Menstrual like cramps

shelbyrmook · July 2018

Day 2 of having menstrual like cramps? I know it's not labor... But could it just mean things are moving a long nicely? Did anyone's labor start this way? I haven't had cervical checks because I know there isn't really any telling information. But we're due in a couple weeks... So just curious.

neeraja_k · July 2018

I'd definitely call your doctor or midwife and ask. Better to be safe than sorry!

delujm0 · July 2018

Early labor does tend to feel like menstrual cramps but it can also go on for a while. If it starts getting more intense and patterned, or you start losing your plug or spotting, I'd call the doctor.

lalala2004 · July 2018

Those would be contractions, but they would need to be regular/timeable to be considered active labor. They could certainly be making you progress, though.

toritempest862018 · July 2018

Getting a cervical check can help identify about where you are along the lines of having a soft cervix, effacement, and dilation, I'm due on the 6th but at my last visit, my ob checked me and said my cervix was really soft and said that I likely wouldnt last more than another week before my little guys arrival

delujm0 · July 2018

toritempest862018 said:

Getting a cervical check can help identify about where you are along the lines of having a soft cervix, effacement, and dilation, I'm due on the 6th but at my last visit, my ob checked me and said my cervix was really soft and said that I likely wouldnt last more than another week before my little guys arrival

That could possibly help, but in my case I was told with both previous pregnancies that I was "hard and closed" at the appointment only days before I wound up going into labor on my own. In fact when I got to the hospital with #2 I was told I hadn't dilated at all yet, 5 minutes later my water broke, and 10 minutes after that I was declared to be 4cm. By contrast my BFF was dilated to 3cm for more than 3-4 weeks with her first before they just induced her to get labor going. Her doctor kept telling her she wouldn't make it to her next appointment. She was incorrect.

So while cervical checks can give you some information, it's nowhere near a guarantee. I'm considering skipping them this time because they've never given me anything useful to work with.

mrslittlemac · July 2018

Yeah, also was not accurate for me. 38 week checkup my cervix was closed and firm, 2.6cm long based on U/S. Went into labor as soon as I got home and was admitted at a 5 less than three hours later. YMMV.

scottishlass1213 · July 2018

All my contractions through labor felt like menstrual cramps.

7425cait · July 2018

Same on the cervical check. I was 2 cm dialated and 50% effaced for at least a month before I went into labor with my first, and she was 3 days late. I'm skipping the cervical checks until my doc deems them necessary.

xinran · July 2018

I'm in the UK and they don't do cervical checks at all until labour has started. I would call in about cramps sustained over that sort of time though. Does sound like early labour x

neeraja_k · July 2018

For you ladies who opted out of cervical checks, are they more necessary for cases like mine where they want to induce me on the 39th week? OB said he wants to check how "ripe" my cervix is now (36wk) to see how well I might tolerate induction if I don't go into labor naturally before they want to induce. But I'd really rather not be messed with until absolutely necessary, so I was wondering if there were reasonable grounds to refuse it, or if I was just being a stubborn ninny and needed it.

delujm0 · July 2018

neeraja_k said:

For you ladies who opted out of cervical checks, are they more necessary for cases like mine where they want to induce me on the 39th week? OB said he wants to check how "ripe" my cervix is now (36wk) to see how well I might tolerate induction if I don't go into labor naturally before they want to induce. But I'd really rather not be messed with until absolutely necessary, so I was wondering if there were reasonable grounds to refuse it, or if I was just being a stubborn ninny and needed it.

If they're planning induction they do like to get an idea of how your cervix will respond to the ripening agent, etc...but if they aren't planning to induce until 39 weeks you could probably ask not to check until at least 38 weeks. I can't see them checking at 36 weeks and then not needing to check again at 38 or 39 weeks anyway. My doctor only checks at 36 weeks if you ask her to, and only because she's in there anyway (that's when they do the GBS test and fee around for position to confirm head down, etc).

laufisch · July 2018

@neeraja_k I know my doctor did a check at 36 weeks because they were doing a strep B test then.

That being said I agree with @delujm0, they'll need to check before the induction to determine what method to use but a lot can change between now and when you're 39 weeks.

You can always get your doctor's opinion as well.

I wasn't going to do cervical checks this time but they've checked me at every appointment because something always seems to need to be checked. I had tons of contractions at 36 weeks so they wanted to check, then light bleeding at 37 weeks, so another check. I'm strep B positive and the baby is possibly breach so another check to hope to estimate time. So my doc at least aways had a reason...

neeraja_k · July 2018

Thanks guys! It ended up going okay, despite all of the horror stories I'd read here and there about how painful it was. It was uncomfortable and I grimaced, like a longer duration pap smear, but I survived. I'm not dilated at all, but he said about "50% effaced and plenty soft", so he thinks I'd do well if induction is in my future. And yeah, he said while he was in there to do the Strep B swabs he might as well do a quick check.

7425cait · August 2018

Yeah, I wouldn't say they're painful. Just uncomfortable.

Menstrual like cramps

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