painful braxton hicks

[Xmasbaby11]

I'm 39+2 weeks and been getting BH contractions for the last 5 days. I get them at night for a few hours and they are mostly in the form of a strong, period-pain type ache, rather than contractions you can actually count. I take paracetamol but they do hurt and keep me awake. My midwife says this is totally normal and good preparation, but what worries me is that no one else I know has found them painful. I'm worried that the real contractions will be absolute agony for me - maybe I have a crap pain threshold?

I didn't get bh last time but try (!) not to worry about labour cramps right now. When the time comes the pain relief options may ease your suffering! I had an epidural and it was a God send.

Good luck!

this is exactly how labour started for me.... BH for days and days, BH getting more and more painful, BH coming and going (I went for coffee on one of those days with some NCT friends and remember asking exactly what you have posted). But then they got more regular and stayed rergular and in the end ds was born quite quickly (3 hrs) after we finally decided to go to the hospital to check what was going on inside (assuming they would send us home). Looking back I think the slow buildup with manageable but definately painful BH was when my body was preparing as your midwife said, and I wonder if someone had done an internal whether I was already dilating during those days. Either way, don't worry about labour - it sounds like you have a perfectly normal pain threshold and it is more likely your body is just starting the process of labour off.....

I've had BH from about 20 weeks and completely not painful until about 3 weeks ago. They've become longer and stronger and sometimes too painful to sleep. Don't worry about crap pain threshold. You're well prepared for the pain by coping with these painful BH, from what I've heard painful BH is similar if not the same as early labour pains. Hopefully things will build up for you at a decent pace and you'll cope fine

I had loads o painful BH with DD (pg 3). I had to keep asking the MW forreassurance as everywhere says they are not painful.

I ended up timing them several times as thought they might be the real thing.

When I did go into labour I'm not sure when they changed from BHs to real ctx but the swaying gave it away to DH

And it was a fast labour too

Thanks so much for your replies - great to hear I'm not the only one! I'm trying not to worry as I'm sure I will manage somehow when the time comes, as everyone seems to. Just can't wait to have the baby now! I'm due on Xmas Day so think I've been secretly hoping to be early - guess there's still time!