How painful should BH be? Are these actually contractions?

[Gemy]

Hello mnetters, I am feeling a bit stressed.
Am due 27th Dec and since about 0400 this morning, I have what my midwife believes is a "watery show" and have been experiencing (what feels like) contractions off and onn through the day. Currently, they have been
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2013 and
2022. They last about 20 seconds.

I have just had one and can sit at the laptop ok, but I really am unsure if these are just BH or whether my body is getting ready for the real thing.

My parents are at my house now, shall I ask them to stay just incase (to look after DD1)?

I've heard that being dehydrated can make BH seem worse - has anyone else heard this? I have not drunk all that much today and am sat here with a massive glass or squash in the hope this helps!

If you were me, how often would your contractions have to be and how long would they have to last before you considered going into hospital?

F&CK!!

My early labour pains felt like period pains and were distinctly different from the uncomfortable pain of BHs.

Not an expert but I think your in early labour I'd ask them to stay - you could suddenly go from 10 min to 3 min and you don't want to be caught out - I had a friend who laboured slowly then had a mad half hour an ended up giving birth with her jeans round her ankles on her couch
Good luck hope all goes well - keep rocking those hips

Sounds like early labour.

Eat, drink, pee!

You need the contractions to be lasting 45+ secs and coming a few mins apart. For now... just be busy. Rest where you can and if you can cope (and they'll leave you let you do your thing) then you might want to ask them to stay.

My BH were never painfull but my labour was - there was no mistaking for me!

They sound pretty regular; could well be contractions.

Good luck!

use this to time the contractions and if they last over 30 seconds, then it could be labour. good luck

Give your midwife a call!

Do they feel like other BH's? I definitely knew when they were real contractions as opposed to BH's.

Also mine never lasted 45secs until the very end and they never became regular. Infact nothing was text book - totally confused the hell out of me

Do they hurt? If you can hold a conversation during a contraction it means you probably aren't in established labour, but you may be in early labour.

Rest, eat and sleep, and unless your parents live miles away I would probably send them home warning them that you might be in early labour. They won't mind having to come back tomorrow, or the early hours - you're having their grandchild!!!

No advice but how exciting.

Where is Lulu/Camilla? She is the one to ask.

My early labour was an uncomfortable back ache.

Hmm, could be getting ready for the real thing as you are full term aren't you. I would keep an eye on them and see if they get stronger and less time apart. The midwives usually say to keep at home as long as you can and as long as you feel comfortable at home. I would perhaps ring the delivery unit / midwife to see what they suggest. When I was in labour with dd I had a long latent phase, so everytime I went to hospital they kept sending me home as I wasn't in established labour. Good luck

don't time the contractions. Then you'll focus in on them. At the moment you need to keep busy and distracted. You'll know that they are real when you can't be distracted any more.

If you phone the mw she'll say... that's nice dear, have a bath and take a paracetamol.

Trust me. Be sure to eat, drink something and pee at least every 2 hours. This stage could go on for a while or it could progress quickly.

Distraction is the key. Watch a comedy. That will loosen and open you up.

If the pain is period type cramping usually teamed with a dull backache they are contractions.
BHs are usually just tightening of the belly so it looks and feels tight as a drum and is uncomfortable but not a pain in the womb iyswim?
With both mine, BHs were never part of the labour, proper contractions started from the offset. I had BHs in the weeks leading up to.
If getting up and moving about eases them off, they are probo BHs.
Is is your first baby? If not, they should stay as they could be contractions as they are sort of regular.

Go here and see what results you get inside 30 mins or so.

If you are 'Owww'ing they are contractions.

Everyone is different though a woman I know reckons she felt all her pains in her legs Mine were all in my back but he was an op baby. Also I laboured for 12 hrs and got to 4cm dilated but my friend arrived at hospital for an appt as she was overdue and when examined she was already 4cm dilated and didn't feel a contraction till later that evening. I really hope this is it for you and all goes well. I can't believe your labouring on MN And I need to tell you off as your keeping me from cleaning my bathroom

I had what I thought were BH on and off through the week before I had my baby - sometimes as regularly as every 10 mins and sometimes strong enough to wake me up at night. When the MW examined me I was already 5cm dilated. So I would not say you always can tell the difference between BH and labour - I was pretty sure I wasn't in labour but obviously my cervix had been dliating gradually. Even up until 7cm dilated it just felt like strong tightenings. (Then MW broke my waters and it all went mental!)

Some women are silent labourers and don't make noise when labouring.

Just keep busy. Will keep checking in (and refreshing)

Im due on Boxing Day and get lots of BHs that are very tight and sometimes painful but can only describe them as sharper then the pains of early labour.

Relax, you wont miss it when labour establishes! Get on with what ever you would be doing and your body will be sure to alert you when its ready to sit up and take notice

I'm [fency] can't wait to labour!

Have a wonderful birth xxxx

I've never got that silent labouring lark - I'm embarrassing although in early labour my reaction according to dh is to sceal like a cat and do a funny dance - I also cry - I am pathetic
Next time dh is insisting I have an epidural as he cant go through that again

I've had 7 clients in a row who were silent labourers.

I was never a silent labourer. Sigh.......

Oh, and forgot to mention that contractions (in established labour) build up, peak, then come down again.

I haven't had BH, but I don't think they do that?

Marsy don't you think it's a bit strange to have that much control I've known 2 people that have never made a sound - must admit I thought they might have the potential to become serial killers or something

Ok everyone thanks for the advise. I am using the contraction master thingy and it confirms my contractions are coming every 10 mins, but not lasting the same amount of time. E.G 1 is 38 seconds, next is 24 seconds.

I am definatly getting the rise, peak and fall so I am thinking these aren't BH.

Am trying to take my mind off it and am watching Top Gear. Not sure if this is doing any good, but there you go.

My parents only live 20 mins away but they know it may well be a case of calling them to come back. That and if they did stay, there is no where for them to actually 'stay' (plus my brother is up from London for christmas so who knows where we'd put him!)

Will update soon (just had a 59 second-long one and it HURT!)

Oh how exciting, it sounds like things are hotting up.

Like I said before, eat, sleep and pee!

Good luck xx