31 wks - Pls reassure me that this is nothing serious/definately not labour

[pingulingo]

I had a small amount of bleeding this morning, I've been into hospital & baby fine, bleeding stopped (was just a small amount).And since 5am I think I'm getting painful braxton hicks at the bottom of my bump - around my previous cs scar. Every 5 mins - to every 30 mins.

Midwifes all happy to send me home and to come back if any further probs.

My worry is that I'm still getting a discharge that now looks like the beginning of a show - mucus/blood tinged/stringy

I'm hoping that lots of you lovely people have maybe had a similar thing - pls tell me your stories about how painful BH and a possible bit of a show mean nothing. It will help keep me occupied as I've decided to wait a couple of hours before ringing triage back and worrying.

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

I had a show weeks before either of mine came along. And serious BH. Severely overdue with both!

[AnotherCerealNameChanger]

Honestly? Don;t wait - if you are worried, make someone else worried too
trust you instinct.

Might not be what you wanted to hear, but that would be my course of action - hope all is well. Have you had the steroid injections?

[pingulingo]

No not had the steroids as I don't think they thought there was any need. I only live 5 mins from the hospital, and I have been checked out also and seen my own midwife this afternoon.

I'm just worrying that I suppose it could be very early labour, and trying to reassure myself that lots of people have the same symptoms that all turn out to be a false alarm. But if I get any more of a show I will be calling triage back.

[Bryzoan]

I would be calling back in your shoes. Hopefully it's nothing - but if it is early labour your baby will be in a much better place if you have steroid injections in good time. The hospital will be used to pregnant mums being cautious and will not think badly of you if it turns out all is well. Good luck.

[combinearvester]

Did they offer any explanation for the bleeding? Did they do scan / internal exam / heart trace?

I have never had BH (though three pregnancies) but I thought they weren't supposed to be painful.

I think you need to go back in, as Bryzoan said steroids can make a big difference at 31 weeks.

[HiHowAreYou]

I'd go back in and mention the new things happening.
Good luck, hopefully it's nothing to worry about.

[BionicEmu]

If you are having any sort of pains that there is a vague pattern to, then please call back.

I can't really reassure, as I lost my plug at 33 weeks and was having what I thought was braxton-hicks, but turns out they were contractions and I was dilating and in labour.

So call back, steroids can make a big difference if you are actually in the v early stages of pre-term labour. If you go back in then they can check if you're dilating or not, and that will hopefully give some reassurance. Good luck.

[pingulingo]

Have spoken to triage again, pains now gone at least for the mo (had a shower & paraceptamol). Midwife said that the speculum exam earlier can cause a show and to call back if any fresh blood. Which I will do, bit happier now. Although will be ringing again if anything changes.

Thanks for encouraging me to call them back again, as now feeling bit happier and less worried.

[BionicEmu]

Well done, excellent news! Hope everything continues to go well.

[pingulingo]

Just in case anyone finds this thread when searching for the same symptoms I had.... Do go check yourself out at triage just in case as my baby was now been born a couple of days after getting a small amount of unexplained bleeding and days of what I was told were braxton hicks! But baby had her own plan and has arrived at 32 weeks - baby bag wasn't even packed!

[Natalietwins]

Wow I have bin having the same things as you am having twins 36 weeks now had my show and now on and off period cramps had runs and now feet are swelld, midwife said come in if waters brake but no waters am worried myself as I only seem to have period like pains and the baby is pushing hard down below am havings tightnings but no contractions just want to be told what it is, glad your baby is ok hope you are ok to and get plenty of rest x

[Marmiteisyummy]

Congratulations on the arrival of you DD pingulingo!
Must have been a very scary experience for you. I hope your DD is doing well.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery to you both.

[armedtotheteeth]

Congratulations! So what exactly happened in the end? And how is your dd? Hope you're both well x

[pingulingo]

Thank you! We are both well, I'm still in post natal but have a side room so it's actually more restful than being home with a 1-yr old! My time is split between sleeping and being in the NICU with baby who is also doing ok so far.

What happened in the end was I was checked out on Tuesday and told ok to come home. I saw my own midwife Tuesday afternoon who said the same - braxton hicks were more likely to be painful around my previous cs scar which is only a year old too so quite fresh.
But from 5pm - 11pm on Weds evenings I was getting lots of tightenings that were painful and varied from 5 - 20 mins apart. Triage said to come in to put my mind at rest. I was examined and kept in until morning for observations. Just as they were about to say to home my cervix went from long/closed to 3cm dilated - so given steroids, painkillers and drip to stop contractions.

But by early hours Friday decision was made to take baby out whilst not distressed and waters still intact rather than running risk of having to have a more emergency type section - which because of my previous cs history they wanted to avoid.

Reading this back it sounds like they missed something but I really don't feel that they did - my tightenings were a bit all over the place, they weren't getting longer in duration and it was only on Friday morning waiting to go to theatre did they get so strong that painkillers didn't work.

The cause of the early labour has been attributed now to some scar tissue narrowing the neck of the womb so baby couldn't engage / not enough room and so started labour but that's hindsight after having operated.

I'm just getting into the swing of expressing again and I'm trying to etsy positive as baby is 32 weeks today, a good weight, breathing on her own, has a sucking reflex already (altho fed by tube) and I hope we will be taking her home soon. I've now found the mumsnet premature forum which is great and far less scary than Dr Google.

[MrClaypole]

Congratulations!!!!!!

What lovely news and I hope your baby continues to thrive.

[armedtotheteeth]

Gosh that sounds a bit of a rollercoaster! Glad it all turned out well though - thankfully 8 weeks, although earlier than you would have liked, is pretty routine stuff for nicu.

Good luck with the expressing - hard work but so worth it for your little dd.

Congratulations again

[TeaandHobnobs]

Pingu congratulations! Glad all is well.
My DS was born at 31+5 in April, and is doing amazingly well - if you have any questions or just want a bit of handholding, please feel free to PM me

[HiHowAreYou]

Congratulations :)

Hope you all get to go home soon.