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December 2010 Moms
TMNTgirl
member
Newbie Labor/Contraction Question
TMNTgirl
member
So I feel like such a newbie when it comes to all things labor and delivery since I was induced early last time around. I never had a "real" contraction - all pitocin. Fun stuff.
Last night I just could not fall asleep. Heartburn, random BH contractions and DH was getting home super late (like 2am) from driving home all night after being out of town all day for a funeral.
Around 2:30am I still couldn't sleep, so I went to the living room and started timing contractions. They were about 3-5 mins apart. My whole belly got tight like a BH contraction, but there was also so very very mild cramping under my belly. But I was not in any real pain and could still breathe, walk, talk, etc through them. I really was just laying on the couch playing online, trying to rest, using a timer app, etc.
I finally shut everything down and tried to sleep and slept for about an hour from 4-5am. Once I woke up I started timing again and they've been still about 5 mins apart all morning. But I am still able to walk/talk, etc fine without much discomfort at all.
Sooooo....after all that long winded backstory....I feel like I don't know if these are "real" contractions or not. BH contractions shouldn't be coming this close together, right? But real contractions should hurt more than this, right? Or I'm just comparing them to god-awful pitocin contractions so they seem easy?
This might be a bit of a post and run. I've got an hour to shower, feed Jonny breakfast and then go to my regularly scheduled NST this morning. I figure I'll tell the nurses everything there and they should be able to pick up the contractions on the monitors, etc. And we'll see what they say from there....
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Re: Newbie Labor/Contraction Question
Contractions are so weird.
I know for me, BH felt very different than actual contractions, which felt more like period cramps. I hope the nurses can give you some answers!
Ginny DX 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Charlie DX Specific Antibody Deficiency & ASD
Hmm, that kind of sounds like my early contractions, although I think mine were still 7 or 8 mins apart when I could walk around and talk through them. They felt more like a period cramp than a tightening. But my water broke, so it's hard to tell when exactly they turned very painful...I know I was already at the hospital when they did, and they were like 4 mins apart.
I don't know, it kinda sounds like you are in labor! GL!!!
I was in the same boat. My water broke with O and had to be induced. I realize now I was having real contractions, uncomfortable but didn't hurt, for probably 3 days before I had G but since I didn't experience that with O I just thought my body was gearing up for the big event. By the time I was in actual labor it pretty obvious, the contractions were consistant, getting stronger and closer together.
Good luck at your appt. Update us when you get back
ETA: My guess is also early labor
For A I never had Braxton hicks in the third tri so when I went into labor there was no mistaking it. My contractions were tight and had the period cramping and I couldn't speak through them. I literally stopped what I was doing and held onto the table, wall whatever. Labor only lasted about 4.5 hours though so things may be different for longer labors.
Laat night I was driving home and got freaked out because I started having contractions every 5 min (hour drive) but they ended up being Braxton hicks. I got home and chugged water and laid down and they finally slowed and stopped after about another hour or two. A little too much yesterday with not enough water. I always thought braxton hicks weren't timetable but mine sure were.
Anyways glad you are having the NST today. Some of my friends with longer labors would have the freq contractions for hours or come and go for days but it wasnt until they couldn't speak through them or the pain was bad that they went in to the hospital.
. Best of luck!!!
Me too! I was in labor with contractions for hours and couldn't feel them at all. I could definitely talk, walk, eat through them. Yay, baby soon!!! I'll be keeping you in my prayers!
I was drinking a bunch of water and laying down most of the night and they were/are still pretty regular.
I'll definitely try to jump back on here after my NST and see what they say.
I had a lot of strong BH early on (irritable uterus), but the difference for me was that the BH varied depending on what I was doing (intense when I was active, reduced when I laid down). When it was the "real thing" they gradually got more and more intense and nothing I did influenced the pattern at all.
Good luck! So excited for you!
It does sound like early labor. I'm glad you have an appt today so you'll be able to find out what's up! I did have mild cramping over night in my last month of pg last time, but it had always gone away by morning.
I'd say your body is definitely gearing up!!! So exciting!
Had a few contractions while I was hooked up to monitors, but since my blood pressure was still decent and I could still talk through them, etc. they just sent me home for now.
So it's either labor picks up on it's own over the next couple days or I'll get checked for progress at my 38 week appt on Monday.
Jonny and I are off to a playgroup for a bit...we'll see how the rest of the day goes.
BFP #2 5/27/12. EDD 2/1/13. m/c and D&C 6/21/12.
How exciting!
That sounds really similar to what happened to me. I had been having BH for weeks, and then one night they came with period-like cramping and were timeable. At first they were not painful except for the cramps, it took hours before I couldn't talk through them.
Good luck!!
I'm not really sure I am yet either. It's really not painful at all - just annoying. I've had BH contractions for months now, so these are definitely a little different. But nothing to get too excited about - at least that's what I think now. But then again - I didn't go into labor at all on my own last time, so I am just second guessing everything this time around.
I feel like a FTM not knowing what to expect...
Yeah, the early stuff can go on for days. I never call it "false" labor, though, because it's still doing something.