Braxton Hicks... is that what these are?

[mamameg]

Okay ladies, I feel totally remedial asking this, but I don't know what BH contrax are supposed to feel like, or if I've been having them. I've been feeling *something*, and they go a little something like this...

-feel like baby's head is scraping (?) along the top of my cervix
-not exactly cramping, but more like a wincing, slightly sharp painful feeling
-they take my breath away
-they only last a few seconds each, and are several minutes apart
-I've only been getting them a few nights a week for the past couple of weeks (I'm 38 weeks now)
-baby is very active when they occur
-they occur mostly in the evenings when I am sitting down and slightly reclining into the back of the sofa, and if I more positions or stand up, they usually stop

Are these BH contrax??? Or is it just the baby moving around on my cervix?

TIA for entertaining my dumb question. Am I a first timer or WHAT?


Megan

[PattyCakes]

I'm not sure Megan as I'm a first timer too...

Just posting my experience with BH (and I'm getting them alot) - mine are DEFINITE tightening. Often they are up high and my whole belly gets really, really tight. They can sometimes make me breathless, but don't often hurt.

I have had some contractions lower - closer to my pelvis and those hurt a bit. I can definitely feel it in my cervix too - but those feel more crampy than anything.

I do get cervical pain - sharp twinges that make me stop in my tracks. I figure it's just babe getting into place and my cervix starting to get ready.

I have contractions every time my mwife tries to feel the baby or measure me. Too funny.

[Sarah'sMama]

fROM what you described, it sounds like the baby is pushing on a nerve,, the pudendal nerve to be exact. I spoke with my nurse practitioner about this at my last appt. She chuckled and said our baby's get on our nerves before they are even born. :LOL

[Caroline248]

Megan, hi, I am popping on from the September board, but this is my fourth. Sounds like you have cervical shanges going on there!! Sometimes your cervix starts changing WEEKS before you actually HAVE a baby, and that is good I think. I had it, and my longest labor was 8 hours real start to birth. Some friends who never had it had much longer labors. So every time you wince, say thanks...just might mean your body is prepping!

Sorry to jump in, this caught my eye!! Good luck!!

Caroline

[mamameg]

Thanks for the replies, ladies! It's always reassuring to know that I'm not the only one feeling these feelings.

I guess they're NOT BH then... meaning I haven't had ANY BH at all! Is that normal? It seems that every pg woman I know has had BH contrax for several weeks prior to giving birth!

This lack of contrax is part of what is making me feel pretty sure I am going to go at least a week past my edd. Baby hasn't reallly dropped, no contrax, no changes... doesn't really feel like anything is *happening*.

Caroline - I've also had the feeling (gotta love me and my "feelings" :LOL) that I'm going to have a quick labor... so maybe this is all part of the master plan!

Thanks again,
Megan

[KKmama]

Mamameg, you've almost certainly had some BH, because, well... we all get them!

Sometimes I get feelings similiar to what you're describing and I swear there's a hand down there... Seriously, I feel a little arm moving, and then poking or whatever, and it doesn't feel so nice.

[fiddlefern]

mamameg-

I'm totally with you- I have the exact same kinds of pains, and I'm sure they're not BH.

The reason I know is that I've had exactly TWO BH contractions. Once in the second trimester, once in the early third. Those felt like my uterus balling up, and had no correlation to baby movement. This is definitely baby working his way down my uterus, bumping up against my cervix, and becoming "engaged." My mw said yesterday that baby was well down in my pelvis- I'm not surprised.

I think it's possible not to have BH, and then just go into labor.

I too have had a sense for a long time that this baby's gonna be late. It's my first too.

Hang in there!

fiddlefern