Contractions - what do they feel like?

[Lyndag]

So I had my show on Saturday and my waters broke this morning at 5:20am but no contractions....

I have had a bad back since yesterday about 6pm and my tummy tightens but I don't feel any pain or even mild discomfort in fact unless I touch my tummy I'm not aware it is tight iykwim? I'm still feeling plenty of movement with the baby but not sure if the back ache and tummy tightening are contractions if I'm not really feeling them? When walking around I get like a slight cramp feeling but thats it

Can anyone confirm if the backache and tummy tightening are contractions? I've felt no braxton hicks only noticed that my tummy goes tight sometimes.....but again I don't feel it - its only when I touch it I realise.....

Book yourself an event on Saturday that you really want to go to - you are bound to give birth then!

At my checkup today they gave me induction date of tomorrow at 6pm I have to go in tomorrow morning at 8:30am to be checked again I just hoping things getting moving before then!

Thank god the bb eviction is cancelled I would have been annoyed to have missed that

Right. Where would be the worst possible place for you waters to break? Go there and jump up and down.

Most babies come at night - an evolutionary thing probably about feeling safe in the cave. Can you make it really dark and quiet and just relax? I spent about a week in the bath with the lights off before DD came - it didn't work for me but I was VERY clean!

My waters broke 5:20am on Wednesday morning... twinges since 6pmish on Tuesday.....still no further forward......contractions are coming and going....open to suggestions....we did a long 2hr walk yesterday and the curry.....

Do you feel mentally ready though? If your contractions in the next five minutes, started to come fast and furious, would you be ready to cope with them? Sounds like your body is trying but something is stopping it - not blaming you - but is fear an issue?

stair climbing?

Fear is defo an issue for me as I am petrified..... I had to stay in hospital on Sat as I had quite a lot of red blood in my show so was kept in for monitoring on Sat didn't expect that - found it really stressful....

I have been okay with the contractions I have got as in I want them to get a move on so I can get on with it iykwim? I have tried to relax reading my book etc.. taking my mind off it and not really thinking about it but the contractions still aren't consistant!

oh, really good advice, WMMC......have a bath,light some candles, talk to your baby, talk to your body, let go of any fears, or talk them through with yourself,,if you don;t feel ready for induciton tomorrow, then don;t be induced. agree to more monitoring, buy yourself some time, and get in a place you are ready

Honestly, it's really not that bad. I went through 14 hours of induced labour with no pain relief except for two paracetamols and entenox. Entenox is fab btw, I flew round the room and was totally off my face!

The reason women can laugh about it afterwards is that it's hard work but it's not for very long. Honestly, if you could just recognise that this is something you are going to have to do (and the reward is worth it believe me) and just take some deep breaths and remember that there is a little person in there who is desperate to meet his or her mummy, you'll be fine.

It is SO much better if you can do it without induction as you obviously know. Have you tried orgasm (on your own or with a partner)? Seriously, the oxytocin can help. You have twelve times as many ocytocin receptors in your uterus right now as normal so orgasms can have a BIG effect (and feel nice too!)

I don't know if you go in for visualisations but most people suggest imagining your cervix opening like a flower. I couldn't do this because I kept yelling 'it feels like there is a fucking bee in there already' (sorry I've spoiled that idea for you now).

I personally found visualising confidently moving through my contractions, staying in control and breathing slowly really helped me. I did sudoku for the first ten hours!

There are millions of women who do this every year and lots of them say it's an enjoyable experience - are they freaks? Well maybe a bit but honestly, as well as being painful, hard work and tiring, birth is the most wonderful thing you will ever do. You will be so proud of yourself and your gorgeous baby in a few days!

X posted with Lulu because that was a bloody long missive, but yes, do what she said too!

i didn;t know that about the oxytocin receptors!

i love the cervix opening like a flower visualistion, one of my favourites..but you can find one that works for you!

giving birth is so wonderful, empowering, and positive...but your rarely hear that as people love to tell horror stories....this is what your body was made for ,there is nothing in the world to compare to the feeling of pushing a baby out, IMO, and that should be your focus....imagine the birth you want, and imagine it as strongly and realistically as you can !

Its weird I know the baby has to come one way or the other I just wish it would start properly so we could get a move on, I have been calm about the contractions (Defo compared to how I was on Sat)....

With each contraction I have been working through it I haven't taken any paracetamol since this morning they were worse this morning...but not unbearable iykwim?

I was reluctant to take a bath as I was told after waters had broken not a good idea!?!?!

I do just want to meet the bubba now and so does hubby!

The visualisation thing didn't work for me in ante-natal or before when I have tried during yoga years ago I'm just not that sort of person I will try another bath and see how we get on....

just one thing - don't go too much on the "they must be longer than 45 seconds malarky" they tell you about...........when I had DS3 2 weeks ago even when I was WELL into established labour (ie less than 1hr before he arrived) some of mine were still only 30 seconds long! (oh and it they weren't regular for a long time either - even though I'd been examined and was already 3cm!).

Lulumama - it's on the LLL site about breastfeeding and pregnancy, in fact I think you might even have sent me to that page last week when I was asking about when you can test for pregnancy when you are bfing with no periods.

god, forgot your waters have gone !

ok, forget the bath, lie in the dark, with the candles, and rub your belly, and talk to the baby that way....

crikey, i think maybe i cannot fit any more information in my head then !!!!

By the same token, my contractions were every minute for nine hours for 45 seconds and I still didn't get there (don't worry I have a physiological abnormality - this will not happen to you). What I'm saying is everyone is different. My SiL had about four or five contractions before she started to push. She was a tad shocked because her first labour was 25 hours!

Thanks I will try that .........hubby has been talking to bubba anyway telling her to get a move on....

Rocking can help. Lean against your DH and rock from side to side, singing if it helps. Put the radio on and let rip, it doesn't matter if you feel stupid, this is your last chance to be an idiot before being a responsible parent, let rip, the cheesier the better.

swing your hips, belly dance, up and down thje stairs sideways, sit on the birth ball, nipple stim, raspberry leaf tea., positive thinking...all helps !

i love these threads!

so exciting, waiting for a baby...

Watch something funny on youtube - laughing helps a lot.

Tis making me v broody though

Thanks girls have been on the birthing ball as well.... will try another long walk and come back and start swaying/dancing get the bubba on her way!