Are these pains Braxton Hicks or early labour?

[AlwaysTheMummy]

Im 38 weeks pregnant. Since last night have been getting niggly aches and pains, they feel like crampy period type pains low down and it's radiating into my thighs, plus sorry bit tmi but getting a bit of pressure in my bum.

I'm just putting them down to being Braxton Hicks, I'm not lucky enough to have this baby early, lol, but I'm not sure, it's quite uncomfortable.

sounds like labour to me tbh but I'm no midwife. I had 32 hours of them 1st time and 16 hours second time so I remember the feeling well

you'll know for sure when it really starts to kick off!

hope you get more opinions soon

Thanks Coby, you'd think I knew all this, this is my second pregnancy, but I never had this with my first so it's all new to me.

I kinda hope it is early labour but at the same time, if it is my mum has to travel 50 miles to look after my son

well I could be wrong, but I'd think it to be early labour. How long was your first labour or was it a diff scenario to this one (don't mean to be nosey - but I am .

for me this started 3 days before i had DDs - times i gave before were full on labour.

excuse typing poorly dd2 on lap

its sounds like early stages of labour to me. Maybe see if you can time the contractions, and when they become regular give your midwife a call to see if she thinks you should go down to be checked over!

Is this your 1st child?

Hmm - Braxton Hicks for me were always only in my tummy - although having said that from 38 weeks they were every other night, every 7 minutes for 2 hours at a time.....lots of false alarms! I would have said that this sounds like labour more than BH. Good luckx

P.S. know what you mean about mums being far away - mine was 90 miles so I had to be darn sure about it!

ooh sounds like this could be it for you! how exciting! good luck, keep us posted while you can x

They do sound like early labour
How fast was your last labour?

With my first I was induced, but it didnt work, got sent home, home for half an hour and my waters broke, 7 hours of labour later fully dilated but baby was stuck so had to have an emergency section.

I just feel really weird with it too iykwim, the crampy feeling is radiating round to my back aswell.

I've just told hubby not to be too far away t'moro (he's a driver) but at the same time it might be a false alarm and could be like this for days.

It's all very exciting xx

With my first I was induced, but it didnt work, got sent home, home for half an hour and my waters broke, 7 hours of labour later fully dilated but baby was stuck so had to have an emergency section.

I just feel really weird with it too iykwim, the crampy feeling is radiating round to my back aswell.

I've just told hubby not to be too far away t'moro (he's a driver) but at the same time it might be a false alarm and could be like this for days.

It's all very exciting xx

I must add that with my previous labour I didn't get contractions, it was like one continuous band of contraction around my bump that didn't ease at all, by the time the contractions started I was space cadet on pain relief.

thought you had disappeared off to have LO

Really does sound like labour pains. Don't blame you for being a bit unsure after your last labour - this one sounds much more like 'the norm' (whatever that is).

I think you should forwarn all those you need to enlist to help at labour time, just to keep them on their toes .

Are you planning on using a TENS machine? If so, you might want to get it out now. My MW told me I should start to use it as soon as the pains started as they are more effective that way. I got fed up with mine (the sticky pads kept falling off) but I really should have kept it on from the beginning as instructed .

I clearly remember havng the pains you describe for the first time on a Wednesday lunchtime, the pain was really bad by Friday lunchtime and DD2 was born Sat 5am.

Good luck - I'm very excited for you, got 23 weeks to wait time I'm full term

Hi, just saw this thread and thought that I should add that with my DS (my first) I was in labour for only 7 hours and thought for 4 of those hours that it was just the baby's head moving down again - doh! (the midwife had told me 5 hours earlier that his head had disengaged!). I just had niggling pains and back ache for the first three hours and then it started to get a bit more obvious to my mum...only became glaringly obvious to me after 4 hours. No real contractions that were spaced out nice enough for me to count, just wham! into full on labour....so much for text book 'signs' Good luck

Thank you to everyone for your replies, I can't sleep, my son woke up at half 4 and I've been awake ever since

Still getting crampy pains but also getting tightenings down low.

It just so happens that I've got a hospital appointment this morning at 11:20am so I will mention it to them, they may well monitor me while I'm there, who knows.

Coby - thanks for your friendly words, they are much appreciated, we done the deed last night to see if that got anything moving only time will tell. I hope you've had a better nights sleep than me.

xx

Word to wise Alwaysthemummy be prepared to stay in hospital after your appointment today. This happened to my cousin and when at hospital appointment they said 6cm dialated so to stay in. Hope you've packed your hospital bag and take a few things for your toddler if going with you to hospital appointment, otherwise try to get someone on standby to look after your son just in case.

Good luck - wish I was you I'm at 38 wks tomorrow (3rd child) and no signs at all

ooh good luck alwaysthemummy! wont be long now [hopeful emoticon]

Good luck alwaysthemummy. Will be thinking of you today.

Alwaysthemummy - hope you are having a good day and that things are progressing as you'd like.

I was up at 5:30 this morning too so I could have kept you comapny if I'd known. Gave up on sleep after DD2 was us up most of the night with her virus and DD1 (not to be outdone by her sister) developed phantom knee pain - not bad enough to stop her repeatedly gate crashing our bedroom though

Hello everyone, thank you all for your kind words.

I'm having very mild contractions but they aren't really doing anything, they done an internal and cervix is closed so they said they were happy for me to come home.

I'm booked in for a c-section on the 20th so if nothing happens before, baby will def be born on that date, I can just imagine having these pains for a week and going into active labour the day before section

I will keep you all updated if anything happens in the meantime xx

Time to start scrubbing, lol! This made me go into full blown labour the next day! But if you want to wait a week put your feet up and have a relaxing week!

I wish meandboys, the whole house needs cleaned before the baby arrives - I don't want to do anything when we get home, plus with it nearly being Christmas, it'll be nice to have a sparkly clean house.

Gonna get my butt off the computer and get my marigolds on. Who knows, it may kickstart things, I don't mind either way.

xx

Hi - any developments?

I'm 39+6 and have been having bh for about 3 weeks. Have had a really heavy feeling in pelvis all week and walking is pretty uncomfortable. Had v mild crampy feelings most of today, also had the urge to go for a number 2 alot today, although hasn't been lke diarrhoea - anyone think this could be it?

Hi Kelbel, it could be things starting off, I read a lot of posts of early signs of labour and these seem to be it.

I hope it starts off for you soon.

No developments this end, I'm still getting strong braxton hicks but they don't necessarily mean anything will happen.

I'm just resigning myself to having to wait til next Thursday 20th before I know for sure that I will meet my daughter, I shouldn't be so impatient as I'm not due til Boxing Day, but I'm having an elective section on 20th.

I'm just keeping myself busy by cleaning the house, making sure my hospital bag is packed and visiting friends.

xx