how intense can BH be? (fyi, this mentions pain during ctx)

[YummyYumYumMama]

i guess i'm just trying to get an idea of what's going on. ctx are around 5-10 min apart (sometimes less but around there), 30-60 sec long, and started out that way, very intense. i've cried during some of them and had a really hard time relaxing, and they feel extraordinarily painful. my pelvic floor hurts and feels like it's ripping apart and i feel like i have to poop and i cry and want to bite down and can't deal with how intensely painful it is. and there is SO MUCH PRESSURE i can barely take it. i feel shaky and cold too. but this literally came out of NOWHERE, and i haven't had any loss of mucus plug or diarrhea (one slightly loose stool but that's it) or any fluid leakage or anything. i'm just confused because it came on so fast and strong all of a sudden. could this be prodromal? i just want to get an idea. my mom lives 5 hrs away and i want her to attend the birth, so i definitely don't want to call her if it's NOT it, but i'm not sure as to when i ought to call. and i can't imagine this could be IT - one, it's technically my due date now, and who the heck delivers on their due date? and two, it really came out of nowhere. nothing built up and i had no signs of anything. just all of a sudden i'm having crazily painful contractions that were 10 min apart and now are getting closer to 5 min apart. wtf is going on? am i in labor? do i call my mom? could this totally be a false alarm? i totally don't understand what's going on at all.

oh god it was MURDER typing that between ctx. my dh thinks it is kind of weird that i am insisting on posting here rather than just chilling out and relaxing. lol.

[minsca]

hmm, it's hard to say because I think everyone views their contractions differently. It definetly sounds like the real deal though. I'd try relaxing, take a bath. If it's prodromal labor it can sometimes stop the contractions. (at least a bath would help stop my prodromal labor, but it didn't stop real labor)

If you are having difficulty thinking during ctx's I would probably phone your mom. Prodromal labor, though it sounds commenplace in our DDC, I don't think is that common. IRL, only my mom and I are the only ones I know who have had prodromal labor.

Good luck, hope the next time you post it's a baby announcement!

[wholewheatmama]

Um, sweetie. Maybe you should call your HCP? That doesn't sound like BH to me!

Good luck! And, just like more of us have started labor with our water breaking than the average, it seems like more of us have been delivering on or almost on our due dates than average too!

[guest9921]

Big hugs and sending beautiful birthing vibes.
It could be labor - or it could be your body preparing for a labor, and getting things situated and in gear. Either or, it is progress!

"I can do anything for one minute," helps me quite a bit. Hope that doesn't sound too condescending.

<3 Hugs. You can do this.

[zjande]

My own personal judge of whether it is true labor or not is if the contractions make me cry. But I don't easily, normally cry from pain so this measurement works for me every time.

If I were you, I would take a shower or bath. If warm water doesn't deter them, & they're still regular & very painful, I would call your mama & tell her to hurry!

: : : :

[Tiny_Dancer]

WOW! Not to get you too excited, but what if you have your baby girl on your due date?!?!?!

I agree with all pp. Take a warm bath or shower. Call your HCP-that's what they're there for to answer any questions you have. You shouldn't have to wonder what's happening to you. If I was crying and shaky during a BH, I suspect the real thing for myself. Try to relax. If it is labor, you're going to want to save your energy. If it's not labor, you can consider it "practice" for later!!!

[YummyYumYumMama]

my doula said it sounds like "it." augh! wtf? they literally started out of nowhere. but they are getting closer together and are so intense i can barely deal. i have a pretty strong pain tolerance, and never cry from it... eeks.

i haven't called my mom yet 'cause i'm figuring if labor takes a while, then at least she can get SOME sleep. lucky for her she went to bed before 10! i told my doula also to get some sleep and that i'll call in a couple hours. i have been trying to rest/sleep but the ctx are so intense and 5 min apart or less so it's really hard. dh is laying down next to me... they called him 3 hours before all this started to see if he could come in to work early tomorrow and he said sure since that means he can leave early. now he's gonna have to call in the morning and be like, nope, sorry, y'all're screwed. heh. that amuses me for some reason.

this is totally weird. i didn't expect it to come on so suddenly and strong, or speed up so quick. i think i might call my midwives... perhaps after a bath or shower.

[redeyedvireo]

Okay, I have no experience here, other than months of mild BH, but it sure sounds different to me! Exciting! Hope it's the real thing. And what Zjande said.

[zjande]

OMG!! Maybe you are going to be one of those crazy first time birthers that has a quick labor! Just don't panic! It's intense but it's wonderful! You're going to meet your baby! I'm so envious.

My last labor came on insanely-scary fast. It's hard to get into a nice rhythm when you are shocked by super painful SUDDEN hardcore, few minutes apart contractions. Find your happy place! Do you have birth affirmations you can read or chant? Water you can get in? Calming lighting & music? Visualize meeting your baby for the first time. And don't be scared! This is the day you've been waiting for. : :

[Diva Mama]

Either way, labor or warm up, try to get some rest! Good luck!

[guest9921]

And dont forget to pee!! (I always forget, and that can hold labor up.)

[mama_b]

That's exactly how my labor started with my dd. Sounds like it's time for you to have a baby!

[mama2rey]

That does not sound prodromal at all! If they are coming regularly-it sounds like it's it! To give you an indication. Mine have been hurting, but they don't come regularly-and they don't get closer together.

Sending you great birthing vibes!!!! I want to see pictures!!

[ivymae]

!!
I'm with the crowd hun, I think this is probably it. It can really be overwhelming, but you CAN do this - you ARE doing it! Try to get up and active - in the other thread I mentioned baking something. Even if you never get past cracking the eggs, (Alex can clean it up tomorrow), it gives you something else to focus on. Let the pain flow down, out of your body, don't hold on to that first intense stab - you can do anything for a minute, and once you breathe (low and from your gut, it's okay to make noise!) through the first wave of the contraction, ride the backside of the wave back to your normal breath. Breathe into the cells that hurt and let the muscles around the contraction breathe with you.

I was born on my due date, so it bodes well for your daughter

[Elsaraw]

:

[Quindin]

Since this is your first baby, I am pretty sure those contractions ARE the real thing and that you are in labour!!

I have painful real contractions at least once a day, but that's because I have had 4 kids and my body goes on labour mode weeks before (called prodromal labour)

With first timers that's not the case though. Heck, even with my second, when I had my first painful contraction, that was it!!

So ELVs for you mama!!

[Artichokie]

Wow, Muffin, how exciting!

I'll be thinking of you all day and sending you ELV!

[wife&mommy]

Ohhh good luck!!

[LaLibertad]

Ooooh, so exciting! Good luck!

[starry_mama]

Good luck Muffin! Don't : your baby!