Can someone tell me what pre-labor is like?

PaulandPregnantChelsea · July 2014

Hey ladies!

I've read the books and googled the crap out of it, but it just doesn't compare to personal stories.

I know you can have contractions for a few weeks before the big show, but having never felt a Braxton-Hicks contraction (and I'm 36 weeks) I'm kind of clueless as what to expect.

I've read that it feels kind of menstrual-y, kind of gassy - but how were you able to distinguish those feelings from regular prego aches? My MW said you should be able to feel your uterus contract and relax with your hand - is this true for everyone?

ashiscute · July 2014

The main difference for me was that Braxton-Hicks came and went. So you'd have crampy pain for a minute and then again in a few minutes for like a half hour or so. So it would happen more in spurts. I had way more with my second pregnancy. I could sometimes feel the contractions with my hand but at 36 weeks it was pretty sporadic.

poptart109 · July 2014

My contractions felt like period cramps. I've been getting them throughout the day for last 2 weeks. No rhyme or reason to them. My BH felt like tightening with no pain. Sometimes the pain wraps around back, sometimes it shoots down tops of my legs.

blushingbride_08 · July 2014

Well I'm currently feeling menstrual like gassy cramps but no consistent tightening of abdomen. I think I'm in prelabor. I'm just waiting for another sign like mucus plug or consistent contractions. That's how it started last pregnancy.

RedBaramid · July 2014

One nurse told me to feel my tummy to help determine the strength of a contraction. Push on your nose, and if belly feels similar it's probably just a warm up contraction. If it feels like when you press against your chin, it may be BH or the start of labor, but if your belly feels like your forehead you may very well be heading into labor. It's not 100% science but it may help you gauge how strong your contractions are. I had some BH today and I deff felt the tightening in my belly and even in my back some. It took my breath away but it wasn't the kind of pain where I wanted to scream and cry. I do have a high pain threshold though so that may not be helpful to you.

kaleb87 · July 2014

RedBaramid said:
One nurse told me to feel my tummy to help determine the strength of a contraction. Push on your nose, and if belly feels similar it's probably just a warm up contraction. If it feels like when you press against your chin, it may be BH or the start of labor, but if your belly feels like your forehead you may very well be heading into labor. It's not 100% science but it may help you gauge how strong your contractions are. I had some BH today and I deff felt the tightening in my belly and even in my back some. It took my breath away but it wasn't the kind of pain where I wanted to scream and cry. I do have a high pain threshold though so that may not be helpful to you.

I feel pathetic reading your post because I had to push on my nose, chin, and forehead to feel the difference. Good advice though!
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soldiersangel2014 · August 2014

So did I! My mom walked in and asked me what I was doing, so I explained to her. She proceeded to do the same thing and then said "Yeah, that's about right" and walked out.

drpayne · August 2014

I had no pre-labor prior to either birth. I wasn't in labor and then I was.

laurenita8 · August 2014

I just called the advice nurse to ask about an ongoing burp/air bubble thing I just developed. she said that if it comes and goes it could be primordial labor. That it's probably as a result of the baby pushing inside. I read online that everyone has early labor, they just don't always notice it.

spaghettiohs · August 2014

I had contractions 3 days before having DS. They were very much like period cramps, the difference is that they were consistent, every 10 minutes, for 3 days.

Monicagail1 · August 2014

I had period like cramps and backache with DD2 for about 2 days before going into labor. And I was crazy tired cranky, lol. Having been induced with DD1 it didn't dawn on me until after DD2 was born that that's what it was.

PhillyPanda · August 2014

I just went into pre-term labor on Monday and was released yesterday. The pain was consistent (a 6 on a scale from 1 -10) and came every 6 minutes. Then came the intense period cramping BETWEEN the contractions. My whole belly became extremely hard when I was contracting. They were able to stop the labor since I'm only 31 weeks, but now I know what to look for.

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