how did you/your provider handle frequent BH contractions?

[poetesss]

Looking to see how you and your care providers dealt with frequent BH contractions before 36 weeks. I'm 32 wks right now and have been having them on and off, but never regularly. Last night I had 2 hours of 15 min apart ctx. The midwife's advice was to drink 32 oz water, take a long soak in the tub, and rest. If they were to continue or other signs of preterm labor were to appear, to head to the hospital for urinalysis and fetal fibronectin (sp?) test. Is this a standard sort of response to this situation, or have you encountered other ways you or your care providers would have handled it?

Any other ideas you can pass on of settling this darn uterus down for a couple of weeks would be appreciated

[thixle]

Ina May Gaskin suggests one drink of clear alcohol... nothing with tannins (like red wine) because it can "irritate the uterus." I have personally had a screwdriver, and on two seperate occasions, one beer when I just couldn't stand the BHs anymore. I have had up to 6 hours of contrax (not painful, but not able to ignore it) that would be like 20 minutes, then 7 minutes, then 19 minutes, then 11-- completely irregular. And each time it happened, one alcoholic drink has made it stop... NOT that I'm giving you that advice without talking to your care provider.

[kalamos23]

I had tons of BHX (some every 5-8 min for 3-4 hours) and tried to do the opposite of whatever I was doing to get them to slow down - if I was walking around, I'd lay down, etc. If you search for prodromal labor on google, you might get some ideas of how to get them to settle down.

That being said, my OB kind of left it up to me as to what I wanted to do i.e. come in or not. I did lose my plug at 33 weeks and at 32-34 weeks, they most likely wouldn't give you steroids for the baby ( they told me they wouldn't at just turned 33 weeks). To give you some good news though, I had tons of BHX up until I delivered (in fact, when I went into labor I wasn't sure I was in labor, it just kind of morphed, except the ctx felt different) but didn't deliver until 38w5d. Also, the BHX progressed me to 4-5cm and 100% effaced right before I went into labor, so maybe the same is happening to you.

*hugs* I know how frustrating/annoying so many BHX can be - I hope all goes well for you.

[phatchristy]

slow down, rest, tub bath, take a nap, up the calcium/magnesium/D, make sure to drink plenty of fluids...that is the sort of thing they generally say.

[Peony]

When they got really bad with DD2's pg, I just took it really easy. I went about my normal day, but with very frequent rest breaks, and tried to sit as much as possible.

[kerikadi]

Warm bath and plenty of water and other fluids. If contractions got heavier before 37 weeks some vodka.

[coyotemist]

I'm 33 weeks and have been dealing with this for 10 weeks now. After a couple trips to the hospital to be monitered, and 3 fetal fibronectins, I'm still pregnant! I have a prescription for nifedipine, but it doesn't do much. Also, I have a prescription for terbutaline, it stops them in their tracks, but makes me feel like crap, so I don't take it much. The most reassuring thing is that I'm not dilating from the contractions.

Cal/mag supplements help sometimes, showers help sometimes (I'm not really into baths right now, too hard to get out!), laying down helps sometimes (last night it didn't).

I think your providers advice was perfect.

[mnearthmomma]

I am notorious for starting prodromal labor at about 31 weeks. So this is 2 weeks running. I do the very opposite too. rest if I have been on my feet. drink if I seem thirsty, meditate if I feel a little anxious, etc.

I do down some OJ and voka if I need to, too. Or a good white wine.

Just 2 nights ago, I had them pretty severe. every ten minutes for about 2 hours. I drank some juice and layed back and things settled.

HTH!!

[sbrinton]

I think there's a fine line between "normal" braxton hicks and preterm labor contractions.
If your contractions have any sort of pattern, it's worth talking to your midwife or OB.
At home, probably the best advice if you are contracting reguarly is to start by drinking a lot of water, having something to eat, taking a bath and then resting on your side. If the ctxs continue, call your provider.

They usually will check your cervix (manually or by ultrasound), do a fetal fibronectin test (if you are between 24-34 weeks pregnant), check for infection, and probably monitor your contractions and the baby's heartbeat.

They are looking for a few things. The difference between braxton hicks and preterm labor contractions are that the preterm labor involves the cervix changing. This means getting shorter/effacing, ripening and dilating.

If your cervix is long (esp over 3 cm), firm and closed, you probably have nothing to worry about. If your cervix is short (less than 2.5 cm) or changing in other ways, the doctors may be more cautious.

The FFN test can predict with 95-99% accuracy if you will not go into labor in the next 7-10 days. If you have a negative FFN, this is very reassuring.

Infection is risk factor for preterm labor. Bladder infections, bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, and any other type of infection in the body can increase contractions.

If you are contracting, the OB or midwife may also want to monitor your contractions. I've had this done both manually and with the tachometer. The ob will also want to see how the baby is tolerating contractions. They want to see the baby's heartrate go up with activity or contractions.

Depending on what the OB or midwife finds, they will try to decide if you are having preterm labor, if you are at risk of preterm labor, or if what you are experiencing is "normal". Either way they should educate you about the signs and symptoms of preterm labor.

If you are "at risk" for preterm labor, they may treat you with medication like nifedepine or terbutaline to stop contractions. They may also suggest some type of bed rest, no sex, etc. They will also treat anything that could be making contractions worse, like an infection or dehydration. They will most likely send you home but with instructions to see your doctor weekly.

If they decide you are having preterm labor, they may admit you to the hospital, try to delay birth with IV meds, and give you steriods to mature the baby's lungs.

Doctors are usually the most aggresive about treating preterm labor from 24-34 weeks. At 34 weeks, they may not do a lot more. Most of the medications for preterm labor riskier than having a baby at 34-36 weeks. Babies born at this point, while small and at risk for some things, generally do well with a little help.

I share all of this because sometimes it is hard to tell if contractions are normal or not. Most women contract some during pregnancy and this is normal, but it's not accurate to call contractions "braxton hicks" if they change your cervix.

[poetesss]

Thanks for the replies... I had a horrific second night after that episode where I'd get contractions even when lying down. They were, I believe, even closer than 15 minutes apart, some five minutes apart (I didn't even check as I was getting so anxious and didn't want to make it worse). I had to go do the whole tub thing again (can't do alcohol, I'm Muslim and we don't drink at all).

I just went through the whole rigamarole yesterday at my prenatal--fetal fibronectin, urinalysis, check for amniotic fluid, vaginal infection, and u/s to determine cervix length. Cervix length and amniotic fluid tests were okay and I didn't get a call about the others so I'm assuming they are okay.

Fortunately I'm 33 weeks today so one more week and I'll be at 34 and won't have to worry about steroid shots or anything. And hopefully by 35 weeks will be eligible for the birth center (if they go thru with their change in regulations).

[Haselnuss]

When I had some cramping in the first trimester, my midwife suggested wild yam and cramp bark - I'm in the 3rd trimester now and use them occasionally if I have a lot of BH contractions (with the MW's ok) & they do seem to help.

[Juniperberry]

my doctor had me take magnesium supplements for them.