July 2011 Moms

Braxton Hicks or the real thing??

I'm at the end of my pregnancy and have begun analyzing every contraction I have. Is this one stronger than the last? Where in my body do I feel this the most? Is this painful or just uncomfortable? My gosh, I can't even gauge my own body anymore. And I don't know what I should be feeling because I've never gone through this before. To those how have gone into labor on their own, how did you "know" real labor was happening? 

Re: Braxton Hicks or the real thing??

  • Thats really normal!!! Braxtons aren't really painful and just feel like your muscles tightening, contractions are much like menstrual cramps but turn into much more painful ones as they progress...I do the same thing and I already have 1 kid! I don't even know how people can time their contractions, with DS mine were always 1-2 mins. apart from the beginning, even my false labor was 1-2 mins. apart they just weren't painful...
  • I totally get what you're feeling.  I'm a FTM and honestly, I have never analyzed every single movement, ache, pain, or tightening in my body like I do now.  I've just given up the ghost and gone with the advice EVERYONE has given me, however discouraging- "when it happens, you'll KNOW." lol
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  • This is my second child, but I was induced with DS#1 and had an epi almost immediately, so I am honestly in the dark myself. I thought for sure I was going to go this weekend because I did the whole bloody show yesterday, the whole weekend I had a back ache, and today I was having what I thought were contractions that were about 5 minutes apart. Went to L&D per drs request, and nothing. I had three while I was hooked up but they sent me home. The only change was that I thinned out 10% more LoL

    I am half hoping my water breaks so I know it's time because I am GBS+ and I have no choice but to make my way to the hospital.

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  • My MW also told me that when it's the real thing, I'll KNOW.  :-)  She also said to keep drinking tons of water, b/c BH can come when you get dehydrated.  She said if I feel contractions, try water - if they go away, they were BH.  If they continue, they are the real thing!!
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  • My real contractions always felt like diarrhea pains (middle, lower abdomen).....times a THOUSAND.

    But I only had one labor start like that.

     

    All my other labors I had regular, progressing BH contractions. They had to be augmented by pitocin for a few hours...then I would get the ones that felt as I described above. 

    So imagine how I feel...I have to time my BHs because 2 of my 3 pregnancies, that was progressing and real labor! Every time I have a crampy day, I am on edge....

    (I never had anything that felt like a band tightening around my abdomen or back pain or tightening from top to bottom. My VERY active labor pains all felt like they were right in front, lower abdomen.....and like if I could just have a nice, loose bowel movement, they would be gone...yeah, TMI. Sorry!)

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  • 3rd timer here still wondering the same thing.  i have had tons of contractions from about 20 weeks on but now i am trying to pay attention to every little thing and it is driving me crazy! 
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