OK, as the title says, how can you tell?? (feeling a bit dumb here)
I know labour contractions are painful and BH generally are not. But is there anything else, like the location on the pain, or the length of it?
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OK, as the title says, how can you tell?? (feeling a bit dumb here)
I know labour contractions are painful and BH generally are not. But is there anything else, like the location on the pain, or the length of it?
Braxton Hicks (False Labour)
Contractions are irregular don't get closer together.
Contractions don't get stronger.
Contractions tend to be felt mainly in the front of your tummy
Contractions can last from a few seconds to a couple of minutes
Walking has no effect on the contractions.
Cervix doesn't change with contractions.
True Labour
Contractions are regular and start to get closer together.
Contractions do get stronger.
Contractions tend to be felt all over your tummy especially in your groin and your lower back.
Contractions start of lasting for about 20 seconds and slowly lengthen lasting for up to 90 seconds
Walking makes the contractions stronger.
Cervix thins and opens with contractions.
I hope that helps
Cool, ok thanks Alan!
theyve been pretty much the same since like 3:30 am and arent getting any more closer together or anything, though I am feeling them in front of my tummy, low down in my groin, lower back and sometimes my thighs depending on what position I am in at the time. Oh well, i called hospital and they told me to stay at home and call back a few hours later if they are closer together, so i'll see if that happens and if so, then I'll call them again.
When you feel the pain time it. Usually they last about a minute and stop and start up again about 4 - 6 minutes later and repeat... If you're like this for a couple of hours then you can call the hospital. There usual response is "only come in when you feel uncomfortable." Early labour you can walk and pace but do take into consideration your travel time and your ability to cope during transit.
All the best... it's exciting!
Yep, I was going to suggest timing as well.
Good luck and hope this is the real deal for you. Keeps us posted (if you're up to it)
Sorry to hijack thread Karina, but after reading Alan's response I'm a bit confused. What happens if you are getting irregular contractions that are not painful but increase on walking and movement, they are mainly in the tummy but your cervix is starting to efface? Does that make the contractions BH as I've been calling them or is it a pre-labour thing? I know it can't be true labour as it's not painful enough. I'm obviously silly as I thought BH played a role in starting to efface the cervix prior to the onset of labour. So confusing, all this aches and niggles etc, never know what is real and what is false! Karina, I hope yours is true labour and your holding your little bundle of joy soon (can you send some of those vibes my way!!).
That's all I could ever tell the difference between them - as my BH were often regular and lasted quite a while!:
Good luck!
oh its so annoying. I am still here, still have exactly the same contrax as before. No closer together or anything like that. Hospital has said to just take it easy at home, have some food, drink and sleep, but its hard because hubby and I got all excited thinking this could be it, but it seems like it probably isnt it. I think we just got too excited too soon. They are still about 5-7 minutes apart and have been since about 3:30am. When I described the contrax to my midwife she said it sounded like i *might* be in early labour, but cant tell unless they get stronger/longer/more frequent. Just a waiting game now i think.
Rachel, i have no idea on the painless contrax/BH...
I'd love to send you some labour vibes. I jjust dont know if what I have is labour vibes, lol.
All I can say is...its Friday night and the weekend...anything could happen.
I would be getting everything done you needed to do...even if it all stops you'll be organised and occupied!
Karina, you may be in early labour with the "every 5-7 minutes since 3.30am". At this stage as my earlier post, just keep timing them, if it is true labour the time inbetween each contraction will shorten to 3-4 minutes and the length of each contraction is about 45 - 60 seconds. Keep active, do you have a fit ball, they're great for early labour because you can bounce during the contraction. If it's true labour any type of movement will not slow it down, it will remain constant and gradually decrease inbetween each contraction. At this stage you may also feel like being active anyway so... do some nesting stuff! All the best, if it's true labour you'll probably be holding your little bundle of joy this time tomorrow.
Karina
I would say that you are in early labour.
I hope you have got your bags packed
If you can get some sleep then you should. You are going to be working very hard in the next couple of days.
Rachel
Sorry the guide is a little misleading During BH your cervix can and often does get softer and thiner. What it should have said is that with BH your cervix does not open.
Sorry for any confusion but it was very early in the morning
Thanks Alan, it is so confusing at times!
Rachel are you getting contractions??
I am still plodding along, not really any change since this morning except the contrax are a bit longer now, but no closer together. I'm leaking something, which isnt pee. I am hoping it is waters but I dont know. The hospital isnt interested because I'm not having contractions 3-4 minutes apart yet. So I am at home. Have been trying to keep doing stuff to occupy me, and I have had a lot of rest too, but it doesnt feel like anything is really progressing.
so frustrating. Thanks for all your advice and thoughts.
Karina....haven't heard from you today, hoping that those contractions sorted themselves out for you and that you are holding your little one. No contractions for me which is a bugger so thinking that we will be exploring the world of going beyond EDD.
Looks like she was in true labour and now has her little bundle in her arms... woo hoo!!!
Looks like Karina has gone .... I bet that was her waters leaking.
Good on her! Hope all is well.....and she has met her baby now.
Oohh Brooke, how exciting. Something could be happening for you. TBH it doesn't sound like my labours felt, but mine were unusually fast labours so not typical. Perhaps you could ring the hossy to see what they say. At least then you'd know.
I'm dying to find out if it's pink or blue LOL!! Good luck with it all!
Yes it could be early labour
Brooke, how are you going this morning hun ??
That storm was a shocker hey. Teyha slept through it but Noah woke up scared.
