Talk to me about contractions?

[stitchwitch85]

Hello all, I’m a first time mum and monumentally confused here!

36+3 atm and baby's head engaged and settled into pelvis last Thursday. I have been having what I assume are practice contractions/Braxton Hicks quite intensely since Friday, but they aren’t quite like what I have read about re. Braxton Hicks.

Firstly they are quite painful. Not agonising, but enough to make me gasp or stop in my tracks. They don’t improve with changing position, they just carry on until they spike and then fade. They seem to start at the top of the bump and end down at my pelvis, where the pain really spikes. They are also very irregular but each one lasts quite a long time - about 20-40 seconds. I’ve been getting a lot of period-type aches too, especially in my back.

On the other hand, they don’t spread from my back round to my front - they just seem to ripple down my belly. Also, a lot of the movement feels like it's my baby, not my muscles - though it may be both! I’ve not had any mucus show, no loss of fluid or anything - and obviously it's been going on for a few days now without getting into a regular rhythm or anything like that.

I don’t think I’m in labour, but everything I’ve read about BH vs real contractions seems to contradict my experiences. It is winding me up something chronic, because obviously I’m desperate to meet my baby and want it to be true labour!

Can anyone give me any hints as to what real contractions feel like, or alternatively whether Braxton Hicks can feel as "real" as these ones do? I’d really appreciate some guidance from those who've experienced this for real!

Thanks so much.

Obviously I'm no expert and every pregnancy and birth experience is different but I've had 4 babies and in my experience of you have to wonder/ask if you're in true labour then you probably aren't, true labour is overwhelming. Also when the time comes don't rely too much on whether your waters have broken for proof of labour beginning, my 3rd was born en caul (in the bag!) and my 4th broke the amniotic sac literally on the way out!

Real contractions get more intense the closer they are together. You'll know when it's time as your contractions will get closer together and sometimes you may lose your mucus plug. Walking up and down took the edge off N.Y. contractions or bouncing on a ball.

My*

If the pain is concentrated in your back then baby coukd be back to back and you may be in labour.

With DD in Sept, despite it being my 2nd pregnancy and labour, I couldn't tell I was having contractions. As in, I was 4cm dilated and I couldn't feel them happening. Midwife had to tell me I was in labour. Wasn't until an hour after that that I started to really feel them.

Any way, phone your midwife, phone your unit, whatever it is, and get seen. SiL was the same, I kept telling her baby was back to back but she didn't listen.

If anything, it may help check that baby is Ok. Good luck!

You will know when they are true contractions. All I can say is I don't even remember breaks between mine as it all went berserk so quickly but you will most certainly know when you're in labour.

Thanks all. I’m definitely not of the belief that I’m in labour, just massively confused by the pain of these presumably false contractions! Everything I’ve read says BH are uncomfortable, but not painful. Is this a universal experience or are the books and websites lying to me?!

I had on off contractions from Thursday 5pm-ish till DD1 was born at 1030pm on Saturday

Painful enough to keep taking paracetamol and need to breathe through, but I could kind of sleep both nights. Went in at 2pm ish after nearly 48 hours as I was getting tired by the pain, but arrived 7cm dilated which was good news, and they then broke my waters by examining me.

Every labour starts different!!

Well, last night my back was cramping so badly (period type pains) that it woke me up, and I have spent a lot of the night either mooching about the house or wriggling around in bed to get comfy! Finally fell asleep again and pain in my lower pelvis woke me up!

It's all definitely more intense than yesterday, so I’m going to potter round today and keep an eye on it. Thanks for all the advice!

I was similar with my baby in that I still don't know if I had any braxton hicks or if they were just normal pregnancy period type pains. My baby came quite quickly out of the blue at 36+6 despite having had a scan at 36+5 where they said he wasn't engaged at all. I'd spent the day building ikea furniture and whilst I'd felt a bit odd, it hadn't put me off walking to the shops, cooking dinner etc .... baby was here a few hours later. None of my contractions were the length they were supposed to be as they were more frequent but not as long as they tell you they need to be before you go on so I found the triage staff to be quite unhelpful when I called them, i assume as I'd only been in what I considered labour for a few hours and it was my first time so they thought I had ages to go. I had to exaggerate the amount of blood in my wee for them to tell me to come in... We got there, waited in a waiting room with just seats as the triage was full (!!) they then examined me, said I was already 7cm dilated , sent me straight to labour rooms and baby was here within 2 hours. The contractions were also around my bikini line whereas I'd expected them to be across my bump or back or somewhere different to where they were. Essentially from my experience of reading everything and questioning whether I had it, you're never going to know even once you've had the baby and as someone else said, all labours are different. How are you feeling now?

I knew my contractions were real because I had to remind myself to breath.

@Cardboard33 thank you, that is such a helpful post! I have done a bit of research and it sounds like I’m in prodromal labour, which explains why the contractions are more painful than BH are supposed to be, but also why they aren’t progressing.

I’ve been trying to be patient today - lots of period ache, quite a few contractions, just need to wait and see I guess. It is still early for baby to arrive, but it does feel ever so like he’s ready to come out any time now!

