I get a sharp painful tightening that I thought was round ligament pain if I stand up too fast (especially from a squat) and a more dull pain after urinating. This is my first so I guess it could be a contraction & I just don't know it.

 

Sounds like a braxton hicks contraction. I get them constantly during pregnancy, both more when I exert myself. I ran up the stairs the other day and had one. Never had them when using the bathroom though.

 

With a braxton hicks, you can feel your fundus on yourself and it will feel rock-hard. I am 16 weeks and the fundus is just below my belly button (it feels kind of like a round shelf). One of the BH conveniently happened to me during one of my prenatal visits, I asked my MW if it was ok or if the blood flow still gets to the baby (I am an RN, I should know better) and she reassured me. Round ligament pain is more on one side or the other, and I think it kind of feels like a cramping sensation (like, if you're a runner, how you get sometimes). I freaked out early on in the pregnancy (like 12 weeks) thinking the ligament pain was an ectopic, then I was like, "sister, you're 12 weeks, if it was an ectopic it would have burst by now."

Aw, the joys of first time motherhood!

 

Yep, especially if I really had to go pee.

Not always for standing up but maybe sometimes, I don't pay really close attention as it's the third baby and not terribly interesting anymore.

 

happened to me all the time after peeing last pregnancy. Not so much this time, but yeah. I had them constantly for lots of reasons, peeing, getting up too fast, orgasm, working too much..

 

I've been getting BH contrax since 14 weeks or so this time around...especially when I have to go to the bathroom I can always count on one when I'm waking up in the morning and get several throughout the day. My MW said it is totally normal...

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsBone

happened to me all the time after peeing last pregnancy. Not so much this time, but yeah. I had them constantly for lots of reasons, peeing, getting up too fast, orgasm, working too much..

oooh I forgot to mention, the time that I had BH before peeing the most was right before I was diagnosed with a UTI, not sure if that was a symptom or just a coincidence.

 

yes! happens to me a lot after peeing. i think i am finally starting to realize what a BH is too. with DS i didn't think i ever had them, but now i think i did and have been with this one, but never realized. I also get them after working out occasionally. very mild though and nothing that lasts more than several seconds.

 

i did a search for braxton hicks and found this thread... i am mostly reassured by what I am reading. buuuut... wonder where exactly you all have felt the sensations? I didn't really see that indicated except maybe one person. I am feeling it at top of abdoman area -- feels like tightening at top of belly. is this what others are feeling? The other thing I don't like is that it can last for quite some time. it's not like just 5 minutes and then it's over -- more like a dull sensation that lasts maybe for a couple hours/?? and is relatively uncomfortable. I guess like every single other thing -- rarely are any two people's experiences the same! I am just hoping that's what this feeling is.

 

I think it's pretty uncommon for BH to last more than a few minutes, so maybe it's something else? Could it be that the baby has moved to a different position that causes you to feel more pressure? I'd ask your doc/MW just out of curiosity, but I doubt it's anything to be concerned about.

 

I've started getting lots of BH. My belly gets tight and hard, and it's the only time I can feel the top of my uterus. Sometimes, my belly takes on a weird shape because of the baby, too. They are not painful whatsoever, just odd feeling. Even though this is my first, I've been having them for quite some time. Only in the past week or two, though, has it become a multiple-times-a-day thing. Before, I could have one and go days without another. Now, I'm getting them maybe 5-15 times a day, but pretty spread out. They last maybe 10-30 seconds.

I was kind of worried at first, but I don't think I am anymore, although I will mention it next time I go in. I can't seem to do anything to make them better, but I can make them worse. For instance, I can have them standing, sitting, lying down, if I'm drinking a lot, whatever. I can't make them go away. But if I'm stressed out or doing something strenuous, I can cause myself to have more. It also seems I have more when the baby is really active, but I can't control that.

And yes, I do get them when I have to pee. Especially if I have to go all of a sudden and stand up really quickly. I've started getting them when I get up for my mid-night pee, too.

Like I said, I'm not worried, but someone please tell me if this sounds abnormal!

 

Anne - yes absolutely to the stress, activity and baby movement. I have not noticed it related to peeing. But the first couple days I noticed the BH, i was definitely on a different routine and on my feet constantly and there was also some different kinds of stress going on too. My midwife confirmed all of these triggers. I am reassured as now that those "stressful" few days are passed, the continual sort of sensation has subsided and whenever I feel it, not only is it less strong but much shorter. so I'm sure all is well for all of us! I feel them also frequently when i get in the car to drive, so poor posture seems to also trigger them. The best way i noticed to help them subside was to take a hot shower or lay down... but it's all normal!

 

Everything you both said triggers them for me too. And it was the same with my last two... any time I'm having a rough day mentally for whatever reason, I notice them more frequently. Just laying down on my left side and making sure I'm hydrated seems to help if they get to the point where I start to worry, but I don't know how much of that is because I *expect* that to help vs it actually making a difference, particularly when I know I'm well hydrated.