ok explain contractions...

flymansWife

i know everyone feels them differently but help me understand. did you feel contracting? or just pain/discomfort? where? explain what *yours* felt like and maybe i can figure out what's up

i hate that i have no idea what i'm feeling.  i didn't think i was having any BH until about two weeks ago and if i focused then i did start thinking i was having BH... more like tightening of my belly all over/kinda more centered and not painful. now (the last 3-4 days) i keep feeling more crampy really low in my pelvis which could be contractions (or maybe just cramps!). then this evening now i keep getting more like sharp pains in my pelvis area but they don't last long and could even possibly be LO moving?! gahhhh i hate being so clueless and not knowing WTH is going on!

fjaril

sounds you are approaching "lightning crotch"

I didn't have that, but others did.

if i recall, the BH's are the belly tightening feelings and regular contractions are more in the back. 

it was a long time ago

*hugs*

Jess.O

First of all, I'm sure it's normal!  I really don't know what I'm saying here but I think if it's contractions they will be at regular intervals.  So, if you aren't sure I would suggest timing whatever pains you are feeling.  If it's happening every X minutes, you might be dealing with contractions.  Again, I don't have experience with this so I could be totally wrong. 

Good luck!

Kristen&Doyle

Ok, I'm sure someone will disagree with this, but whatever your feeling should come at a regular interval (timeable) and not go away (if you walk and they don't go away) for it to be labor. Anything else is just a contraction that doesn't really matter!....does that help?! Seriously though, if for any reason you feel like something just isn't right and you would be more comfortable getting it checked out, then just do it. No one will think you are crazy and are all very happy to help ease your worries.

brideonjuly8

I don't know if I ever felt *real* contractions, but my BH got much more intense and regular (I couldn't sleep through them and they woke me up).  I could time them, and my whole stomach got hard all over.  That could be considered "real labor" for some, others it would just be false labor.  Can you time them?  I think that's the most important thing.  It ever hurts to call your OBs office, too.  Mine always said to call if they were 6 minutes apart or less.   

Chandley

sounds like you are getting close!!!

for me, with bh it was a tightening/lightning crotch feeling. 

with the contractions, it was like bh but also with a pain in my lower back. 

labbielover07

For me, BH was a tight feeling all over my belly.  When I was really having contractions, it was more lower back and (TMI) it feels like pressure making you need to have a BM.  

christym0606

mine felt exactly like cramps (at regular intervals).  I never had any BH or noticed any tightening.  I probably would have even ignored the cramps at first, had my water not also broken.      GL!!

rssnlvr

Well, the first time, my BH didn't hurt. I knew I was in labor when I started getting regular, timeable menstrual cramps that gradually got worse and never went away.

This time, my BH have hurt for a long time, some really intensely. So I guess I'll know it's labor when drinking water and laying on my left side (or walking, or sitting, or putting my feet up, or taking a bath, or whatever) don't make them go away.

It's really easy to mistake early labor for something else, and something else for early labor. But when you're in full-blown labor (contractions 5 minutes apart or less, lasting roughly a minute each, for at least an hour straight), you'll know.

I hope it's happening soon for you!!!

SaraLouiseBride08

What you described as BH were what I felt as BH ... an all over tightening of the belly, and more uncomfortable (and some not even that) than painful.

My first real contractions were just like period cramps - just down low and very crampy. As they got worse (i.e. pitocin contractions) it was like one instense, strong cramp (not a wave sensation, just like the worst part of the cramp lasted for over a minute).

Not to get you excited, since contractions can last for weeks, but it sounds like you are having contractions. BUT as I'm sure you know, they don't count until they come at regular intervals, or your water breaks.

AND WHOAH! How are you so close already?! I'm so excited for you!

flymansWife

SaraLouiseBride08:

Not to get you excited, since contractions can last for weeks, but it sounds like you are having contractions. BUT as I'm sure you know, they don't count until they come at regular intervals, or your water breaks.

AND WHOAH! How are you so close already?! I'm so excited for you!

yea they're not really timeable so i know it doesn't really matter. at this point its more driving me nuts that i can't seem to even figure out if they *are* contractions or not! lol. 

and yea i have no idea how i got this close. time flies! 

