What do Braxton Hicks feel like? Woke up in agony this morning and still getting pains.

[SchrodingersMew]

Hi, posting about another problem. :(

I woke up this morning with agonising cramps, they went away then came back maybe 3 times.

The majorly painful ones have gone but now I am still getting light period like cramps that are coming and going.

Also getting kind of stabbing pains in my groin area.

Is this Braxton Hicks or something else, round ligament pain maybe?

I am 26+1 and am apparently classed as high risk due to hypermobility.

Anyone? :(

I think you should go and checked out just in case it is a UTI or something. I have something called irritable uterus which gives me period-like cramps and painful contractions. If you google it there is a good website which explains it.

Don't want to scare you but the danger is that any painful cramps can be the start of pre-term labour. It's unlikely but definitely worth getting checked out to rule it out.

With my first pregnancy I went to hospital 3 times from 16 weeks with this pain and they refused to scan me until I went in the 4th time and they found I was 3cm dilated at 25 weeks. If they had done an ultrasound earlier they would have seen changes to the cervix (funnelling). I'm now 15 weeks and getting scans every 2 weeks as I've had the same pains since 13 weeks. Thankfully, nothing is happening so far this time.

Round ligament pain tends to be more in the side of your groin. Is this pain directly in the middle at the bottom i.e. where you bladder is? That's where I get the pain.

Thanks for replying and you wont scare me, I've already been told I am at risk of pre-term labour because of the Hypermobility, that's why I have been worrying a bit.

The pain is in my pelvis where I would get period pain, but spreads a bit further up

I'm also having cramps inside my vagina, like in the area my cervix is.

I don't have a Midwife to call so it would have to be maternity assesment.

I'll google that page.

That sounds similar to the pains that I have. If you know that you're already at risk for PTL I would definitely go and get checked out. It isn't a waste of time as even if (hopefully) all is OK then at least you will be able to stop worrying about it.

If it turns out you have irritable uterus then the best advice I can give is to do as little as possible, lie down as much as possible, drink loads, empty your bladder frequently, don't lift anything that you don't have to and avoid any stressful situations. This is what I've been told and it does help.

I normally get the pains on and off for a couple of days, then have a couple of days pain free, then they come back again. Paracetamol does nothing and I actually prefer to be able to feel and be able to "monitor" the pain so I can get checked out if it does get worse.

If your NHS won't scan you I would really really recommend getting a private scan done where they can measure your cervix and check that there is no funnelling and that nothing is happening. If it is, then you would probably be put on strict bed rest straight away and might be given steroids to help the baby's lungs in case it is born early.

Sorry for the essay, but I've not come across anyone else who has the same thing as me so I am giving you all the information that I have!

i've just phoned the Maternity Assesment and they have told me to take paracetamol and drink lots of water and make an appointment with the GP in the morning. I didn't even get the option for them to see me and was told to not bother phoning the out of hours GP as it doesn't seem urgent enough.

I feel like crap. :(

Thank you for all of your advice, it seems possible that it could be that.

All of your advice I have been doing the whole of today anyway and am just about to try the paracetamol (they never, ever work on me though).

just back from assessment unit for same thing. if your worried push to go in. they were keen to check i was not in labour. turns out I'm not but glad i went in. if your not happy call back and tell them you want to be seen tonight. x

Dribble I have a feeling they just wont have it if I phone back, have seen some lovely people in there but the woman that answered the phone tonight sounded like a not so nice MW I seen a while ago. :( She totally patronised me.

Hope you're okay! And glad it wasn't labour!

not good. if your not keen to call back then rest up. I'm fine, sore but ok. if it get's worse then do call them. the old bag midwife might be off shift by then! hope your feel better soon. nothing but worry this pregnancy lark isn't it! x

I seem to have developed some kind of rash on my hands.

It's like the skin on my palms is all mottled as if they have been out in freezing weather...

how you doing today? are things more settled?

Schrodinger I don't know how I can help with your current problem, but can I say that as a fellow hypermobile person I have never, ever, in all 4 pgs been warned that I could go into preterm labour because of it (nor have I). And it's not something I've ever seen in my online research.

My point being is if it is a risk, it's obviously so tiny it's not well known.

I hope you're feeling better soon. I'm sure it'll be something and nothing.

Dribble Thanks, I am feeling a bit better today, last night was hellish. :(

Buttonmoon I have been warned by a few people, but I have really hypermobile hips and also suspected Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

However, finding out you haven't been warned and have been fine makes me feel a little better. :)

Thanks for the replies, didn't wake up in agony today at least!

Ah, ok. So it may be the ED syndrom which causes the PRM rather than the hypermobility?

Well, I hope you continue to wake up not in agony. Good luck with everything!