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When to worry about Braxton Hicks?

ponder

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
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743
I have been up since 2 am having strong regular contractions (2-4 minutes a part) with no pain, just firm tightening of the uterus from the top to the bottom. I am 30 weeks and did not experience this last year with my DD. I had some of these about 2 weeks ago and went in to be checked and everything was fine. My OB said it was probably dehydration. I have been pretty careful since then and had a pretty easy weekend.

My main concern with this is that I had slight preterm labor with DD (delivered at 36 wks 3 days) and I had no pain or any significant sensation until I was 6 cm dialated. Thank god I started leaking or I may have had her at home or in the car.

I plan on calling my OB when they open this morning, but is this normal? Can it be the beginning of labor?
 

fieryred33143

Ideal_Rock
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May 18, 2008
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6,689
Being that you had pre-term labor previously, I would call your OB asap just to be sure that they don't want you to come in. Generally, if you have contractions less than 12 mins apart and you are not full term, it's a good idea to call. In the meantime, I would drink a lot of water to make sure it's not due to dehydration.
 

PinkTower

Brilliant_Rock
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Mar 15, 2009
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1,129
Yes, call and stand your ground. I called, but did not get past the receptionist, who summarily dismissed my symptoms as BH.
They were not. I ended up with a premature baby. If I had been more experienced, things might have gone differently.
 

ponder

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
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743
Thanks for the replies ladies. I went in and he checked me and did a stress test. My contractions had stopped by then and I only had a few this afternoon. I have a very laid back, yet proactive OB. His philosophy is that it only takes 2 minutes to check me so he would rather just have me come in so that we both have piece of mind.

For those who have had Braxton Hicks, when did they occur? How far along were you and when did you notice them? WTH do mine have to occur in the middle of the night and keep me up?
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Oct 30, 2002
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It's good you went in to get checked out. Better safe than sorry. At our hospital after 24 weeks I had to be admitted to L&D anytime ANYTHING was suspected--total PITA and much easier to just go see your OB for 2 min!!

You said there was no pain... I know that's not a total indicator but I *believe* that if they were real contrax you'd feel pain or at least more than a tightening. But with your history...def better safe than sorry!!

I had BH on and off most evenings I think around my 33rd week, can't remember. They always stopped in the night at some point. But basically for 6-7 weeks I kept thinking that it might be it. Not so much!! He came one day late.
 

Sha

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 27, 2007
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2,328
I concur with the others. I had what felt were Braxton Hicks two days before I delivered, at 39 weeks. I was at the beach and started to feel tightening sensations here and there, which I dismissed as just being BH contractions. However, they continued and got stronger overnight. It was actually the start of labour for me. (Had BH on Saturday and delivered on Monday). I had tightenings here and there from the 13th week on too, but nothing too significant or long-lasting.
 

fieryred33143

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
6,689
Ponder, BH can occur even in the 2nd trimester so totally normal! Just monitor them and go in to see the OB when you think something's up. I agree with your OB re: going in since it only takes a few minutes to check. Better safe than sorry!


Mara said:
You said there was no pain... I know that's not a total indicator but I *believe* that if they were real contrax you'd feel pain or at least more than a tightening.

I didn't feel pain or tightening when I had my real contractions :tongue: ;))
 

Hudson_Hawk

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Nov 2, 2006
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10,541
I just posted about something similar this morning in the preggo thread, only I'm 38 weeks along, not 30.

