Braxton Hicks « Back to Group Discussions

[wildmansmom]

When I was pregnant with DS I don't think I felt the first contraction until I was actually in pre-labor and DS arrived a few days later.  This time I've noticed BH for about a month (if not more) but very sporadically. 

The last 24 hours anytime I'm vertical I seem to be having that BH tightening feelings in addition to menstrual crampy feelings.  DD is also very low and I've had a lot of pressure on my bladder but now it feels lower and even feels like the pressure on my cervix that I felt with DS and this evening I've had some pressure in my lower back also.

I'm not planning to be checked at my appointment next week as I assume it won't make a difference to when I actually go into "real" labor, but I thought I would check and see what everyone else's experiences have been.

If you had the "crampy" feeling, how long was it before you were in real labor?  I'm 37 weeks, so good to go anytime, but I'm really not ready yet!

[storygirlcindy]

My case is not exactly normal, because I have been having regular contractions (not just BHs) for 2 months now, every few minutes 24/7. And obviously I haven't had a baby yet (36 weeks today!). ;) So, my body definitely likes to take the "slow and steady" route. But, starting last weekend I have been getting in addition to the contractions the constant menstrual cramp-y feelings for at least several hours out of most days. I think the first day it happened was last Saturday or Sunday, so it's been a week and still no baby... but, like I said, that's just my experience and I am definitely not having the typical pregnancy journey! I just read a friend's birth story this afternoon and started laughing when she wrote that her contractions getting regular and "starting to have a little bit of pain" clued her in that it was time to head to the hospital... LOL. Mine have been so regular, and often so painful, for such a long time now that I have a feeling early labor might just sneak right by unnoticed!

Edited to add - I should say, though, that 2 different friends told me that that was their first sign of labor (the crampy feeling) and that they gave birth within a few days. So it definitely could be!

[wildmansmom]

Lol - Thanks for sharing.  I really don't expect the baby to come soon, but it helps to know that I'm not the only one having these sensations.

I "labored" for a full 48 hours with my son and only dilated 1 cm.  Now I know it was early labor or pre-labor and not active labor.  I told my husband we weren't leaving the house until I was positive I was in labor this time but since I never felt active labor (I got an epidural at 2 cm just after they started the pitocin drip) I keep thinking I'm going to miss the boat and wind up having her in the living room at home. 
 

[storygirlcindy]

Ha, yeah, that's basically where I've been for the past 2 months! I'm not planning to head to the hospital unless I conclusively KNOW it's labor, either because my water breaks or because I can't function at all anymore. But I suspect the early phase of labor, at least, will completely pass me by, since my contractions can sometimes get VERY intense for several days in a row. Last weekend they were so bad I couldn't sit up, stand up, or walk at all... we were at a family party and I kept having to kneel and lean over a coffee table to get some relief, I think everyone thought I was crazy! So at this point my logic is literally something along the lines of, "Well, if the contractions keep getting more intense for more than, say..... four days....... then maybe I'll go to the hospital." LOL! I'm a little nervous about the potential of a kitchen floor baby, too. ;) Luckily we live less than a mile from our hospital so I figure whatever happens, we'll be just fine.