Intense period-type cramps that don't let up... what does this mean?

[ashley1972]

For several hours last night I had pretty bad cramps - I don't think they were contractions because they were constant, although later there was a 4 minute break between cramps so I guess they turned into contractions...?

I don't remember contractions feeling anything like this, they certainly don't feel like BH.

What gives? I'm 40 weeks now but my son wasn't born until 42 weeks...

No other labor signs unfortunately.

[mamamerle]

You may be dehydrated. Try drinking a big glass of water and lying on your left side.

[redebeth]

Not to sound lame, but i think it means your body is getting ready!

I've been having those too and i like to think it's my body getting the ol' cervix loosened up a bit. Nothing too powerful, just practice swings.

Or you could have a baby tonight! who knows! the mystery of birth goes on... keep us posted!

[Sarah W]

I've had a couple of nights like this. It wasn't horrible, but it kept me awake. The MW said it could just be my body starting to get ready. My cervix is soft but isn't dilated yet, as of last Thurs.

[maryeb]

I had constant menstrual cramps for 2 weeks before ds was born, then after my water broke that is how they continued until really active labor. Good luck, sounds like you are getting closer mama!

[hempmama]

I was going to be flip and say "it means you are having a baby soon!" but no breaks may well mean your babe is posterior. Hopefully your uterus is trying to help move things into the right position, but be careful not to recline too much.

2nd and subsequent pregnancies also generally have much more intense and earlier prodromal labor- even having been through it before I got totally faked out a couple nights with my second by some of the contractions.

[Surfer Rosa]

I'm in the same boat, and wondering what it means (or IF it means anythign at all!) I just hope it means there might be a little less work to do later on...

[Audreysmama]

That is how my contx were with baby #3. I never thought I was in labor because of this.

[Surfer Rosa]

So, Audreysmama, was labour easier then?

[Audreysmama]

Actually it was. It was the least intense and the shortest at about 2hrs. I had these type of pains wake me up the night before for about half an hour and was able to go back to sleep and then the next afternoon they started and I had to call my friend to ask her what labor felt like, lol. The pains were just really low, like below my belly button and I thought it could not be labor like that, but it was!

[Surfer Rosa]

Sweet!

[holothuroidea]

I have the same thing, but they come in stretches. I had them all last night but when I woke up they were gone. Usually they're there in the morning and go away by the afternoon. This has been going on for almost a week now.

*sigh*

I hope there's not 2 more weeks of this in store for me.

[River7]

That's exactly what I felt the night before Graham was born. Period cramps. And the next day my mucas plug started to come out and I started to have contractions--but the really felt like intense period cramps for about 12 hours before I went to the hospital.

[aquablue]

With DD#1, OB stripped my membranes then 2 nights later, was feeling exactly like you: crazy, painful menstrual-like cramps. I've dealt with bad menstrual cramps my whole life and that took the cake. After 8 hours of dealing with it, I threw in the towel and went to hospital. Delivered DD the next day.

I should mention that DD was sunny-side up, that after getting the epidural the contrax petered out and I was only 2 cm dilated. Had the typical interventions after that and came this-close to being c-section b/c I had stopped dilating.

So...I would suggest trying to stay at home and labor as long as possible...

[desertpenguin]

i have been having this same achey feeling in my lower uterus and back since dtd with dh this morning. reading the posts about the baby being posterior though totally popped my bubble. i have been doing pelvic tilts on hands and knees and inversions like crazy for a couple of weeks but this baby has no intention of turning. after doing them for quite some time yesterday the baby even turned fully posterior instead of being ROP or LOP like usual.