kellybeth]

i still have yet to feel one of these. the doctor a couple days ago was asking if i'd had any and i said no. she asked if i was sure, and i said yes, i'm sure, i have no idea what a contraction feels like. just have the pelvic pain and cervix stabbing lightening crotch from hell.