Tell me about your BH!?!

[bobandjess99]

I'm wondering what everyone is experienceing as far as BH these days.

I broke it into 1st time pregnancy and 2nd+ time pregnancy.....for clarities sake, we'll define 1st time pregnancy as anyone who has not carried a pregnancy to at least the current stage (29-33 weeks, right?). The reason for doing this is that my understanding is that the uterus acts differently for multips than primips.

[rosie29]

Good poll, Jess, I've been wondering how I compare to others! Last week the ctx. were terrible! I voted for the 7th option, but to be more accurate they were frequent but not painful. They drove me crazy though, so tiring! They seem to have eased up; I've been trying to drink more water at my MW's suggestion, so I'm hoping that is helping.

[AngelaB]

I get them many times a day however I have not counted. If they start to hurt in my lower back a bath most always calms them down. They are noticeable and sometimes very uncomfortable but I wouldnt say painful.
Angela

Good poll btw!

[mama_y_sol]

I haven't had one yet, or else if I am having them, I don't know it. I like to think that I would know, I try to pay attention to my body and baby daily.

I never had any BH with dd either. So, I really don't know what they feel like.

[hadassah]

Well the ones that I have had seem very strong and will take my breath away, but no pain with it......I seem to have them a lot if I don't have a something to support my back when driving, so sitting back brings them on I think.....anyways I see them as a very good thing.

[kehliouise]

i have been having bh since the first trimester...i would say that i get them pretty much all day now. i don't ever remember having them at all when pregnant with ds.

[Surfacing]

Yes I've noticed my bh getting stronger lately (zingier feeling), although it coincided exactly with me starting to drink red raspberry leaf tea this week. Last pregnancy I drank a lot of it and it sure gave me zingy bh and a good strong labour. This time I have observed a noticeable difference between bh before drinking it and now.
Anyone else notice a difference from drinking RRL?

[my kidlets and me]

Ug. My BH have been strong, uncomfortable, and downright annoying the last couple of weeks. I get them several times an hour (but not when I sleep, thank goodness) and have to walk them out or move in some way. My dh and I joke that I have a "uterus of steel" - no abs of steel in this house.

With all the "practicing" my uterus is doing (I've been getting BH since I was about 15 weeks), I'd better have an expedient birth, darn it!

[MamaFern]

on occasion i feel a slight tightening but not much at all and unless im really thinking about my belly i dont notice it.. i didnt feel "BH" with my other two pregnancies either.

[queenbean]

I have them pretty frequently, and in the evenings they're mildly uncomfortable -- but during the day I only know I'm having one if I happen to touch my belly and it's hard, or if I try to bend over and discover that my belly won't flex with me.

[zenma]

this is my second pregnancy and they do have more of an edge to them this time around. "zingier feeling" is what i would say, too. with my first pregnancy they were more of an all-over tightening, every time. this time i have that type regularly and then, about once or twice a week, i'll have the tightening transition to a small strike of lightening that goes through my uterus and to my cervix. hello memories! the pain is fleeting, and those type happen rarely, so i checked "uncomfortable".

[leafwood]

I'm 32 wks now and for the past 6wks or so I notice them from time to time, usually when I'm resting. It's like a tightening and then a slow release and then I feel like I need to pee (not sure what that is about). Recently I've noticed them more if I have to pee and am holding it for some reason.....which is obviously my cue to get with the program. No pain, just squeezing feelings.

[neverdoingitagain]

I wouldn't know a Braxton Hicks if it sat on my head.:
I didn't get BH with my dd, and I figured,assumed! even, that I would get them with this baby.
Nope, nada, zip. Closest thing to it is, whenever I orgasm, lil' Agrippa moves around like crazy. Thats uncomfortable for so many reasons :

[rootzdawta]

Well, they've been pretty consistent for the last 5 weeks. I'm 32 weeks along now. Last night, they were so uncomfortable/painful, I really had to time them and pay attention to make sure I wasn't in labor. I just relaxed, drank some tea, and sat still and the intensity went away. They are still coming and they are uncomfortable but most of the time not painful.

It's so interesting . . . I didn't have any BH with my son at all. It's cool too because this whole pregnancy I've been really focused and meditating on having a wonderful, peaceful, quick () labor and delivery and so I see these BH as a positive thing.

[lilylove]

I get them a lot and have since about 16 weeks or so. Sometimes they are fairly mild and I have to feel my stomach to see if I'm imagining it or not. Sometimes they are so strong I have to stop, relax and breathe during them.

[g&a]

Originally Posted by neverdoingitagain

I wouldn't know a Braxton Hicks if it sat on my head.:
I didn't get BH with my dd, and I figured,assumed! even, that I would get them with this baby.
Nope, nada, zip. Closest thing to it is, whenever I orgasm, lil' Agrippa moves around like crazy. Thats uncomfortable for so many reasons :

I wonder if what you are describing is a BH. Because an orgasm is basically an assisted cantraction....

I mistook contractions for movement when pg with my dd. I had a funny argument with a nurse about it, actually - "no, I'm not having contractions" "yes, you are" "no, I'm not" etc.

Now that I know what I'm feeling I know I had them with #1, and didn't recognize it. And now I get them all the time. But not really strong, usually. (there wasn't really a category for that) Here's hoping that contributes to a nice short labour.

g.

[my kidlets and me]

Funny TMI story - today, I had to pee probably 30 times. Why? Because with every BH I had, came the overwhelming need to pee. So I'd rush to the bathroom and lo and behold....trickle, trickle. I'm just glad I was home all day...

[carmelnap]

BH, i wouldn't even know if I was having them or not. I have no idea what they are supposed to feel like. Especially since this is my first baby.....

[ShannaW]

DC #1 I don't think I felt a BH until the last week or two of that pregnancy. Silly me, thought since they came regularly when walking it was early first stage.

DC #2 I felt them the last month or two very regularly

This pregnancy I've felt them since 16 weeks or so. I thought you guys were crazy when it first came up months ago, then sure enough I started having them too! lol OB says this is common. That the uterus probably isn't working any harder then prior pregnancys, but I'm just more aware. Anyhow, they are frequent. I get many a day. More if I'm driving longer distances. And some are tight enough I have to take one or two deep breaths.

Incidentally he also said 'nursing pains' also seem to be more intense w/ each subsequent pregnancy. Another Mama on the pal thread mentioned this recently too, so I'm planning ahead to have a rice pack or two ready!

[g&a]

Originally Posted by ShannaW

Incidentally he also said 'nursing pains' also seem to be more intense w/ each subsequent pregnancy. Another Mama on the pal thread mentioned this recently too, so I'm planning ahead to have a rice pack or two ready!

Great. Thanks for that.

g.