When will braxton hicks turn into real contractions and how will I know?

[abbierhodes]

Grrr. I really feel like the only way I'm going to know I'm in labour is when I see a baby appear next to me on the sofa. It's my 3rd baby too, so I should be clued up on all this.

But with the first, my waters broke suddenly, and with my second I was induced early due to a medical issue, so not had to look for signs before.

I'm having a few braxton hicks in a row, a few times a day. they're getting pretty painful at times but then they go away. They're low down though, near my pelvis...something is telling me that that's how you know they're BH, real ones affect the whole bump don't they?

I'm 38 weeks tomorrow, so no right to complain yet... but DSs were both early, so I'm hoping there's not long left.

Any words of wisdom would be great if anyone's still up!

Nooo, don't let me fall out of active convos, talk to me!!!!

I need someone to say, "oh yes, I'm pretty sure you'll have your baby tomorrow, and it sounds like it'll be quick and easy too!"

When I had BH I couldn't feel anything and was told I was having them by a midwife who was monitoring me for high BP. My first actual contraction was a slight twinge in my lower back like period pain, then eventually it moved to the front after probably about 4 hours. Then my entire bump after another couple. My whole labour was quite fast apparently. Less than 12 hours from my very first twinge. And I went from 4cm to pushing in an hour! Felt like my bump was in a vice and I couldn't stand up straight, walk, talk or breathe. My contractions came pretty quick and thick and fast whereas BH are supposed to be irregular apparently. From my experience, you'll know the difference. Aren't your subsequent births supposed to be quicker? So you never know! It may be tomorrow! Good luck!

Thanks adamsmam! I keep thinking I'll just know too, but I still get excited when I get a few twinges in a row!

I think you're right,it's the irregularity that's the key thing. They are pretty painful at times though. And I do keep having period type pains...but I can't keep reading into it, it's been going on for days!

I had painful bh for about 2 weeks before actually seeing a baby! At first they were a bit irregular and would go away if I had a bath, lay down etc. and they became more regular and the period pain/dragging feeling became stronger and I felt like there was nothing I could do to stop them. It was when I decided that I didn't actually want to go to the pub for dinner(on the friday night - DD born early hours of Sat morning) as it seemed to hard to get organised to get there that I realised that I may be in real labour. I don't think I was ever aware of my whole bump hardening. It ended up never getting much worse and just more intense.

option a - 'oh yes, I'm pretty sure you'll have your baby tomorrow, and it sounds like it'll be quick and easy too'

OR

option b - I had bh for months beforehand. real contractions started 11 days before dd arrived - i could tell the difference cos real contractions literally knocked me off my feet - i had to hold onto things to keep from falling over.

hope you get option a.

Thanks for the replies ladies. Why does labour have to be so vague? Why can't we all just have the exact same symptoms and know what's coming?

I went to bed but got up again 'cos I can't sleep. I have a tummy ache...trapped wind style pain, nothing exciting.

The contractions do go away if I lie down! It makes me want to go for a nice long walk...but I know deep down that if they were real there'd be no stopping them. Wish I could sleep...I have to be up with the kids in a couple of hours.

You need to try to rest and stop worrying. Especially as you have two others!

Once they do kick in you're going to need all the energy you can get! I remember asking a friend, 'How will I know?' She just said, 'You'll know!' And I did.

Try not to stress over it, stay as active as possible (I swam 40 lengths the day I went into labour) but above all relax. Otherwise your blood pressure will go up and you'll be whisked off for monitoring and then your other two will be without their mum for longer.

Just wait and see, and enjoy the last few weeks of feeling, and being, pregnant. x

In theory, all these contractions you are having are helping things along and will make your eventual "real" labour shorter and easier. So just relax, let the contractions happen, be patient!
Have a look at this?

Thanks for the replies...still no baby! Still have the BH coming and going, and have some pretty strong backache at times too.

