Braxton Hicks anyone???

Thanks for that bit of info, plantmommy (love that username!). I haven't a CLUE what it is that I'm feeling. The first few times I felt a "tightening" (BH or true contraction or whatever), I thought the baby was dropping. It just felt so weird!

Anyway, what I'm feeling is just persistent, frequent tightening. Otherwise, I feel fine. This past weekend I was helping to clear and chip nine or ten trees from our property, and then we went walking for couple of miles on the beach. Okay, that might have been too much. But, other than feeling peculiar, the BH contractions don't bother me at all!

Still, DH wanted to mention them at today's office visit. I normally see the nurse-midwife, but today we were supposed to meet the back-up OB. Now I'm supposed to have another ultrasound to check cervical length and possibly another test to detect proteins from my cervix??? OB is worried that I'm having pre-labor without the pain, which according to him, can happen to a lot of women.

*sigh* Taking it easy is going to drive me mad, but everyone's in a tizzy about how often these contractions come when I'm doing my thing.

I don't mean to go on-and-on. Bellasmum and plantmommy, what are your contractions feeling like?

Kelly

The BH cntx feel just like you described; the muscles of your uterus get tight, turning it into a hard ball. It's like someone wrapped a towel around your middle, and is twisting it tight or something. It can start at the top of the uterus and work it's way down, but not always. It can cause a shortness of breath. It can make you need to stop whatever you're doing for a few minutes.

I think up to 4-6 an hour is considered ok, but if it's hour after hour, or very often, then drink a quart of water and put your feet up!

Like I said above, BH cntx can sometimes affect the cervix, which is why you should drink a ton of fluids and rest if you're getting a ton of them, but more often it's just your body saying "slow down", and having them occasionally is normal, it's just your uterus "practicing.

Usually, if I'm getting a lot of them, I just drink a bunch of water. Hydration is important.

I WISH though, that real cntx weren't painful! Hah! Real cntx feel like bh cntx, but with the added bonus of bad menstrual-type cramping.

Hmmm... plantmommy, what you're describing is pretty much how I'm feeling, only mine start quite low and work up and around. I do try to drink lots of water, but sitting around drives me a bit batty. My contractions go away when I rest, but they can come on pretty strong if I'm working... lately, even if I'm just standing and walking around.

However, I don't think I'm getting more than 4-6 an hour. If 4-6 an hour is normal Braxton-Hicks, then I'm going to be a little pissy about DH and OB's reaction. : I mean, he wants me to call him as soon as I have 3 contractions within 1 hour so I can get tested.

Like I said, I feel fine during these contractions. They don't bother me, and I like being active. But I do NOT like unnecessary medical tests or a whole bunch of medical scrutiny. And both men have me a little freaked out about the possibility of pre-term labor and what a premature birth would mean for my baby.

I've always thought that BH was just totally normal, a way of the uterus getting ready, and not something one had to avoid.

Kelly

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Isn't that the truth!! :LOL And don't forget the ache in the small of your back.

Hi Kelly-

Great to see you over here.

(I had this nice long post typed out and then IE had to crash on me. )

I agree that those definitely sound like B-H. I had them for 3+ months with my DD. I didnt' even realize that I was having B-Hs I just thought it was the muscles reacting to DD pushing various body part outward. It was wild to see her constantly stretching her arms and legs out for several months after she was born and realizing that THAT is what she was doing in utero. Oh, she was born on her due date. In hindsight, I was doing way too much, working 60+ hours.

It is your body's way of saying... SIT DOWN, you are doing to much. Drink lots of water and put your feet up. Surf the web. Read and post here.

I had them for about 2+ weeks with my DS. He was born the day after his "due date".

Just relax and try to take it easy when they get more often than 4x an hour. Basically if they happen every 10 minutes... then you should really take it easy, if that continues for more than 2-3 hours... then you should "consider" having the stress test. Especially if you are resting and they continue. Also if they are very regular (ie can almost time them).

