So I am almost 39 weeks pregnant with my second and I have been having braxton hicks on and off since about 25 weeks now. They have never really been painful just uncomfortable at times and sometimes if it wasnt for my stomach getting so hard I could bounce a quarter off it I wouldnt even notice them. Now that I am close to my due date I am getting them much more frequently but sometimes they actually hurt - nothing in comparison to the real thing but they are not like the normal - "this is an uncomfortable feeling" sort of thing. I got one last night that actually had me holding onto the kitchen counter and waiting it out because it hurt. There is no rhyme or reason to them and I have had many since then that are just uncomfortable but every now and again I get a painful one and think is this it. Is this common? Is it happening because I am so close and my body is really starting its prep work? Whats up with he pain before the pain? LOL
Thanks in advance
YES!!!!! They can be painful!!! I have been having them for weeks now too and some are super painful, others are just irritating. I wouldn't count on it being the real thing until they get regular, increase in intensity and pain and don't go away no matter what you do. Thats the start to real labor... Best wishes for healthy labor and delivery!
M
I'm over 38 weeks right now and what you've described is exactly what I have. I think they are a good thing. I had them with my last daughter and giving birth to her was efficient like clockwork. She came within an hour of the first strong contraction and she only took 3 good pushes to birth her. It was also without drugs or epidural. My Braxton hicks have been varying also this time. It's like a good test run, I also think it depends on how full our bladders and bowels are, tmi I know but the more we need to unload the more painful a compression of our internal organs can feel.
As far as my experience, it is normal. I have found that as long as I can still talk and walk through the contractions, there is no cause for concern.
When you're tired, you feel pain more. I know you're exhausted!
When I went into labor with my 2nd, I couldn't sleep... that was it. I wasn't feeling contractions, I wasn't having any pain, I was just pissed off I couldn't sleep...
...I was 6cm when I called my doc and bitched about not sleeping, he demanded I went to L&D immediately, and 2 hours later, my 2nd daughter was here.
Trust your body. If this is WAY beyond 'I'm 9 months preggers and uncomfortable', call your doc ;)
I had painful braxton hicks near the end of both of my pregnancies... sometimes so bad that I had to wait them out.
In my second pregnancy -The last couple of times I starting walking around the block- and downtown... whatever I though might "nudge" them into real labor because I was pretty miserable... but alas. The only think that got labor started was going to the hospital to get induced (ironically I was already IN labor without knowing it when I showed up at the hospital haha)
Keep your labor bag near by and keep a watch out for those tell-tale signs of labor: Sudden gush of 'water' or a small steady stream that doen't stop... contractions that are "organized".
PS- some of my braxton hicks were more painful than my initial REAL contractions. My labor contractions both felt like a low-dull backache until I got to transition. I didn't notice any rythm until I could see them on the monitors.
When in doubt- call the doctor!
-M.
Totally normal, i had BH from wk 20 with all 4 of my girls!! Once they start forming a pattern and getting closer together every 6 mins....then every 5...then every 4 then you know for sure :) and remember, REAL contractions don't necessarily need to be painful, you can be contracting and progeressing without pain. Good luck and congrats!!
WooHoo, won't be long now! How cool would it be if he/she were born on Valentine's Day!
If they start being regular, better call the doc.
Keep us posted, I LOOOVE the new baby posts.
:)
Well I could talk through my contractions until I hit 9 centimeters dilated. So I suggest you get up to labor and delivery and get checked out.
