braxton hicks? 29 weeks

[chocoraisin]

I've just woken up from painful tightenings across my bump/crampy lower back pain (mild feeling like I need a poo - sorry if TMI!) I've timed them cos it's coming relatively regularly :( but they are brief. Maybe less than a minute long, and around 15-20 mins apart.

I can feel baby moving fine between times, so I was just wondering, is this normal? Its baby number 2 for me but I never had this with my first. I'm alone so a bit anxious and have no-one to ask! Hurts enough to wake me up, so definitely not painless which I thought BH were meant to be.

(should say I've been timing them for an hour - had 4)

Are you still awake? How are they now?

The advice I've been given is that if you have 4 or more 'tightenings'/contractions in an hour then you should get checked out. Maybe give your midwife a call to be on the safe side?

Thanks, I had regular ones for two hours then fell back to sleep. Tightenings have started again now I'm up so I'm going to get checked out :( bit worried now. I'll let you know how I get on

Good luck op

Good luck choco

back from the unit, they think it probably was Braxton Hicks - but I have to rest and go back in if they come regularly again or get more painful. They are pretty confident nothing will happen in the next fortnight or so at least. Scary stuff!! thanks for the good luck messages x

I've had Braxton Hicks every day since 22 weeks (now 28+3). Did they check your cervix? If so and they said at least another few weeks then I'd definitely trust them, they can tell by the length/feel of the cervix. I've been in for monitoring twice - once when I was having crampy lower bump constant pain from the BH at 23 weeks, and once at 26.5 weeks when they were coming every 3-4 minutes. As long as they don't increase in intervals AND get more painful at the same time no matter what position you change to, etc. then I've been told it's fine.

thanks Fishpond - they did check my cervix, and said they are 99% sure I'm not going to get going in the next fortnight so I can relax a bit! Had no idea BH's could be so ruddy painful though, I hope you're getting some rest too - good luck!