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Childbirth

whats the difference between braxton hicks and real contractions?

54 replies

misdee · 08/02/2005 11:14

timing wise? and psosition of tighenings?

u'd think after 2 kids i should know, but was induced with dd1 and woke up in full on labour with dd2.

so how will i know when its the real thing?

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bakedpotato · 08/02/2005 11:17

bh are all over bump and mine felt vagueish... actually didnt notice them so much with number 2 as with 1.

contractions lower down like period cramps and i cd feel mine starting and stopping

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piffle · 08/02/2005 11:19

ahhh well here is my take
With even the most regular BH's I was always wondering if it was the start of labour
When labour actually started I was in NO DOUBT
With my 2nd BH's started at 21 weeks! And were a nightmare I had about 3 false alarms
But I do believe that the more you have and the stronger, the easier l first stage labour is - well it was for me
Trust me honey you will know
And gooooooooooooooooooooood luck!!!!!!!!!!!!

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misdee · 08/02/2005 11:19

so what if tightenings are top of bump, and also have period pain in the lower back as well?

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popsycal · 08/02/2005 11:20

Misdee - I have been wondering this too as when I had ds, i slept through the first part as I was induced and it went very quickly.

I have been having LOADS of BH - very uncomfortable ones though couldn't really call them 'painful' - but very very annoying

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popsycal · 08/02/2005 11:20

Misdee - that is what mine are like....
either we are both fine





or are both in labour!
lol

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Flossam · 08/02/2005 11:20

i second piffle!

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misdee · 08/02/2005 11:21

oh god popsycal, not now!!!

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misdee · 08/02/2005 11:22

i'm gonna take some paracetamol and see if it goes away.

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popsycal · 08/02/2005 11:26

LoL!

We will be fine....just getting that baby into the right position to make real labour have less to do IMO

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Pidge · 08/02/2005 11:26

What do I keep telling you about keeping that baby inside ?

The braxton hicks I get are painless.

The contractions I got when labour started with my dd were painful enough that they a) woke me up, b) I had to leap upright and do hip swaying to relieve the pain during each one. That was for 48 hours of what they entertainingly call pre-labour. Then the proper contractions involved me involuntarily screaming at top volume and nearly throttling dp!!!

But I do know people who 'aren't sure' and were in fact in proper labour [jealous emoticon]

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Gobbledigook · 08/02/2005 11:27

I had BH for months with ds3 and in the week running up to his birth was convinced I was in labour almost all the time. When I woke up one night at 2am with contractions I just knew that was labour - I can't really describe why. I think because they were very clearly building up, peaking and dropping off but were also very regular. I just knew and that's the only way I can describe it. DS3 was born 3 hrs later!

Good luck you two!!

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misdee · 08/02/2005 11:28

but i woke up in labour with dd2, got to teh hospital an hr later and was 6cm already.

c'mon pops i'll race you to the finish line.

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sparklymieow · 08/02/2005 11:34

me and misdee are sitting side by side on my two PCs!!

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misdee · 08/02/2005 11:35

hi!!

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Gobbledigook · 08/02/2005 11:36

Misdee - sounds similar to me which is why I was convinced I was in labour for about a week before ds3 arrived!

With ds2 - woke up not sure, went to hospital an hour later and was 8cm, 40mins later ds2 was born

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misdee · 08/02/2005 11:40

how long do real ones last tho? even mieow dont nkow, silly bint!

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popsycal · 08/02/2005 12:17

I don't have a clue either
we are useless.....

I need to try and forget about it as for months I was told that my BP might mean I would be induced around 36-37 weeks....and here I am and the BP is behaving!!

have they gone off misdee?

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misdee · 08/02/2005 12:19

stil hurting, paracetamol taken edge off. but not taken it away.

ho hum. mieow says if my waters break then we will know. but theydidnt break till i was pushing with dd2. hehe.

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bonym · 08/02/2005 12:46

misdee - from what I remember, bh's don't hurt - mind you, when I was in labour with dd I just remember dh picking up the pregnancy book (for the first time!) and reading "if you're not sure you're in labour, you're probably not". Hah! Famous last words . Anyway - you can't be - it's TOO early!!!!! You can't leave us March girls already

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misdee · 08/02/2005 12:48

just spoke to MIL, she says i cant go into labour today as have to make pancakes for dd1 after school.

bonym, i would've hit him with the book.

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Gobbledigook · 08/02/2005 12:48

My BH were quite painful! Some took my breath away!! And I'm not a real wimp as I got through labour quite 'easily' (only a bit of screaming and shouting at the end )

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sparklymieow · 08/02/2005 12:48

I just said to Misdee, that the MW told me that I coukldn't be in labour because I wasn't sure if I was and plus the contactions weren't strong enough to dilate me, and she wouldn't examise me, but when a different MW did, I was 8cm dilated!!

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Gobbledigook · 08/02/2005 12:51

Ditto Sparkly! 'Just come in for a check up, I suppose you could be in very early labour' - 8cm!!!! Yeah, dead early!! Glad I went as he was out 40 mins later after only about 2 mins of agony once waters broke - was perfectly fine before that!

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sparklymieow · 08/02/2005 12:53

i had Dd2 just 15 minutes after DH and mum and SCBU came down, I was very impressed with myself for surviving a labour when I wasn't sure if I was!!

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popsycal · 08/02/2005 12:54

actually ow i think of it....
when i was induced with ds (god nearly typed ds1 then...some psychic premonition!!!) my waters broke when asleep (in hospital being induced) and was getting a mildly sore tummy which progressed in about 10 mins to a very sore tummy. Midwife told me to go back to sleep as i wouldnt be in labour without knowing but i insisted she examine me and i was 5 cms dilated and taken to delivery straight away

i am seeing my midwife in an hour anyway....

anything you want me to ask her misdee>

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