24 weeks and feeling 'period-y'

[PerpetualStudent]

So, latest pregnancy anxiety for me is for the past few evenings (bar last night, when I had vicious indigestion and couldn't detect any other sensation!) I've had a feeling really similar to just before I come on.

Couldn't call it painful, or cramping as such, just a kind of heavy, achy 'full' feeling really low and deep in my abdomen. Written down that sounds absurd because, y'know, there's a baby in there so of course you'd feel heavy and full - but it's a feeling I associate so much with bleeding it's just making me feel really anxious.

So, I know the most likely contenders are round ligament pain and Braxton Hicks. Thing is, I'm pretty sure I've been having round ligament pain and it feels different to this - more 'muscular', often at the sides of my belly, and not as 'internal' as this. This is my first pregnancy, so I've got no idea what Braxton Hicks feel like - could it be them?

Has anyone had similar feelings mid-way through pregnancy? Did they turn out to be anything particular or just another general exciting pregnancy side-effect?

[PerpetualStudent]

whoops - started two identical threads! Asked MSHQ to delete the other one, so any replies here very welcome, thanks!

[Zahrah5]

Im 29 weeks and for past 2-3 weeks was having something similar, feeling like period cramps but not with actual pain, much more like very dull pain so dull that it actually was not even pain, i can not describe it, it was all the was in my lower right abdomen and was accompanied but cold sweat and pain in the lower back.

I found these come mostly right after I took shower, i like hot showers. Last days i decreased water temperature and let the water to fall mostly on my back as opposed to my front and it helped.
Also got them while walking fast.

MW said these are braxton hicks, i dont know how they supposed to feel like, but these are very uncomfortable so if this is painless as they say braxton hiks should be then I can not even imagine the real contractions.

[lendi]

Had this a lot around that time and since occasionally (am 31 weeks with twins now) and I reckon it's stretching pains as often was followed by an explosive increase of size of my belly!! BH feel more like tightness but no painful at all, this was like period ache. Uterus not contracting with it like when you feel it going hard with BH contractions. :)

[PerpetualStudent]

Thanks for your responses. Just to give you an undate - I carried on getting the aches in the evening & today had them in the morning, so went to my maternity unit - they checked me over, all good except I have a little cervixal entrophy - some cells on the outside of the cervix when they should be on the inside, but apparantly totally fine & wouldn't have been connecting to the aches.
So probably just general growing pains, but they did have to get the permission of a 'senior dr' to let me go home & told me tell me to keep an eye on things & come back if they get worse... So feel reassured for now

[CBo79]

I've been having these too! Made me feel anxious as well - definitely felt like my period coming on. But I think it is just the growing pains and cramps, I really don't think it's anything to worry about. Plus I've been a bit constipated of late and I think it could be linked to that - sorry for TMI but when I do come on it's usually hand in hand with constipation or the other extreme. So if you think about it, that the baby is affecting the same muscles and parts of you, then it's probably not surprising.

Hope that helps a bit!

[CBo79]

Oh yes and I'm almost 23 weeks.

[Loiterer]

I'm 21 weeks and have had a bit of this too! Actually my thought was that it must be me starting to notice the womb tightening- like Braxton Hicks. Apparently these start from the very beginning of pregnancy.