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January 2012 Moms
2nd time moms: Compare/Contrast Braxton Hicks with True Labor Pains
Between preterm labor, Braxton Hicks contractions and true labor pains there's a lot of different sensations we experience as Moms! Ladies, feel free to describe your experiences for our fellow Jan Moms!
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Re: 2nd time moms: Compare/Contrast Braxton Hicks with True Labor Pains
For me, BH never hurt, although towards the end they could stop me in my tracks and really slow me down until they passed. They were also all around my tummy and you could literally feel your whole uterus tight- it was weird.
True Labor pains for me were all in the crotch! While I'm sure my uterus was contracting, it was nothing compared to the wrenching twists that felt like my vagina was going to rip away from my body.
I timed contractions for 1.5 days (starting 2 days past my EDD) and then woke up at 5:45 am with my water breaking and painful contractions started about 10 mns after that and got worse and worse until I got my epi at 6cm. So luckily there wasn't a whole lot to distinguish for me since the water breaking was a dead giveaway for me
Hope this comparison helps a little when you're trying to distinguish what it is you're feeling!
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Tizzle 10/07 ~ Boppy 7/09 ~ Chicken 1/12
Books read in 2013: ~ Audiobooks listened to in 2013: 3
Currently reading: The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Currently listening to: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
my currently-reading shelf:
When I first had BH I thought it was the baby's head or butt pressing up against the top of my uterus. It feels hard and tight.
Preterm labor contractions were like the BH except there was pain associated with them. I got the tightening at the top of my uterus but it took my breath away and hurt.
Real contractions felt the same as the preterm labor crap except they were regular and timeable. My PTL never got to the point where the contrax came at regular timeable intervals so while I needed IVs and meds to stop them, they never caused me to actually go into labor.
I never experienced them with my first 2 either.
braxton hicks were like when your calf muscle twitches. BH weren't twitchy but the tightening sensation with no pain was similar I guess. and it wasn't everywhere, just usually part of the abdomen.
real labor was like when your calf muscle cramps so hard you wake up in the middle of the night shrieking and writhing and you can't move your foot.
...only it's your entire middle section of your body and also your upper legs, not just one measly little calf muscle.
BUT! two caveats: 1) keep in mind that it ramps up for a minute, then goes away and gives you a break (except during transition but by then you're almost there and your mind is in a very weird place anyway). and 2) keep in mind that I had pitocin and no epidural. I've never experienced a non-pitocin contraction.
For me BH never hurt. They did sometimes make walking and stuff difficult, but they never hurt. I could just feel my stomach/belly/uterus area contracting.
My labor pains...made it difficult to be comfortable laying down. And after my waterbroke, they were painful...like hard to breath, bit my husband painful. But I had PIT at that point too.
Morgan's Birth Story: http://www.fullcirclemidwifery.com/2009/06/morgans-birth/
Chloe's Birth Story: http://www.fullcirclemidwifery.com/2012/04/chloes-birth/
I didn't experience them with ds either. We'll see if I get any with this one or not.