Pls help and describe Braxton Hicks....

praline

So, I'm currently 28 weeks pregnant with #2 and have started having very uncomfortable sensations in my lower belly off and on throughout the day.  It feels like a really tight fist in belly, most specifically kind of right under my bump.  It gets worse if my bladder is full.  I was concerned on Friday so I called my OB, she had me come in and manually checked me...I'm one cm dilated so she sent me to the hospital.  My peri did a cervix check there and it's still at a perfectly fine length and they were kind of like the dilation was no big deal since my cervix was still long.

 

Anyway does what I'm describing sound like BH and if you had them in your second pregnancy when did they start, and how often did you get them.  They kind of freak me out because I'm worried it'll put me into labor.  I didn't get this until post 34 weeks or so with my first.

Thanks for your help!

Mrs.JDD

For me, BH was just the tightening.  When I started having crampiness along with the tightening, like period cramps, I got more nervous!  To me, those are more "real" than just the tightening.

jorie

They're like a tightness in your belly.  I always feel like it's shrink-wrapping the baby.  I'm 38 weeks, so when I get them, I can definitely see little bumpy outlines of where the baby's at.  My belly tightens right around the baby.  When I get a lot of them or they're a little uncomfortable, I try to make sure I stay hydrated and take a little break.

I started feeling them super early with this pg.  I want to say maybe even 15 or so weeks.  Nothing regular, but I knew what they were so I was able to recognize them. 

FWIW, I have been 1 cm dilated for a long time.  My dr told me it's not unusual for your cervix to be somewhat open after having a couple of kids. 

I'm crossing my fingers your baby stays put for quite awhile longer! 

aprilmomtobe

Mine felt like a "charlie horse" in my belly.  What you described sounds similar too.  Hope that's all is was!

capemom

I've been having them for a few weeks and they freak me out, too. ?I never had them with DS. ?

I asked my OB at my last appointment and she told me that if I had four or more in an hour to lay down, put my feet up and drink a lot of water. ?If I had four in that second hour I should call. ??

?

praline

So it's sounding like they probably are Braxton Hicks.  There is no crampiness to them, just a tightness which lasts for maybe 10 seconds or so.  I had quite a few (like 15 maybe) in an hour on Friday so I called and the OB had me come in.  At the hospital they checked my cervix and it was like 3.2 which for me is normal (with DD my cervix measured at 3.2 from about 16 weeks through 36 weeks) and which I suspect means that whatever these are they are not changing my cervix.

JORIE, when did you start measuring 1 cm dilated?  I was startled by that, but the perinatologist (who I see every four weeks and saw at the hospital) and the nurse in triage said that can be very normal in subsequent pregnancies.  I have another appt tomorrow morning to check things out and I'll ask more about Braxton Hicks...nothing about this pregnancy has been all that easy and I just don't want to have the baby early!

Thanks again!