Silly question -- what do contractions feel like?

[roseselene]

Ok, I must start out by saying that I feel like a moron even asking this question...but I thought I would try to get some thoughts on this. With DD, I had a very irritable uterus and I had contractions constantly (like every 5-10 minutes) starting at around 35 1/2 weeks and she wasn't born until 39 1/2 weeks. Some of the contractions were very mild and as time passed, they got more intense, some a tad bit painful...but not bad. Then my water broke and I was 4 cm and 80% effaced and they said that my contractions weren't good enough, so they insisted on augmenting me with pitocin even though it had only been like 5 hours. So, I went from being fairly comfortable and dealing well with my contractions to be doubled over in pain and I needed an epidural. So...i never really felt like I knew what natural labor felt like.
So fast forward to now.............. I'm pregnant again. Right now I'm 33 weeks...I've been studying birth hypnosis and am trying to avoid discussions of pain. However...the good old irritable uterus is back...and I started having fairly frequent contraction at 26 weeks!! They were very mild, but more frequent than anyone wanted them to be. I've been getting prenatal care from a midwife at a birth center this time. They've just been getting updates from me to see how I am...they only checked my cervix once --back at 27 weeks --- and it was still long and closed. Recently these contractions are getting quite a bit more intense. They are even waking me up. I get spurts of them where they come like every 5 minutes for a couple of hours. I feel a fairly intense balling up of the uterus, but I also feel a pulling sensation where I think my cervix is. The pulling sensation has gotten a little more intense as well. I've called the midwife a few times during this past several weeks and I really really really really hate to bother her over and over and over again for the same thing, if it is really the same thing.....Its just that I feel like I never really experienced a natural progression of labor, so I have no idea what I'm looking for, plus I'm worried about the fact that I'm only 33 weeks. Does anyone have any thoughts on what different things I might be feeling, looking for...etc...if this were a real active labor pattern?
Thanks!!!
Amy

[CJ 5]

Amy

I had polydromal labor for 4 weeks. I would say that your contractions will be very similar to what you are having now but will grow more intense. I think you could have great luck at going natural if you stay home as long as you can. Maybe even ask a homebirth midwife to come and check you before going to the hospital. Get a birthing tub and sit in the water and move around until you are sure you are ready to go to the hospital. I did that for 5 hours and it helped tons. I was having ridiculously strong contractions and the water made all the difference. Try to birth at a hospital that has a birth tub and make sure that you have a practitioner that is pro natural and supportive of your birth choices.

[*Erin*]

for me, i thought i had contrax on and off for about a week before i gave birth, but once i really went into labor, i realized those were braxton hicks contrax. chances are, when you are really going into active labor, you will just know. trust me. mine came on soft, like rhymic waves, slow buildup and a peak, then a subsiding, then a break, then another, and so on. they started out with 5 minutes between each one, and gradually got closer together until they were one on top of the next and i gave birth. they felt at first like menstrual cramps, then as labor went on, they felt like HUGE menstrual cramps. they felt like the real deal. also, i remember in early labor, i was very very peaceful, i felt very trippy, i remember thinking, wow, all this power, these waves pulsing thru my body, amazing. i was really calm and really focused on what my body was doing and about to do.

i had hardcore back labor, my dd ended up coming out sideways, 9lbs, so lots of pressure on my lower back (from my mama) and dancing thru the contrax helped me. if i kept moving my hips thru every one, i got thru them. i wish i couldve been in water, i think that would have been wonderful.

good luck to you hope i helped some.

[mama2annabelle]

Hi Amy!
It's me - Carmen from P-AP. I think we're due around the same time.
I'm sorry you're going through this. I know it's scary not knowing if this time is the real thing or not. It sounds like you're in the same boat as me these days.

Have you noticed any things that "trigger" the contractions? I've noticed that a full bladder, not drinking enough water, doing too much activity, and stress all trigger my contractions. They feel exactly how you describe...sometimes with the menstrual type pain and sometimes without. When they start coming at regular intervals I get in a warm bath, light candles, and drink TONS of water. This always helps to stop the contractions although sometimes it takes an hour. I would be concerned if after an hour or so the contractions were still coming at the same intervals/intensity or if they are increasing. The two times this didn't work I had to go to the hospital and get terbutaline shots to stop them b/c I was dialating.

If you're really concerned about them changing your cervix already, why not have your MW check. I know it's not good to have unneccessary cervical checks, but in cases like this sometimes you need to know. If you are dialating she may put you on bedrest for a few weeks and moniter you more closely.

Let's keep these babies in!!! I'm aiming for Aug 21...I'll be 37 weeks that day and I'll get to come off bedrest. :

[pamamidwife]

Maybe adding a calcium / magnesium supplement will help with that irritable uterus.

[roseselene]

Hi Carmen!! Yes, I think that we must be due around the same time. I'm "due" on September 16th. I think 37 weeks for me is around the last week of August...so I'm definitely hoping I make it that far. Too much activity and Emily (18 month old DD) seem to bring on contractions. Not much I can do about Emily right now. So far I haven't needed terbutaline. The midwife suggested I take Benadryl when they are really frequent and try to get some rest. That seems to have worked....its just that sometimes, I just don't know if its "real" labor or just these VERY annoying contractions...I think it creates added stress (and more contractions) not knowing.

Pamamidwife --- I'm taking a calcium/magnesium supplement already...that helped somewhat, but not totally.

Thanks for the replies
Amy