Anyway, last night I had about 12 hours of contractions that I'm assuming were BH. The contractions were not really painful, I felt mildly crampy and the discomfort registered at maybe a 1-2, possibly a 3 at their most unpleasant moment. but the contractions were very consistent and went on and on for hours. When one would start it was an intense building feeling that felt almost like a whoosh of tightening combined with dull menstrual like pain. The wooshing made it feel like my stomach was dropping out from under me (like on a roller coaster). It made me really nauseous. But again, little to no pain. Oh, they also didn't go away after I went to the bathroom, drank water, when I was standing or laying in different positions. So I had DH come up to the bedroom and start really timing them. When we started timing them they were about 5 minutes apart and 1.5 min long and then increased to 3.5 minutes apart staying at 1.5 minutes long at the end of the hour. And they were like clockwork and you could see the tightening with the naked eye. So we called the doc after an hour at this pace. The midwife I spoke with was concerned by the timing and the length of time they'd been going on, but was reassured by my comfort level and lack of pain. So I left it with her that if they increased in pain to the point that I couldn't talk through them I'd go in to the hospital. So I tried to go to sleep. Of course the anxiety of not knowing if they were going to intensify and that whooshing/nauseous feeling kept me up all night so I'm exhausted now, but the contractions seem to have stopped.

I have a doctor's appointment at noon today and I think I'm going to request an internal exam because at this point I want to know if something (ANYTHING) is going on in there....
 

Puppmom

Ideal_Rock
Premium
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Jun 25, 2007
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Ponder, I'm glad your contrax turned out to be nothing. I had BH contrax pretty much daily from 28 weeks on. At first, they happened exclusively at night and they would keep me up. They got uncomfortable at times but I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that I was tired and grumpy! By 32 or 33 weeks, I had BH contrax ALL day EVERY day. I had about 4-6 an hour usually but they were sometimes more frequent. I don't know when I began to progress but, at 35weeks 4days, I was 2-3cm dilated and 70% effaced. I delivered at 38 weeks 4 days but, before even going into labor, I was 4.5cm dilated. I wouldn't worry too much about them unless you notice your baby's movement slow down. Oh... and awesome that you have such a great doc!

At first, my BH contrax scared the crap out of me. Once I knew they were nothing, they just ANNOYED the crap out of me. :naughty:

HH! I can't wait! I hope you've made progress!!!
 

PinkTower

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 15, 2009
Messages
1,129
ponder said:
Thanks for the replies ladies. I went in and he checked me and did a stress test. My contractions had stopped by then and I only had a few this afternoon. I have a very laid back, yet proactive OB. His philosophy is that it only takes 2 minutes to check me so he would rather just have me come in so that we both have piece of mind.

For those who have had Braxton Hicks, when did they occur? How far along were you and when did you notice them? WTH do mine have to occur in the middle of the night and keep me up?

Well, mine were real and I had a baby at 33 weeks. The real ones, which everyone thought were BH, seemed to be worse if I walked. I recall the first time I felt them was walking across a mall parking lot to a Macy's. It was October, and I was due in December. My water broke at 33 weeks, and there is no turning back, bedrest, etc. to be done once that happens.
 

ponder

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
Messages
743
Still hanging in here. I have not had another long lasting episode, but my OB told me to come in if anything doesnt seem right.

Pink, I am sorry you werent taken seriously. I hope everything ended up OK with your LO. My BH seem to occur mainly when resting, I have rarely had one at work or when I am up chasing DD.

HH be careful with that stomach dropping out from under you sensation. I had a similar feeling like a wave of nausea where my stomach kinda dropped, but that was actually my DD crowning. I never felt "pressure" or an urge to push.
 

Hudson_Hawk

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Messages
10,541
Thanks ponder. If you ladies have been in the preggo thread recently you'll see that there was NO physical progress seen at my appointment the day after those BHs, however I did end up having Aidan soon after. Strangely I was totally prepared to hear the doc say I was progressing and could go any day or had progressed enough to go to the hospital for L&D. I was NOT, however, prepared to be told I was being induced asap. Oh well!
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
31,003
Hudson_Hawk said:
Thanks ponder. If you ladies have been in the preggo thread recently you'll see that there was NO physical progress seen at my appointment the day after those BHs, however I did end up having Aidan soon after. Strangely I was totally prepared to hear the doc say I was progressing and could go any day or had progressed enough to go to the hospital for L&D. I was NOT, however, prepared to be told I was being induced asap. Oh well!

LOL isn't it funny how after you feel all this stuff/pain/contractions/sensations/whatever you are like SURELY I am like 6cm *right right right* and then surprise you have no progress or in my case, relatively little. Our bodies are so weird!
 
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