I'm not so much stressed as restless...I really want this to happen soon...I'm a bit of a control freak and I hate not knowing what's going to happen!!

This is such a great link smilehomebirth - think I have been having warm-up labour for past 4-5 nights whilst DP stuck somewhere in Europe trying to get home...

You sound like me... also number 3. I'm also control freak. he's here already but my EDD wasn't until Friday 23rd.

BH from 37 weeks, getting stronger and stronger.

By Thursday (38+6) (last day at work!) BH whenever I stood up / walked anywhere etc, taking at least an hour or two to stop when I sat down.

Same on Friday (exactly 39 weeks). Except after going to bed at 10pm CX still going at 1am. No pattern, different lengths and strengths. Had warm wath which slowed them to 15 seconds each, tried to sleep, and couldn't. Called hospital they said to come in - I resisted as had to call someone to look after DC. Anyway at 3am had a show (and could feel myself around 2cm dilated) so called our nanny, she came at 3.45am and we got to hospital at around 4.20am. They were not sure if it was "it" as all seemed pretty mild - it didn't want VE.

They left us... DH lay on bed whilst I breathed through them, and I put TENS on ... at around 5.30am seemed to be stronger so made DH get off bed and got some gas and air.

At 6.30am asked them to run birthpool but midwife said still no pattern to them some long some short, some strong, some weak, gaps of different lengths inbetween and besides I was still capable of normal conversation inbetween so too early. Also I was coping perhaps too well, just sucking on a bit of G&A and not complaining at all.

And then my waters went and I wanted to push tried to hold off but he just came out v quickly .. no time to fill pool!!!!

So really only around 90 minutes between when I was SURE it was it and he was there! And only maybe 8-10 really strong contractions altogether!!!

That was saturday morning... seem to have recovered v quickly no stitches (tiny 1str degree tear they didn't stitch) and NO BRUISING (how is this possible??)

"NO BRUISING (how is this possible??)"
It must be because you are a WOMAN! and therefore DESIGNED TO STRETCH WITHOUT BRUISING! As long as you are relaxed and letting contractions do what they want to do I suppose?

LOL, about being designed that way! You are right, of course we are.

I was very relaxed... very inspired by Ina May gaskin's books I read last week. But because I was so relaxed and so totally calm didn't get my waterbirth as midwife didn't realise how immiment it all was! Of course now regretting not going for the homebirth!

Only 2 days after giving birth not really sure how he came out - all seems almost normal down there! Bleeding already going pale and quite light.

Congrats on your baby mumnwlondon! Glad it went well for you.

It's nice to hear others going through the same and that I'm not going insane! (Well, only slightly!)

I have a routine appointment at hospital clinic tomorrow...if I tell them I'm having early signs are they likely to do any checks/monitoring? I would really like to know so I can prepare. Obviously I wouldn't usually bother them with all this, but as I'm going there anyway I'm just wondering whether they could shed any light?

I imagine they would do internal plus sweep if you wanted perhaps it would get things going.

BTW I also swam 40 lengths on the day I went into labour - really going for it - front crawl...!!!

But I didn't know until as I said a couple of hours before he was born - but in hindsight the early real contractions were the first that didn't stop when I went to bed.

Hmmmm, thanks for that link smilehomebirth - the lady's experience sounds very like mine over the last few days. I'm 38+2 today and have thought "this is it" a few times over the last few nights. I'm really hoping it'll happen today!

abbierhodes - fingers crossed for a quick easy labour and birth for you!

mumnwlondon - i hope my experience is similar to yours lol! Had a horrid birth last time so I'm terrified this time round.

Z x

ziggyf - don't be scared! i am convinced that i coped so well as i was so so calm and not scared at all.

Quick update...I went in, I had a sweep...during which it was discovered my is transverse

So I've been in hospital since Tuesday. Am home now, awaiting elcs, but panicking.

Have started another thread here if anyone has any reassuring stories they can share.

Oh, and my braxton hicks were nothing! No signs of labour as yet.