It's Been So Long Since I've Had Contractions!

Those sound like BH's to me!
I didn't really have them w/ my 1st but I did w/ my 2nd.

I am like Teresa C., I don't go in till I am positive I am in labor.

My contractions never became regular, w/ either! Because of that I waited too long w/ my 1st...almost had a toilet baby. ;)

I only tell you that because the old five minute rule was worthless to me and it didn't become too painful until close to the end...

When you have to stop doing whatever you are doing to deal w/ a contraction, get to the hospital. :)

HTH! Best wishes!

labor is entirely different than the braxton hicks... I had braxton hicks probably for about 3 weeks prior to real labor. When real labor started boy I knew it, I'm pretty sure you will know too. braxton hicks is just your uterus getting in shape for the real deal.

I was having contractions for three days and did not know it. I really had a bad back ache and was not feeling so hot. I had my weekly Dr appt so I just held out till then. I had no idea I was 5mins apart by the time I arrived at the hospital about 35mins later I was 2 mins apart I bumped about 3 women to have my emergancy csect my Dr was not taking any chances dd was also breach. I was 37 weeks she was almost 7lbs and 21in long to think of how big she would ave been if she was full term yikes! lol now she is almost 2 next Friday :-) and is wearing 4t clothes she skipped 3t all together. If you have any concerns call your Dr if he thinks its anything you will just have a trip to the er. also it could be you are dehydrated get some fluid in you that may help.

It's normal to get Braxton Hicks through out pregnancy. I get them usually around 16 weeks on. I have an irritable uterus - or have with the past pregnancies. I seem to be doing well this time with not nearly as many as I used to get!

A BH contraction is a tightening - your belly will feel hard. It can get really uncomfortable. I've had it be painful...not the contraction itself, but the way it squished the baby, it would sometimes hurt. If the contraction itself is hurting, then it's labor. But they don't consider it active labor unless your contractions are closer together. I never call until my contractions are about 3 minutes apart (or 5 minutes, if the hospital is far away). By then my contractions last about a minute each.

To time them, you start timing at the beginning of a contraction to the end. That gives you the length of a contraction. Then to time how often they are coming, you time from beginning of one contraction to the beginning of another. So, you're timing two things - how long each contraction is and how long from one to the next.

I get a ton of contractions for weeks at the end. It gets really annoying. I used to wonder when I would know when I was in labor, but when it starts, there is NO doubt in my mind!

I have had timeable, uncomfortable/slightly painful contractions that have lasted for hours and have come every five minutes, lasting about a minute, and my hubby was really worried. I knew I wasn't in labor, but he really wanted to go to the hospital, so we did. I wasn't in labor.

I have a different mindset than other ladies here (not that there is anything wrong with theirs!), but I tend to play it really calm and don't do anything about going in until there's no doubt I'm in labor. Each woman is different, though. I'm one who definitely feels a lot of pain in labor. There are some other women that don't feel pain while in labor until a while into it and then they have the baby in an hour or less. If you're ever concerned, go get it checked. But braxton hicks are SUPER normal and common. I wouldn't go unless they are timable, coming every five minutes, lasting for around a minute, and won't go away if you take a bath or something.

Good luck!

With all three of mine, I ended up in triage a few times.

My first, I had gone into premature labor. Was admitted. sent home. Bed rest. Induced.

My second...I was and had been in labor on my due date. Had no clue. Went into have my last regular check up...and low and behold...off to the hospital I was, right after my appt.

My third I was in labor for three weeks. I wouldnt progress past 3 cm by myself. Induce two days before his due date.

IF you feel like things could be moving dont hesitate to get it checked out. thats what they are there for.

My braxton hicks were so painful, they were giving me morphine. I know that is fairly common. I had nurses who would just sit with me and my hubby because the contractions would be so bad....my third one was pretty tough!!

I suspect every pregnancy is different as far as Braxton Hicks contractions go. They were different for all 3 of my daughter's pregnancies. With the third she felt confused much as you describe and she called her midwife each time she was concerned. I suggest that is the best thing to do. She had a natural home birth 4 weeks after the contractions started.

The midwife told my daughter she'd know when it was actual labor. She didn't. I went to visit and found her having contractions every 20 minutes or so with enough pain that she stopped what she was doing each time. She said the pain was worse but she'd been lulled into a sense that discomfort was not the real thing. In 7 or so hours the baby was here.

I thought labor had started because she could actually tell when the contraction started and stopped with a lesser amount of pain in between.

I suggest you call your care provider and ask.

I woke up in the night having BHs, and couldnt sleep. I got up and was sitting on the couch when my water broke! Had to wake up hubby, and head to the hospital. As the nurses were getting things organized for me, one asked how far apart the contractions were. I said, Im not having any. They checked me. I remember her voice and face to this day. "youre at 7, (her eyes got wide) here comes a contraction, (she darn near squeeled) you just went to 9, youre gonna want to push in a minute"... Less than 5 minutes later, in the delivery room, someone told me to push. I remember thinking, but Im not having a contraction or any urge to push, but what I said was, " I dont feel like it".. She said, "push anyway", and my 9pound 2 1/2 ounce daughter was born! It was my due date. 5:25am. Id been in the hospital less than 15 minutes. So, you never know how its going to feel. You just have to take things as they come and know that it may be so different from last time, or anyone else experience.

I had Braxton Hicks contractions throughout all my pregnancies. My first didn't come untl later in the pregnancy (around 35 weeks) and then my 2nd and now 3rd I've gotten them since about 15 weeks. Unfortunately, each pregnancy makes them worse! I am pregnant with my 3rd (and last) and my Braxton Hicks are getting worse each week. Luckily I am not in labor yet (only 32 weeks) but every time I get a Braxton Hicks, my belly gets really hard and then I get cramping that rolls around to my lower back.

Contractions are timed from the beginning of one to the end of it and then the start of another one. If they are consistent at about probably 7 minutes apart, I would head to labor & delivery. I would say 10 minutes but on my first child, I timed them and they were 10 minutes apart and it ended up being just Braxon Hicks. I didn't have them the rest of the night and didn't have them the next day, but they did last about 9 hours total.

Mine never got real painful until after my water broke. By then I couldn't stand it. But before my water broke, I could still tell I was in labor because they would be sharp pains in my lower abdomen/lower back.

Good luck and just stay calm!

I am 34 1/2 weeks and having a BH contraction RIGHT NOW, lol. Ouch!

Real contractions won't stop or slow down. I almost always get braxton hicks contractions in the evenings, when I'm sitting reclined on the sofa. And almost ALWAYS when I'm in the car. But I rarely get them if I'm lying down.

The best advice I got from my ob (since I went into
Preterm labor w/my first), was when it comes to BH its not my place to determine if they were true BH or labor! The only difference btwn the two is cervical change which ur doctors has to evaluate! General guideline I was given more than 6 contractions per hour, or they dont stop with rest or water.

And yes I found my contractions with my 2nd to less painful than my menstrual cramp! Almost had my hubby turn around and go back home. ThankGod I didn't, checked in 7.5 and 'still smiling' as the nusre said