Only 34 weeks and had contractions last night? Anyone experienced false labour?

[MommyD]

Also posted this on the July thread - Had a scare last night . Vomitted at 5pm. An hour later contractions started. Bump went all hard every 7-8 minutes, regular as clockwork for 2-3 hours. I also had a really strange pressure down below with each contraction - vaginal and rectal pressure. Sat tight (literally and rather terrified as I am only 34 weeks). It had all died down by the time I went to bed. Is this false labour? Anyone have any experience of this? This is my third baby and I have not experienced anything like this before. I have loads of BH contractions throughout this pg, but this was different.

[anchovies]

I had a similar thing when about 32 weeks. Was very scared, ended up at hospital being given steroids (other reasons to suspect I may go into early labour though)

Ended up being a failed induction at 42 weeks though so had no reflection on when labour was going start!

[vwvic]

Yes! I had false labour for 3 weeks before dd2 was born. It does sound rather like it to me, but if you're worried pehaps you should call your midwife?

My experience was contractions that happened every three minutes, and lasted for a minute. this continued for anything up to 6 hours at a time, then they would just suddenly stop. The pain was exactly like real contractions as well, none of these BH type of things! I was 35 weeks when they started, and delivered at 38 weeks. My midwife explained it as the uterus "training" itself, and preparing the cervix.

Amusingly, it did result in many false starts of calling out midwives and support teams, etc (I was having a home birth)but when it came to the real thing I didn't believe it and ended up going to a play park with dd1, then making fudge when I was 6 cm dilated!

[foxinsocks]

I had this with my second child. We had been out at a party where they had very few soft drinks other than those with caffeine in (like coke) - so everyone else was drinking alcohol and I had one glass of wine and then a coke. I had been very busy all day and the heating was on (in the place where the party was). Anyway, on the way home and all night I had dreadful, proper contractions.

I spoke to a midwife and she told me that I was probably dehydrated (even though I hadn't told her about my day yet!) and to have a big glass of water and then regularly have a drink of water throughout the night and lo and behold the contractions stopped (she told me to come in if they didn't).

Ds then arrived 3 weeks early (which was about 3 weeks after the incident and I'm sure it contributed to him being a bit early). Maybe you're a bit dehydrated? I would call the midwife just to be sure.

[foxinsocks]

ps was told that when you get dehydrated, the oxytocin level rises in your blood which is what can cause the contractions.

I would definitely go and see the midwife (just in case it's something else like an infection) but up your liquids just in case!