31 flavors ... of contractions

[leurMaman]

Well, with DS there were two types. BH cntx (hmm...my belly is hard; hmm...my belly is soft) and OUCH (I'm definitely in labor).

With this second pregnancy they are all over the board! At the moment I feel like I have one giant belly ache that covers my entire womb and torso. It gets slightly worse every few minutes. I have also identified:
- the heartburn/belly ache type that starts up high on the uterus and actually spreads down to the cervix ending in a low cervical ache (the wave)
- the crampy/menstrual type on the bottom half of the uterus
- the cervical pressure (ie - feels like baby's head or hand is going to fall out any second)

I'm sure the list goes on depending on how we each perceive pain, but you get the idea. So far I regularly experience five different types. Which one signifies early labor? What are you all experiencing? I've decided to quit thinking I'm in labor until I find myself grabbing the wall or my husband in a death-grip.

[Avani]

I determine i am in actual labor when i have a contraction that sucks me inwards,i can't talk,walk or sleep.I have had lots of uncomfortable crampy contrax but so far none of the for real,stop me in my tracks ones.

[Peony]

Yeah, I know the feeling. DD#2 was born yesterday, and I actually debated for a while wheter this was it or another new type of contraction. i never had that debate with dd #1.

[starlein26]

My labor definitely started out with me debating whether or not this was actually it. For about 2 hours I thought I was overreacting. Then I surprised myself and called my midwife...
I strictly had the very low down contractions. I felt it all down low and in my lower back. With my son it was all so different because everything started with my water breaking. This time my water didn't break until about 2 hours 30 minutes into my labor. And the contractions were all fairly "manageable" for about 3 hours and then I had hell to pay until she was born...eeks. Although that perception of initial ease could easily be hindsight speaking because the end was so severly brutal. Let's just say that it was a substantially different experience.

[OMama]

For me, the first time around it was definitely harder to tell I was in labor. I thought they were just bh contrax. This time when the contractions started I somehow knew they were the real ones. Granted, several days before that I had thought I was in labor and I wasn't. But when it was the real thing, they were more powerful and "intentional" seeming. They were kind of a combination of the pelvic pressure and the all around the belly type.

Soon, Mandi, soon! I am so excited for you.

p.s. hope we can chat again soon. I've got a nasty bout of mastitis, but I've got some antibiotics now (unfortunately the homeopathic stuff I was trying didn't work). I feel like I've been hit by a truck and this on going fever stuff is horrible too. Thank god my mom is still here. DD is having a hard time adjusting too. It's been a challenging few days.

[Earthy~Mama]

I hope the contrax's continue and soon you will be snuggled up with your newborn!

[leurMaman]

Thanks for the vibes It is helpful to read how other people describe the "real" labor pains. Starlein, yours sound like what I'm having now. Hmmm. How funny that I'm so in the dark this pregnancy despite all the reading and experience that I have on my side!

Omama - I'll try to reach you soon. I'm so sorry to hear that you have Mastitis. That doesn't sound fun. I'm glad your mother is in town - and I hope you'll have help and support until you feel over this. The adjustment of the older child must always be a struggle. I'm worried about that too.

[chaibaby]

Mandi! Me too....yesterday the baby was moving around like he/she had never moved before. I thought maybe the baby was responding to ctx I couldn't yet feel. And then last night I thought for sure FOR SURE we were in labour. I mean, I had such intesne lower abdominal cramps (period-like) that would take my breath away. Especially when I sat down to pee (?!?!?). And I was up multiple times last night with the same cramping. This morning, all the same again. But there still isn't a pattern. Ooooh, now they are radiating around to my back.

I have a MW appt today so I am going to get checked....I just need to know if I'm dilated or effaced or anything. Even if it means I'll be like that for another week, I need to know. My body has been really tricking me into thinking that I"ve been in labour for over two weeks off and on, so I want to know that "something" is happening!

Sending you good "get your uterus moving" vibes!!!

[OMama]

Every contraction your body has now is one less it'll have to have later! And for all of you who are contracting regularly, I bet your labors will be short and easy. Seriously. Seems to me like a lot of the work of birthing is being done already. That is how it was for me at least. Sending "strong" beautiful birth vibes your way, ladies!

[leurMaman]

Good reminder Omama Andrea, let us know what happened! I had the same thing again last night. In fact, for the THIRD time I got fooled this pregnancy!!! I woke up at 3am and felt the pain around the back, the front, etc. I know about that pain when you sit to go to the bathroom too! I was quite sure that I was in labor last night - and once again started getting all excited only to have everything stop a few hours later. Oh well, I'll keep repeating what Omama said about one less to have later. Let's see what happens at 3am tonight!