My original OB (with DD) was a very cautious OB and she put me on bedrest at 30 weeks. I think part of it was because the practice she worked in was a fertility clinic (I didn't know that at the time I found her in my insurance booklet) and they had a large percentage of "high risk" pregnancies. And of course I was "old" at 30. After I was put on bedrest and subsequent medical leave... I moved back to Houston where DH was (I was working in Dallas at the time). I went to see my current (and long time... since High School) OB and he was like just take it easy and drink more fluids. Relax and enjoy yourself. Just be moderate.

Kelly, can you buy or loan Dr. Sears' "The Pregnancy Book"?

He says, on page 355: "If you're in doubt about whether you're experiencing prelabor or labor cntx, apply the 1-5-1 formula: if your cntrx last for at least 1 minute, are 5 mins. (or less) apart, and continue for at least 1 hour, you are probably in labor."

I would be very concerned about the Ob wanting to do an invasive internal, which could potentially introduce bacteria into the uterus, or stimulate a sensitive cervix to begin ripening, just to CHA (cover his a**).

Trust your instincts! If it feels "normal" and they "don't bother" you, then tell this guy to keep his hands outta where they don't belong. Alarmist men!

Even three "true" cntx in an hour are not something to be concerned about.

My first labor started with cntx. 2 mins. apart. They didn't get closer together, they just got stronger. Over 19 hours. You will know when there's reason to be "concerned". You know your body better than the OB, and you know your body better than your dh does.

Oh, you mamas are the best for giving me all this info and support!

bellasmum - I'm so sorry. I did not mean to hijack this thread, but I am learning and getting such reassurance.

mum2tori - I made it over! I did check out the main chatty thread. I've been meaning to say hi and introduce myself. So far, I've just been lurkin'.

plantmommy - Thanks for all the info!! I did read Sears, but it's back at the library. I'm going to be doing more research on this BH vs. pre-term labor thing.

You know, I just switched from a very sweet, but highly interventionist female OB to this midwife & OB team. All my interactions with the midwife have been awesome, and I've heard very good things about the OB. I just can't help but think that this OB is overreacting because my dh is a doctor too, and he's concerned that I'm overdoing things.

If it were up to me, I'd have a homebirth with a lay midwife, but we're far enough away from the nearest hospital that this idea freaks DH out. The compromise that I reached with DH is that I pick the OB, the hospital, the CBE (we took Bradley), and he learns how to be my HypnoBabies birth partner. He's really on board now with the goal of a natural birth, but his medical training still something I have to contend with every time I have the slightest little owie.

Anyway, I'm resting now (no more hauling logs - lol). I'm keeping an eye on these contractions and keeping my mouth shut. There's no way I''m doing an unnecessary battery of tests when just drinking some water and getting some rest will allay the whole issue!

Kelly

Hi Kelly,

I just wanted to say that every woman's experience is different. What you are experiencing may be just BH, but it may also be preterm labor. It's better to be overly cautious than not cautious enough at this point. ITA with all the recommendations to stay VERY hydrated and not do so much. But I have to respectfully disagree with Plantmommy about the following:

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You can have "true" contractions without the crampiness/pain. I had a completely painless labor with my DD up until I my water broke (and DD was born 1 and 1/2 hrs later). I had no pain whatsoever, just thought I was having a lot of Braxton Hicks. I just happened to have an appt. with my midwife that day and I let her check my cervix and I was at 7 cm!

This pregnancy I have been experiencing preterm labor since 23weeks (I'm 28.5 weeks now). Again the contractions have been painless, just uterine tighening. I wish they were "just Braxton Hicks", but I am effaced and dialating, so obviously they're not.

My point is not to discourage or scare you, but just to let you know that every woman's body "feels" contractions differently and there a lucky few of us who don't feel all the pain with the contractions. So please don't use the level of discomfort to distinguish between BH and real contractions.

Keep taking it easy and drinking lots of water. If you need some bedrest support, feel free to PM me. I've been on bedrest for 5 and 1/2 weeks so far.