These contractions

[deuxceleste]

Are painful! I think it's baby's position and how (s)he stretches when I contract, but DAMN they hurt.

[Beth Ann]

Originally Posted by deuxceleste

Are painful! I think it's baby's position and how (s)he stretches when I contract, but DAMN they hurt.

Every time I have contractions it wakes him up. The midwife says they are just the very beginning called transition because they are not painful. Sure my stomach pulls so tight during one but I can sleep through them.

I have been having contraction regularly for the last couple of days. Had a midwife appointment yesterday and she did an internal exam and she says my cervix's is soft and I am a little dilated. I just have to get un-constipated, she says that will relieve a lot of the discomfort I have been having. (Bring on the prune juice)

[warrior mama]

I've had on and off painful contractions for about a week now, especially at night time. The rest of the time it's just the tightening with Braxton Hicks. I'm hoping when I go into labor I'll be about 4cm dilated the amount of work my uterus has done.

[Avena]

Ooh Holy Mother!

I too. am having Major ones all last pm and today, WHEW!
Oh boy dd's falling apart........Time for bed!

[cinnamonamon]

I hear ya...and they're so irregular that I kinda forget, then I move suddenly & BAM get hit with pain I wasn't expecting. So I don't deal with it well at first, until I remind myself to relax & flow with it.

This is day 3 of the crampy & tightening contractions (I've had the tightening ones for weeks & hardly noticed them), and I just sit all day as much as possible -- while drinking lots of water. I think I'll try some prune juice too -- although I seem to be pooping constantly -- it's painful & takes a while.


My mother oh so cheerfully told me that I could go on like this for weeks... :

[DecemberSun]

For me it's not the contractions that hurt. It's when I am just sitting or walking around and all of a sudden the baby moves and I get a sharp pain in my bladder, cervix, or intestines. It's like everything inside there is sore and very sensitive. I have been having cramping and pressure for a week now. I am 2cm dilated, so I know it's not all for nothing, but... I'd like to get this show on the road already!!!

[momof4peppers]

My fear is that I've been doing all this contracting (hense the emailing/computer time at 3:30 in the morning) and WON'T go in dialated at all. Kinda like the teacher standing at the front of the room with your big test, walking S-L-O-W-L-Y down the aisles passing out the results, and worried that I didn't "do well", but hoping (and praying!) that I did!

[cinnamonamon]

Well cross your fingers for me & I will for you! I had to get out of bed an hour ago because the contrax were too painful laying down. They're completely manageable sitting up, but now I have to decide if I should sit at the computer, knit, or try to pack. We have a 1 1/2 hour drive to the birth center, so I don't want to make the wrong decision, but I don't want to tire myself needlessly, you know?

Remember that the entire point of the contractions is to dialate/efface/soften -- so something IS happening, just maybe slower than we would like. The problems I've had with slow progress have been due to malpositioned babies (1st one transverse, 2nd one posterior with a head cocked to one side so not fully dropped into cervix). Fatigue is the other reason, so try to rest (haha) and drink plenty of fluids!