PTL question - need feedback ASAP please

[chie96]

I will be 26w tomorrow and in the last 20-30 min have had 4 contractions. I assume they are b/h but they feel like bad menstrual cramps. I have read that 3 or more in an hour and I should call my OB (he did not specifically say anything about this - I got that info online).

I am not particularly worried, but it is something new for me and wondered if anyone had advice. I would hate to call my OB and have to go to L&D only to find that I am worrying for nothing but also have a friend who went into PTL at 23.5 w.

I have had almost a gal. of water today (I drink lots of water!) so it is not dehydration. TIA if you answer.

[Marco Esquandolas]

With my 2nd pg especially, if I had called everytime I had several cx in one hour, even very painful ones, I would have lived on the phone, lol! I'm sure you know that in second and later pg's you tend to feel everything more strongly and more often and sooner than in your first. If you try walking and they go away, you're fine. If you take a nice warm bath or shower and they go away, again, fine. If they get painful or more frequent or increase as your activity increases or even fall into a regular pattern or last for several hours then you might want to consider making a call or timing them or whatever. I wouldn't worry just yet though. It is usually nothing more than your body getting you ready for the real deal. Keep up the hydration, as that is great for getting a handle on them! HTH!

[chie96]

TY - I had a total of 7 in the last 40 min but they seem to have disappeared for now. I'll probably call my OB tomorrow just to see what he wants me to look out for. I appreciate your quick response :)

[GoodWillHunter]

Just a bit of advice...Make sure you are lying on your right side (has something to do with putting too much pressure on a blood vessel, etc etc) They always had me do that on the Antepartum wing....DH always calls it the ANTI-partum wing...:LOL Phishmama's advice was right on the money...

[Imonion2]

I thought it was the left side? But anyway, yes, I watch for patterns of contractions for more than 2 hours straight. Changing your activity can see if they will go away. What I usually do is lie on my left side with a bunch of fluids and keep track for a little bit. I am glad they stopped for you!

[its_our_family]

I watch for a pttern for more than 2 hours. I'll have 10 contractions in an hour for 2 hours and then nothing more.

Water doesn't normally help me either. Just try and take it easy tomorrow! Sometimes our bodies are threatening us!! Luckily this pg I've been listening and even though the contractions come I'm still not changing...for now! It just be a phase :confused:

[USAmma]

As someone who's on modified bedrest due to preterm labor, I would say it's fine to call your doctor if they don't go away after an hour. Sit down or lie down and feel the top of your uterus every minute or so and take note of when it gets hard. You may or may not be having more cx than you are aware of. If you see a pattern as you are recording them and it continues for over an hour, esp. if you also have some crampy feeling or lower back pain, call your doctor ASAP.

I went to the hosp. with light spotting and a few cx. I had no idea until I was hooked up that they were coming like clockwork 3 mins apart! Yikes! I was only 23 weeks along. 5 shots of terbutaline later, and a precription for oral meds the cx are under control.

Yeah, it may just be your body practicing but it's good to find out for sure. That's what the doctors are there for. You are paying good money so might as well ease your mind.

With dd's pg I had an irritable uterus too, and would sometimes get more cx than I would have liked but there was no pattern to them and they did go away after I got into a comfortable position and made sure I was hydrated. This time I didn't even give it the chance. Once I saw the spotting and felt that I was having more than a few I just went right to triage and got checked out.

Darshani

[MaWhit]

I got a UTI at the same stage in PG and the ONLY symptoms was increased frequency of contractions. I was having 11-12 an hour, but they varied, too. If I were you, I'd go in ASAP and get tested for UTI before anyone can freak you out about PTL. (Before I could get into the doc, the L&D nurse told me I had to go on bedrest or my baby would die. She was very wrong.)

[chie96]

Again - ty all so much. I am calling this AM to see what, if anything, my OB wants me to do. I'm so glad to have these boards as a resource :love