Is this period-type pain at 36 weeks Braxton Hicks?

[JenniferCanesten]

I have been having period-y pain on and off all week - I don't know if it is.

a) Braxton Hicks
b) Because I started drinking raspberry leaf tea and it's having strong effect on me - highly unlikely I know...am not super-woo or anything really
c) Need a poo but baby sitting on intestines -apologies for tmi.

I thought braxton hicks was supposed to be like a practise contraction, so if it is that, does that mean my contractions will be more like period pains then?

You can feel a contration in your bits, it hurts right down there in the fanjo. Braxton hicks are tightenings, they shouldn't be painful.

Ok....thanks. maybe it's just the baby squashing my organs out of the way then?

I had a similar thing at around 36 weeks, so much so I was convinced I was in pre-labour. It eased off though and I'm now 38 weeks and still pregnant. I think it was the baby moving downwards tbh. I've been having BH as well but they're quite different - bump goes really hard, but as Belle says they don't really hurt at all.

Doesn't help that have been convinced all along, for no real reason, that he'll be early!

I thought my son would be early. I had alot of braxton hicks that I thought were it (days before mumsnet), they were not. I went into premature labour at 35 weeks, complete with fanjo pain, he stayed put and was induced.

I had painful braxton hicks/long drawn out labour for 2 weeks until DD2 arrived at 38+3. I drank lots of water/lay down (ish - as much as you can with 2 yr old) and had baths to ease things. When she finally did come, I only had about 3 hours of work - so obviously something had been happening.

Sometimes Braxton Hicks can hurt - They vary wildly in feeling from woman to woman plus, it can depend where baby is lying/if bladder is full etc...to just how uncomfortable a BH feels.

Have you ruled out a urine infection?

I've been getting period type pain over the last few weeks when I need to use my (goddamn constipated) bowels (TMI!) Am 35 weeks.

It's just a whole bunch of wait-and-see then really - it does seem to vary so much from person to person. Will ask midwife next week just in case is a UTI.

I had painful braxton hicks, started a week before labour. When I went into labour just thought it was braxton hicks until my waters broke! Silly me.