I didn't think I was in labour with dd, I was having pains, but they were just cramps in my lower back and at the bottom of my bump, and I could comfortably talk through them. I only called the hospital because they seemed to be getting closer together. They said come in, get checked over, since I was overdue anyway. By the time I got to the hospital (25 minute drive) they were coming every 90 seconds and I had to stop walking and take a breath when they hit. So I was starting to think at that point something was definitely happening. But the contractions were still very low down and deeply uncomfortable rather than agonisingly painful. Turned out I was 5cm dilated on arrival and Dd was born less than 2 hours later. The midwife thought that the way she was lying inside me, bum over to one side rather than straight up and down, made my contractions feel very low down rather than my whole bump contracting.

I also never lost my mucus plug and my waters broke just before dd was delivered.

It does sound like something is happening, I would be giving the midwife a quick call just to check in and see what they think. They will most likely say stay home until you're getting 3 in ten minutes, lasting about 60 seconds each, but they'll be aware you're on your way at least. My early labour with my first dc lasted 4 days so it can take a while.

Wow just tried to reply and I have forgotten what they felt like!

I always thought that was a myth that you forget.

I remember it hurting bit not much else really! And that I remember clearly thinking at the time quite far in it wasn't as bad as I'd imagined it to be.

Is it continual? It sounds like a slow/ non-establishing back to back labour to me, although a lot of that would be felt in the back.

@katmarie thank you, your post is full of really good insight and sounds quite familiar. I am definitely not getting any pain that’s regular enough to be established labour yet, but I’m keeping an eye on it and will start timing if I think it's getting that way.

I haven’t called the midwife yet, partly because we will be seeing her tomorrow, and partly because it's all still too vague for any practical help, IMO. I will obviously be observing symptoms overnight and tomorrow, and will ask her questions when I have my appt in the evening!

@Spacebowlisback it is continual back pain, of varying degrees of severity. Last night it was bad enough to wake me up, today I’ve put the tens machine on a couple of times but otherwise it's just been a dull, mid-period sort of ache. I’m getting pains at the front too but they are less frequent. I will chat to the midwife tomorrow and see what she thinks.

Thanks again for all the replies! I’m feeling reassured, especially with the stories that sound similar to my experience.

Well, it all calmed down over the weekend, and then last night I woke with contractions again (at 4am ) which seemed pretty darned real and significantly painful! And then…pfft, nothing. Definitely prodromal labour, from what I’ve read and from what the midwife said when I described it to her.

I am resigning myself to the fact that I won’t be seeing my little boy any time soon! Still a couple of weeks to go till my due date, so I shall just have to possess my soul in patience!

With my second child I had pains for a week but weren't enough to make me say ouch or anything . I went in for a sweep and stretch to be told I was 10 Cm ended up giving birth at the doctors surgery my midwife said I must've been in slow labour for the week..

My third child I was 8 Cm when I got to hospital and that's only because my mum and my sons dad forced me to go 🙈

Iv never had any pain relief though with any of my labours . My first I was 7 cm when I got to labour ward but I defiantly knew I was in labour with her !! All labours are different ..
My waters have never broke either! So don't rely on that..

You don't always have a big show my last two I just had a little bit of blood instead

Good luck x

Just had my third and all my labour started like mild period pains that would come and go. But the intensity would always increase and become more regular. Labour doesn’t have to always start so painful that it’s obvious.

The midwives always tell me not to come in because I sound fine over phone. I always ignore them, go in and find out I’m 5 cms! This time I went in bc waters broke, had my contractions and the midwife almost wanted to send me home as she said my labour hasn’t really started. I told her yes it has!! And that the midwives always want to do this because I’m not screaming!! Two hours later my dd was born!!! 🙄 so glad I insisted to stay. And as usual the midwife was surprised and said I coped so well. Some women are able to cope w the pain or perhaps don’t have as much pain so can’t always know early labour is labour. All of my early labours I was able to go on as normal. This time around I went to a full tea service at the start of my regular contractions (at that point they were ten mins apart and period type pains).

I didn't realise I was having contractions as I was induced thought I was having the pessary pain.
They were all in my back and although uncomfortable wasn't unbearable so I just thought probably just a bit of back ache.
Got checked a few hours later and was 3cm dilated.
Once my waters were broken the contractions were very intense! I had a lot of waters and they definitely masked my contractions.
DS decided to turn back to back whilst I was being induced hence the back pain which I didn't know he had turned himself around.
I did dilated from 3-10 within an hour, so I was quite lucky on that front.

You could be in the 'latent' phase of labour, which can last days! Rest, drink and keep active (in between resting!) Do nice things such as having a bath, being close with your other half etc to increase your oxytocin. Labour does sound imminent OP - all the best

Hello, I just been reading some of your msgs. I was in pain last night for a few hours every 45mins.

I went to bed and slept for a few hours 5am woke up cramping and I lost my mucus plug. It's now 6.15 and 5:45/6 I had like cramping pains enough to take my breath away. I assume I'm in early labour.

When would you call hospital to inform them in a few hours when contractions start more incase they ease off again?

Probably guess this is my first

Any advice welcomed

Well, it took a long time, but…

Congratulations! 🥳 Beautiful baby, and such hair! 🥰 What weight were they? I spy a hospital gown. Did all go well with the labour?

C section in the end. All that prep for labour, and after a few hours I was being prepped for surgery! Still in hospital but hoping to be discharged today, fingers firmly crossed! And he was only a little over 7lb!

Gorgeous baby. Congratulations! Hope you make a speedy recovery.