2H2L

I was induced twice, so I'm not sure. But eeeehhh! I can't believe how close you are! (Where has the time gone lately?)

mcurban

Kristen&Doyle:

Ok, I'm sure someone will disagree with this, but whatever your feeling should come at a regular interval (timeable) and not go away (if you walk and they don't go away) for it to be labor. Anything else is just a contraction that doesn't really matter!....does that help?! Seriously though, if for any reason you feel like something just isn't right and you would be more comfortable getting it checked out, then just do it. No one will think you are crazy and are all very happy to help ease your worries.

ditto. everyone's contractions feel different. mine didn't hurt, but were timeable. seriously, didn't hurt at all and were 2 minutes apart. i went upstairs to tell my mom that, "Umm, I think I'm in labor and my contractions are close."  If I had waited for the classic advice (when you can't talk through your contractions, it's time to head to the hospital), I would have had a baby at home

don't get me wrong, the contractions *started* to hurt en route to the hospital, but even when I called the dr on call, she told me that I was most likely having BH. The only reason she had me come in to get checked was b/c I was doing a VBAC.

very long post short, if it's timeable, you're golden.

AmethystBride

My contractions felt just like really strong menstrual cramps.  They started down low, then started to grow (hee hee) and move all the way up my belly when they were at their strongest. 

I had low mild to moderate cramping from 29 weeks on.  When I told my doc, he said they were BH contractions. 

Wow!  You are almost full term--how exciting!

:-)

jml5q

When I have BH its mroe like a tightening all over and especially the top of my belly.

My contractions were like a hot dagger being stabbed through my pelvis and all the way to my back and was much much lower on my belly than my BH. so i guess sort of like the worst menstrual cramps of my life. granted my water had already broken so i was positive they were contractions and i never had early labor, just full on minute apart contractions from the get go. so i'm reallly no help in distinguishing early labor signs!

 

libbyann

Those sound like contractions to me! I had menstrual-like cramps with an all over tightening of my belly for about 2 weeks before my c-section due to fetal distress. With BH, I didn't have the crampy sensation. Sometimes my BH were uncomfortable, but they didn't have the period cramps along with them. Of course, mine never progressed further than that, but I did have a few NSTs and they were definitely registering as contractions on the monitors!

nanann

Menstrual cramps.  That's what it felt like for me when they started.  (and BAD menstrual cramps as we got along...)

 

As for time-able, I call BS on that at least for me.  With neither pregnancy were they ever really time-able.  Hello 2 minutes, then 10, then 5, then 15 etc etc.  And both were relatively fast labors (8 hours then 2 hours).  So, I guess it goes to show that everyone is different.

CollieJade

mcurban:

ditto. everyone's contractions feel different. mine didn't hurt, but were timeable. seriously, didn't hurt at all and were 2 minutes apart. i went upstairs to tell my mom that, "Umm, I think I'm in labor and my contractions are close."  If I had waited for the classic advice (when you can't talk through your contractions, it's time to head to the hospital), I would have had a baby at home

This!

Mine didn't hurt until I was 10cm and pushing. And even then I'd never say painful exactly - just really really uncomfortable and intense. I was in denial that I was in labor up until they checked me into my l&d room. I was 4 cm by that time!

Everything up until then was just uncomfortable and "heavy." My belly just felt really heavy and achy all over.  It wasn't until we were in the car on the way to the hospital that they suddenly became 4 min apart and I was having to really focus on breathing through them. At that point (and for a while after that) I'd say the closest thing would be menstrual cramps, just x100 and all over my body, not just in my pelvis region.

I never had BH at all, but it sounds to me like either you're having BH, early labor (which can last weeks unfortunately), and/or your pubic symphasis (sp?) is working on widening.  All those are good signs!  You're close!!

thethomps

christym0606:

mine felt exactly like cramps (at regular intervals).  I never had any BH or noticed any tightening. 

This is what mine felt like, too.  I also had bloody show, so I was pretty sure it was the real deal.  My water didn't break until I was in the tub in the hospital.