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2nd Trimester
What do contractions feel like?
I know this question can probably be answered differently by every woman but I was just curious, where does the pain come from and does it feel like.... pressure? Really bad period cramps? Sharp pains?
Just curious!
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Re: What do contractions feel like?
I thought so! I have this stupid fear that I am going to go into pre-term labor because my boss always told me all these horror stories of it happening to her...her twins were born at 24 weeks and I wanna know so I'm not just sitting at home thinking i'm having growing pains! lol Maybe I am just over paranoid!
My coworker who had to take meds for severe menstrual cramps until she had a hysterectomy after her first child said they felt like her cramps and they came in waves. She said the pain is sharp and in the both sides of the lower abdomen. You should not feel the pressure like you need to make a bowel movement until it is time to push.
LOL, I think every first time mom feels that way. My doctor told me that if they get more and more consistent and closer together and more painful they are probably really. Also, if they stop when you move around, then they are probably just false labor or BH. I think 99% of women know when its the real thing by the time you need to go to the hospital.
It's really completely different for everyone and can also be completely different from pregnancy to pregnancy. My 1st started out like bad menstrual cramps and increased in intensity and tightness that wrapped around my abdomen and back - at transition (7cm), I had the intense pressure and feeling like bearing down and pushing - VERY hard to not to push!! With my 2nd, the were like menstrual cramps for a short while and then the intensity increased rapidly to where I really felt the need to bear down and push - when I got to the hospital I was only 3 cm when I felt this - not fun. So, some women might not feel that pressure until it is time to push, some feel it much earlier, and some feel it not at all.
For me, it started out like period cramps mixed with gas pains. The stronger and more consistant they got it turned into more back labor and the pain was only in my back with the tightning of my tummy. I guess I have a bigger pain tolerence then I thought b/c I went on with my normal life for 24 hours before they got real consistant.
It goes in phases for me.
It starts off like menstrual cramps and gets worse with intensity at that level. Then it starts to become more like a stabbing feeling, getting worse with intensity. And then it's just like a ball of fire in my belly that, again, grows in intensity and "distance". That's usually when it would start wrapping around my whole torso (from belly around to back).
Also, a lot of womens whole bellies will firm up during a contraction - mine never did. It was always just the lower half I could feel with my hands getting hard and that always surprised me.
I will also add that the pressure to push came before 10cm for both of my girls, more so much second one though. With my first, my waters were broken at 7cm and I felt the need to push right away but had to wait until I was fully 10cm (the dr even tried to push my lip aside).
With my second I could feel a slight pressure feeling even before we went to the hospital. That was my cue that it was time to leave. It was like I need to push yet, but it was definitely pressure down there. And again, I was breathing through the urge to push at 6-7cm and once again had my waters broken at 7cm and pushed the baby out no more than 5 minutes later.
So yes, pressure can come at different times as well. It really is different for everyone.