Cramps

Mcsweets

Ok - I know it's probably fine but would love to have everyone reassure me.  I'm 19w5d and for the past few nights my stomach has been hurting when I'm sleeping and then occasionally throughout the day.  I know there's lots going on in there - stretching, moving, rearranging, etc... it's not a pain that makes me bend over - and its pretty much all over. Sometimes its lower abdomen, sometimes belly button, sometimes the sides of my belly.

I thought it might be gas too?

Anyone else have this?

jessican08

Yup. I had constant contractions from 14w on as well as tons of aches and pains all over various points in my belly. I hate to say it but it's not going to get better anytime soon

It was really nerve wracking for me and I made LOTS of calls and visits to my OB for reassurance.

Hang in there, Sweetie!

Mcsweets

@jessican08 - how do I know the difference between a contraction and just aches/pains?  My cervix is short so I'm worried about contractions

TheDairyQueenx3

You beat me to it! I was just about to ask something similar. I am 30 weeks and have a super short basically non existing cervix and a cm dilated with baby A at a -1 station. Since my last transvaginal u/s to check my cervix I have been having non stop menstural like cramps and loads of BH and my stomach is so sore and achey and feels a lot like you described. Sometimes it feels like gas but sometimes the BH are crampy. Feels totally different than labor did with my singleton. It's so hard to tell what pains mean what. Def following this to see what others have for suggestions. I'm hoping it's just irritable uterus pains.

CNYBride05

I had cramps off and on til I delivered. Mindflvck, but totally normal.

10-4LilBuddy

A contraction will tighten up your entire abdomen into a ball. If it is BH, the tightening will last less than a minute and be irregularly timed. A labor contraction will last longer and be timeable. Your doctor will need to monitor your cervix to make sure your contractions aren't impacting it. I had 4 to 6 BH per hour starting at 23 weeks. My cervix shortened but the MFM thinks that is due to growing vs contractions.

jessican08

I'm sorry I didn't see this earlier. I had the same question when I was having the cramps early on but I knew as soon as I had a contraction that that's what it was. I was sleeping, laying on my back and all of a sudden I woke up and my belly felt tight and hard like a rock. It was very different from the period-like cramps I was having. The contraction didn't hurt per se, it just felt tight. They diagnosed me with an irritable uterus. They did start hurting, though, around 30w and some would last as long as 7 minutes!  

My constant contractions never affected my cervix so it is possible to have them and not have it affect anything - I was only 1cm dilated when I went in for my induction at 38w1d. 

Mcsweets

Thanks!!!  They've gone away a bit ... I kinda wonder if it was gas now - but just worse