Having Contractions at 35 Weeks

Totally normal! I had those braxton-hixs with both my babies from 25 weeks on or so! LOL! Its when they start getting very regular and close together that you should worry.

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Braxton- Hicks won't show up on the monitor. I had BH contractions with my daughter but not my son. I had mild contractions on and off for several weeks with my son... Not with my daughter.

I started dilating pretty early with both... Didn't have them until full term. 39wks 2 days with daughter & 38wks 6days (their calculations) with my son.

Good luck! You might just have to live with the contractions on and off for the next few wks!

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You probably are having contractions. The important thing is for them not to lead to labor too quickly.

Meanwhile, try these particular things:
Get off your feet. Lie on your left side to rest - that really helps. Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. Letting yourself get even a little dehydrated can cause contractions. The uterus is a smooth muscle tissue and when dehydrated, it will contract. In the same vein, when a full bladder presses against the uterus, it can also cause contractions. So drink and pee, drink and pee. Don't hold your urine - it's important to go ahead and empty your bladder as often as you should.

While you're laying down, make your lists for everyone about what they need to know when you go into the hospital. Write down phone numbers, etc. This gives you something to do without getting up and working. Do you need someone to cook? Go ahead and call and ask if they can bring something over the first week. Need help in the house? Ask a friend to come vacuum a couple of rooms for you. Tell them you are having contractions and are worried about giving birth too early. A good friend will come over and help some.

You really need to get to 37 weeks - 38 would be better. If you lay down and keep hydrated, you are doing all you can do at home to prevent pre-term labor. If you start feeling really bad, have the runs, feel contractions regularly, don't feel the baby move, call your OB and tell him or her that you are going to labor and delivery at the hospital. Don't worry about putting anyone "out" - this is about keeping your baby out of the NICU. I promise that they'd rather be put out now than your baby ending up in the NICU.

This is coming from a mom who was in bed with pre-term labor from 24 weeks until 37 weeks, and I ended up with a healthy baby.

Good luck,
D.

Sorry girl, but unless they are increasing in frequency and intensity it isn't labor. Your body is just practicing. Remember exhaustion and dehydration will make you contract also.

Everyone is almost always so quick to say Braxton-Hicks. With all 4 of my kids I have had these type of contractions until my water breaks and only then do they hurt. So..my personal experience would say any day. The hard part is that these contractions tend to not be quite as productive so I literally have been in labor for days. Literally contractions 2 minutes apart for 48-36 hours. That being said you really do want to make it at least to 36 weeks. I have had 2 at 35-36 weeks and those that hung in their a bit longer did better. Of course when my contractions are 2 minutes apart I am in regular communication with the doctors office. That way everyone knew what was going on and I wasn't having a baby on the side of the road somewhere.

my oldest it was 2 hrs with my youngest it was 3 weeks of braxton hicks but when he hit me it felt like contractions also

Probably Braxton-Hicks . . . essentially, your body is going through "practice" labor contractions. Doesn't happen with all pregnancies and certainly isn't an indicator that you'll be going into full blown labor anytime soon. They usually come and go. That being said . . . it's also possible you're in pre-labor mode (especially with the back pain) so anything is possible. That is the thing about pregancy . . . each experience is usually different (it was for me all 3 times!).