B4, If the pain gets intense again, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get your GP or Midwife to give you a quick monitor and check over. How long until you are scheduled for a C/S?
Don't worry about crying wolf - It's possible that your body has been preparing over the past few days / weeks. You may also have a very high pain threshold.
Have you had any loose bowel movements or Bloody discharge?
Have you been checked to see if you are dialated?
Good luck.
I'd ring whereever or whoever you're having your baby at and let them know the details you've described. It could be the baby is pressing down on some ligaments and nerves thus the extra pains down your thighs you're describing. Sounds like your baby is as eager to be in your arms as you are.
Brooke, I get labour pains in my thighs hun. What you are describing sure sounds to me like early labour.
Hope all is going well for you hun.
Brooke, maybe you have a secret desire to have a homebirth ;)
Hun if you need a distraction or anything, feel free to msn me or even give me a call. Trust me, even with my 4th I wasn't sure if I was in labour or not.
B4 - have just caught up on this thread - you sound like what I went through with my first - I had a real lull for a few hours and was told this was "transition" - after it, I got really hot and then my waters broke and it was all on - maybe you are closer than you think!
Thinking of you and hope all is ok - bite the bullet and ring the hossy. don't worry about crying wolf. it wouldn't be the first time for them and they won't even think twice - but better to be safe than as Trish said have an unexpected homebirth!
Take care -
Gigi xx
Hey, I was talking of a surprise Homebirth ;) Brooke, I have a great pool hun ;)
I call Teh, feral cheryl too. LOL.
I will be your on call mum huni. Truely if you need a hand with anything let me know.
B456 you really sound like you're in labour. If anything call all your labour partners!!!
Brooke, your description sounds exactly like what I had yesterday - it was just a bugger that it disappeared for me. I've read that you can get these pains - like labour - on and off for days (?pre-labour), but I honestly have NFI - it took me over 6 hours to realise the pains I had were not just normal belly ache pains - how stupid huh! I hope something is happening for you but should they be lengthening in duration? If they stay overnight you probably should call your OB or hospital, at least it would put your mind at ease if you knew what was going on. Good luck.
B456
Get a good book and go sand sit on the toilet for 30 - 60 mins. See if this helps
Alan, maybe you can help. I've been told that being active can start labour but I'm worried that if I do too much I will be too buggard to labour!! If i get pains again should I put my feet up and rest or should I go for a walk or shower or bath or...what do you recommend? I'm worried my pains disappeared yesterday because I sat down, as up until then they were getting stronger and more frequent (4 minutely) then ....bye bye pains!!!
Hi Rachel
Not being able to see you and what is going on makes it a little difficult for me to suggest things that you could be doing. However being active does help to move things along. You need to have some balance between activity and rest.
If you are reasonably well rested now then the next time you get the pain get up and be active. Walking is good. If after being active for a couple of hours or so and nothing has changed then rest. Try to listen to your body, it will often tell you what to do. For example if when walking you think something like “nothing is happening its time to rest’” and then you decide to give it another 15 minutes. Don’t this was your body telling you to rest.
The reason I suggested B456 sit on the toilet is because of the position. Sitting like this can often speed things up when in labour. You could also try this position, it may help.
Thanks Alan, was worried that it will stop if I stop!
Sometimes it will stop but it will usually start up again. If you need to rest then you need to rest. There is no point in 'doing all the right things' only to find that when the time comes you have no energy left and the OB decides its time to get out the scissors and forceps.
So true...
Brooke, yup, it's still normal for bub to wriggle around with contractions, especially after you have had one. Hope you get to go for a big poo before bub comes, nothing worse than having to go afterwards. Or during like me with Teh ;)
Goodluck hun, I look forward to seeing that announcement really soon. Oh and you can send the labour vibes to my SIL she is due in Saturday and it would be lovely to go now :)
PMSL you dag. Yeah well I didn't want to poo in front of anyone either and I had that and a whole lot more happen, I think I'm more embarassed now then I was at the time though.
Try and get some sleep hun, I would ring OB in the morning for sure, I'm betting eh will want to put you on a monitor and check for contractions. Hoping then for you that nothing happens overnight. I was praying SIL wouldn't go lastnight with the storm. Didn't want to go out in that.
And yup, I'm an awesome Aunty. I can't wait for this little man to be hear. He already jiggles around when he hears my voice. He must love me already :D
Hi B456
Sorry I misunderstood I thought that you wanted to go into labour :doh:
Yes it is common for baby to move when in labour
And I still think that you are in early labour:dance:
Oh one last thing …….. I also prefer you girls to do a poo before rather than during :rolleyes:
Thanks B456, those labour vibes are very much appreciated!!!
Simone xxx
B456 - I have ben having the same. Last night at 10.30pm, the contractions started and were about 3 mins apart. After about 4 hours, they continued getting stronger and stronger, so we headed to the hospital and then they stopped! After an internal, they found I was only 2cms dialated and she could feel the bag of waters. The midwife was lovely and told us to get some sleep, which we did, but the contractions didn't start up again until about 6.30am and they weren't nearly as intense. The Ob wanted a trace, and the baby is perfectly happy in there, so we decided to go home.
Once home, I was able to get another hour or so sleep, but poor DH was too wired to get any sleep at all. The Ob thinks it will probably be within the next 48hours, so now we are just waiting. Have only had mild cramping throughout the day, but nothing else. I had a show last Monday, so I am hopeful that things will happen tonight, but how long can this pre labour stuff go on?????