Anyone else have an irritable uterus

[duckmum]

Am 34+6 and have had an irritable uterus which started after my premature labour was stopped at Christmas. I get painful tightenings every few days sometimes a few days in a row which just make me feel v tired and washed out. Have had to yo yo back to the hospital a few times as when v strong have been told to get checked out (contractions 5 mins apart and painful)Now keep leaving it later as I will be camping at the hospital soon! Does anyone else get this and get very frustrated by it all.

Am also now afraid I will totally miss signs for labour and assume just irritability and both me and DH are slightly concerned I will end up delivering at home. Am in high risk category anyway and have just been told I will have to deliver at the main labour suite which was pretty much as expected. (was hoping to go for birth center but knew was not really going to happen) Talked to M/W who helpfully said you will know! I have had a labour before but that was after losing my twins so I have blocked out a lot of it and to be honest thats a bit of a blur.

Just having a stress and sure things will be fine!! Just wondered if anyone with similar experiences or worries about this!

hello, yes according to my CMW my uterus is irritable, because my stomach muscles are not supportive enough! think they may all need to go for relationship counselling.

I was getting mild contractions every 10 mins for a spell of a few hours every few nights when I was about 31-35 weeks. It was a bit scary when it happened on Xmas Eve, staying at my PILs house 45 minutes drive from nearest hospital! since I have gone on maternity leave these episodes have stopped so I think that getting more rest/being less stressed helps. I am 40 weeks pg today and no sign of the baby so it doesnt mean you will deliver early.

Hi Duckmum,

I wanted to come and reassure you. I had irritable uterus with 2 out of 3 of my pregnancies. My first and my third pregnancies (both boys!!! my middle child with no irritable uterus was a girl!!!)

Anyway I digress, I had hospital admissions at 33 weeks with both boys, from then on it was contractions all the way til delivery at 39weeks. (My dd with no irritable uterus came earlier than the boys at 38 weeks,) so you can see that irritable uterus does not mean that you will have the baby early.

I found my tens machine my life-saver! Also remember to drink lots of water, dehydration makes the contractions much worse.

I had several re-admissions with the pregnancies, but each time it settled down.

Sorry to hear of your loss. As for the "will I know I am in labour", well that is a difficult one to answer! With my first, I had a show and the contractions started again as usual, but I just "felt" different, it was another 12 hours before my contractions changed and there was absolutely no doubt in my mind it was labour for real. But the baby was back to back with me, and the labour stalled at 5cm, ended up being over 24hours of labour before he finally decided to arrive. So I had a long labour during which time it was no doubt that it was not just the uterine contractions.

My third labour, following irritable uterus was different again, for the first half hour I just thought I had a trapped nerve on one side of my pelvis, not at all like the normal irritable uterus contractions!!!!! It was after the third one I started timing them, after 3 more looked at the times realised they were 4 mins apart lasting a minute and that this was labour! Baby arrived about an hour later at home as I was too far from the hospital! The homebirth was the best of all my births, ambulance crew, midwife and doctor all arrived just before the baby did.

With my ds2 while in hospital at about 34weeks, I was at one point getting contractions 3 mins apart lasting a minute and over, the midwives were preparing me for a premature birth, but it all ground to a halt about 3 hours later!

I found with ds1 that even walking around a supermarket was enough to trigger the contractions, but they would stop after resting for a while. Being my first pregnancy I was worried constantly about the baby coming early. By the time I got to ds2, I used to just put on the tens machine and do whatever I needed to do, but rested plenty too. This helped.

I hope it helps knowing you are not alone in this.

galwaygal - This really helped. I went into premature labour at Christmas and this made me feel pretty edgy and after lots of medication that stopped but this started! I already rest a lot and do find doing anything does trigger it off!!

I think I am just a little frustrated with it and had various ideas for what to do in maternity leave none of which have happened! As long as little one is ok I know thats the main thing. Funnily enough this is a boy!!

Now contracting more strongly, painful with a fair amount of low back pain every 5 mins. Worse than normal so will keep an eye on things!! Oh joy

Probably will end up being induced at 41 + weeks!!

I feel your pain!!! I can remember very vividly what it was like.

Do drink lots of water/fluids..... it did make a difference with me.

Try to enjoy watching tv, reading books and all the things that you will have so little time for once this little boy arrives!

And obviously MN!!!! post here again, especially if you need more hand-holding during this waiting time.