Seems a bit sudden! Is it normal for #1?

[need relief]

I'm 39 weeks and have been having BH contractions for a few weeks off and on, not painful, just the tightening and taking my breath away. I've always been able to sleep through them, they've never woken me up or anything. Then this morning at ripe 'ol 5:00am I wake up to a BIG painful low crampy feeling that wraps around to my lower back and hips muscles. It lasts a while and comes back a few times keeping me up. Thing is I'm not even one to get PMS cramps, and haven't had any cramping at all until now. When I look the difference between BH and the real thing on here, I see alot of women reporting the real ones feeling more like low cramps. That fits the bill, but seriously I don't even normally have BH in the morning or afternoon and this has been pretty darn constant all day. I've had 10 just on the last hour ranging from 2 to 13 minutes apart. This is my first baby so I figured that once real labor started it would come on pretty slowly and last a couple days, ya know? Does this seem a bit sudden? Have any of you suddenly gone into this being so consistant and then stopping entirely? I know the 511 rule and changing activity which I've been doing and any movement makes things worse.

HELP!!! I don't know if I should take it seriously!

[coyotemist]

I would take it seriously. Every labor-including first labors, are different. You may be in early labor, and you may move quickly to active labor...or you may be in early labor for a few days. With my other kids, once the crampy thing happened I was in labor, but with my 3rd baby, I had the crampy thing for 3 days before my water broke.

Every woman's body and story are different. If something says "pay attention" then you should listen! And your care provider shouldn't mind you giving them a call to check in.

[earthmama4]

Yes, I have had this before. Last Sunday in fact. I had intense, crampy, contractions starting in my back and moving to the front, anywhere from 2-8 min apart for about 6 hours, and then I went to bed. I remember a few waking me up at night. I was trying to rest through them as my doula had advised. When I woke up - they were gone! Grrr. That was frustrating. I was just over 38 weeks and would have loved an earlier labor. Though the symptoms you describe sound like "real" labor, the irregularity of how far apart they are makes me think it may be a practice run - something my body and many other women's bodies seem to do as they prepare for the real thing.

I went through this for 3 weeks with my last baby, and have had these "practice runs" of contractions that start and stop with this baby too. I have come to the conclusion that whether or not this is "real labor" that ends up in a baby or if it starts and stops - it still has a purpose! Maybe its to tone the uterus, and slowly soften, efface and dilate the cervix even if only slightly, even prepare baby for birth. I try to look at the positives of these contractions which seem sooo common for many women during the last weeks of pregnancy.

I think the worst part is the emotional ups and downs of trying to figure out if this is labor or just more braxton hicks or what. I know how frustrating that can be so my new goal is to just relax and not worry about it. I use these "not sure if this is really it" contractions to practice my labor pain coping techniques. I relax into them, take deep breaths, try lots of different positions to see what feels the best, etc. I suggest you try that too. That way if it ends up stopping, its still a good experience and a whole lot less frustrating.

[Limabean1975]

Originally Posted by need relief

This is my first baby so I figured that once real labor started it would come on pretty slowly and last a couple days, ya know? Does this seem a bit sudden?

Nah. My first sign of anything (no BH ever, at all) was 7am. light cramping. The first real hard contractions were maybe 5pm. My baby was born 1:55am.

(I'm not in your DDC. Happy Healthy Labour Vibes!)

[E's Mama]

With ds #1 I went from absolutely nothing to intense labor like that *snaps fingers*. I definitely knew when it was real labor though. Hope this is the real thing for you!

[Baby_Cakes]

DDC crashing to say that what you're experiencing sounds promising! I was a first timer as well, and my "cramps" started out at about 13 min apart, creeped to 11 min apart, then 5-8 min apart. Then BOOM - 3 min apart, all b/w 4am-12pm. Hopefully this is it for you! Good luck!

[LaurenAnanas]

Oh mama, I feel your confusion!

I'm waiting for #1 to finish cooking and I've been having sporadic periods of cramping and even "real" contractions for almost a week now. It's a real downer to accept that, "oh, this might be it!" and then an hour or two later, it's clearly not. After the pain woke me up on Thursday and continued all day, I was so sure it was time- I even called the midwife and he agreed that it sounded like early real labor. Like earthmama4 suggested, I've been trying to use them as practice.

[hislittlelambs]

i'm with you...literally! i completely could have written your post except i am 40w3d and this is my 4th baby. i was woken at 4am with crampy wrap around contracs every 10 mins, but only lasting about 15-20 secs. 2 hours later i get my usual birthing signs, nausea, loose bowels, and bloody show. i decide to rest while i can. i actully get a small nap, although they wake me up periodically. when i wake up they were down to only 2 per hour...and stayed that way the majority of the day until about 2 hours ago where they have picked back up again...every 5-9 mins, lasting 20-50 seconds, but still totally manageable. some i have to breathe or sway thru, but i can tell it's not "active" labor yet...still in the early phase.

my midwife stopped by on a whim earlier today since she was in the neighborhood and we cahtted and she checked on baby (all is well)...and she agrees...sounds like early, early labor. she advised me to rest and eat while i can and (she'd do the same in prep to come by in the wee hours of morning...we are greenwhich meantime, so at least 5-8 hours ahead of you guys) and it wouldprobably pick back up during the wee hours tonight since i seem to be a "night laboror"... we'd probably have a baby tomorrow morning or early during the day.

i hope she's right..although she did say she has seen it go sometimes that it could repeat what it did today..start well at night, then peter out during the day, then pick up at night, then peter out again during the day for a few days time....

so hang in there! it's good signs! i repeat what the others have said, use it to practice your coping mechanisms and rest when you can.


i hope thats all coherant...had to stop a few times thru.