Pre / Early Labour ... probably silly questions.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Is there a point you should 'worry' about irregular BH's / contractions?
As in worry about whether or not they might be actual labour?

I have been getting lower abdominal tightenings since around 11am.
There is no particular pattern of consistency nor does there seem to be an increase in intensity but I don't think I could say I go more than 20 minutes without one. Sometimes only 2-3 mins and then sometimes 15min but no more than 20.

I have been having BHs for a few weeks but much higher and although obvious, not painful.
I also know the BHs tend to stop once you are up and moving around... these haven't and I spent almost 2 hours at the plaza and there was lots of walking there so nothing stationary!
Today they have been ouchy... like, occassionally stop to catch my breath & lean on a wall ouchy.
I also had a few like this for a few hours last night.

I had put it down to DTD (yest late afternoon and then also this am) as I know semen acts to soften / ripen the cervix but how long 'should' it continue?
DH and I were sort-of going with 'if my waters break then we know it's for real' but I don't know if I should be more concerned?
What happens if they are real and then all of a sudden my waters break and then I am in transition (baby 'accidentally' at home = win but am only 35w).

I don't know if it is worth calling the hospital because I'm sure the only thing they might offer is monitoring which to be honest I am not really interested in and I am still getting booted every now and then so I am sure baby is well.

I have read plenty of stories about second and subsequent mummas having lots of 'false' labour and contractions for weeks so I guess I know to expect it and that it is normal, just looking for some reassurance I guess!!

[Ginger]

i don't think it would hurt to call them, just to see what they have to say?

[Cassius2]

hey babe,

i can only go from my experiences with DD2. i had prelabour a few weeks before and it felt like the real deal, but like you mentioned too much exertion or too much resting and they would dissipate or at least be able to sleep through and then wakeup with nada.

the real deal however does sound a bit like you are describing. they never got regular, some came close together some were 15-20 mins apart and no matter what i did they kinda were always there. some were ouchy but most werent. the only time i realised that it was actually labour was when my waters broke (and it was a bit of a shock TBH, i thought that it was simply prelabour).

i reckon i would probably keep an eye on them and keep a low profile energy wise and if it does keep going, to give your care provider a call. that is what my IM said to do when/if it happened (i told her a few days after about the prelabour).

HTH and that is just a bit of prelabour...we want a wee bit more cooking!!

[blessedatlast]

I don't know the answer but I'm in the know about calming contractions My advice is rest lots and tomorrow get someone to go to a healthfood shop and get some calcium magnesium powder. It works to calm muscles, and it has slowed my BH enormously.. If you get concerned, of course go to the hospital but if you feel comfortable staying home then do that.. If you 'accidentally' birth bub at home at 35wks, skin to skin until you get to hospital..

Good luck babe, hopefully they will ease and you'll have a lovely full term bubba!

[Mad Scientist]

I had what I thought were real labour pains at 36 weeks with DD2. It was after I had a particularly busy day where I had done more than I normally would. I had to stop and breathe through the contractions and thought 'this is it'. They lasted from about 5pm until 2am. They were quite regular and close together. I started to stress as I had gone through something similar with DD1 and she had been born early. But the contractions stopped and I had them on and off for the rest of my pregnancy until DD2 was born at 38+4. It was funny, when I actually went into labour, I knew it. The contractions were so intense. But my labour with DD2 was only 2 hours from start to finish so maybe that's why they were so intense from the beginning. Anyway, I hope that they've died down overnight and you are feeling ok this morning xx

[alish]

ive been having irregular pains all day for the past week or so, yesterday they were the worst and today they are little stabbing pains every 10 minutes or so that shoot around to my back, they arent going for too long though..

im not going to worry until they get a bit or regularity about them or my water breaks (my hospital in 1hr 15mins away)

but if youre worried i would ring, it wont hurt to ask the question xx

[Arcadia]

No real advice, but lots of

I had a week of prelabour with ds and it was tough. I only really knew I was in labour when they were closer together and a bit more regular, but even then they were short and coming every 5 mins or so (unlike dd where I had classic minute long contractions every few minutes).

Good luck!

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Thank you everyone

They died off after I had a nap. I took some panadeine hoping for some relief and although it didn't help with pain originally, it ended up making me doze off around 5.30pm (while poor DH cooked his own fathers day roast dinner ).

I had a couple more through the night but only if/when I over exerted myself (nesting anyone....) I suppose. Lots of stabby cervix grinding this morning.

Guess I will try to keep a low activity profile for the next two weeks to minimise it! & give the hospital a call if I need.


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[forshelby]

My DS was my first baby, but all the same.... I experienced very similar things to you. For about a week before he was born I was having painful, irregular ctx. There were a few nights where I couldn't sleep it was so painful, and ended up having 10 showers when I should've been sleeping. My waters never broke in the spectacular gush I expected. But they did start to leak after a week or so of these types of pains.

I'd have to reccomend getting some monitoring, so that you can get some idea of whether you're having BH's or ctx's. I'd say the latter, by the sounds of your post. Still, it helped me to see that yes, I WAS contracting, but NO, I wasn't in full blown labour yet. It allowed me to relax enough to go home and wait for the big event.

Good luck!

[BellyBelly]

Labour Signs - Could I Be in Early Labour?