Does anyone else have this????

Hi, I'm not sure if I've missed the page relevant to this in my pg books, or if I'm just strange!

For the last two weeks I have been getting a funny sensation, and it was much worse when I went back to a very busy day at work yesterday. The lower part of my tummy feels very tight and goes very hard for about 5-10 seconds. The last couple of weeks it only happens once a day or less, but yesterday it was like every 10 minutes or so. I have an anterior placenta, so I only feel movements down low, except for the odd kick near my belly button.

Is this just my bub moving (doesn't feel like it, but what would I know LOL!) or something else? I was almost going to call my OB yesterday, but he's away ATM, so I thought I would check here first! TIA :)

Sounds like it may be a BH contraction - these start at 5w pg, but you don't feel every one, it is just to get the baby and the uterus used to the contractions. They get more noticable (apparently) and more frequent the closer you get to your EDD. I only really notice them when I'm paying attention to the belly and notice it has gone hard.

OMG Ryn, it didn't even occur to me that it might be BHs :eek: ! I didn't know that they started at 5 weeks too :confused: Is it bad to get them this early? It's not something I've done alot of reading on. Is the fact that it's worse when I run around like a headless chook anything to worry about?

Geez, I'd better go and read up LOL!

It's not bad, it's normal. I personally think it's great that you can be so in tune with your body you notice them early! Can't remember when I first noticed my BHs, but I'm fairly sure it was at the end of the 2nd trimester. 7th of October, according to my pregnancy diary, so I would have been... 23w.

ETA: I'd been over-doing things that day too, and the baby didn't come early - as you can see! I first noticed the colostrum the day after that so keep your eyes open!

Don't freak me out Ryn PMSL!

Wow, look at your ticker! I remember when i first joined you were only just pg, and now you're not long off giving birth! Good luck hun :)

Our uterus contracts continually throughout our lives but we can only feel it when we are pregnant. It could be braxton hicks or your uterus contracting. Have a chat about it when you visit your OB next or if you are really worried or they become regular contact your hospital ASAP.

LOL, your turn to scare me now I suppose! Thanks for the wellwishes, I'm still in denial about the whole birth thing.

Sez, this happens to me too - exactly as you describe it - and I always assumed it to be BH contractions. :)

(I had them all through my last pregnancy too).

sezjm
Defiantly Braxton Hicks. If you put your hand on your tummy you should feel it tighten.

Oh wow! Would I be getting carried away to be excited that body is letting me know that it's getting ready for labour? (I know it should still be 20 weeks away LOL!). I just so want to go into labour spontaenously, I'm hoping noticing BHs now is a good thing.

If I'm getting alot of them when I'm busy, does that mean I should rest? Or is okay to go on and ignore them?

As long as the contractions are irregular, that is to say you may get a contraction lasting a couple of minutes, the next one only lasts about 1 minute then no contractions for 1 hour then you may get 3 in a row. Then there is no need to worry. You van continue with your normal activities. Some of these contractions can be quite painful.

Sez I had them heaps with my last PG and they would increase in intensity if I overdid it. I don't think it is a bad thing but they surely are uncomfortable, expecailly toward the end. Use it as a good excuse to put your feet up ;)

Thanks so much everyone! I think that sounds like a good idea Sammi ;)

I'm so excited about this, it's just another thing that makes it all seem so real!

I'm getting them all the time as well!

I never had them very much with Louis but I can definitely feel them a lot more this time around! I hope it's a good sign as well as I was induced with Louis as my contractions never became regular.....

I dont thin i have them much - i somtimes when i lye down my tummy feels harder but i didnt know it was that - is it normal not to havethem all the time... im nearly 19 weeks

Meegm - I rarely got them when I was p/g with Louis!

i got them continously throughout my last pregnancy - again always worse when i was tired/busy or anxious - normally monday mornings in traffic on my way to work for a horrible woman - amazing how your body tells you things.

I went into spontaneous labour at 37 weeks - a tad too early for my liking.

I'd say try and take it easy if they start to get too uncomfortable.

Good Luck :)

Cool ..... it varies so much dosnt it ....(each pregnancy)

i get similar things as well, i asked my ob, but he said just ligaments stretching etc. i thought it could of been bh, but, also thought it was to early for me, was only about 15weeks when i saw him.
I think i posted a thread, and the general feedback was ligaments stretching, and confirmed by Alan, which i now take as gosspel! :)
Is the feeling between ligaments streching etc heaps different from bh?

Hmm not sure - I think the bh are your whole belly whereas ligaments stretching may only be in certain areas???? Don't know though...

For me, the ligs stretching and BHs are quite different.

The ligament stretching is actually painful and more localised, whereas BHs don't hurt, they're more uncomfy IYKWIM, and the whole of my lower tummy is affected. And my tummy goes hard with the BHs which doesn't happening with the stretching.

Hope that makes sense!

A good description sezjm