Not enjoying Braxton Hicks - v painful - 36w

[redwellybluewelly]

Cor blimey these are getting more frequent, triggered by me probably not drinking enough, almost certainly overdoing it, definitely tired and they are becoming so I have to breathe through them.

Saw MW yesterday, all well she said that its just me getting ready, irony being I have to have an ELCS at 39weeks. Unless they become regular or my waters break no need to worry delivery suite apparently (goes without saying as long as baby is moving).

So. Other than breathe through them is there anything else I can do? They started at about 27ish weeks as tightening and now feel like period pain and come in batches, admittedly today I spectacularly overdid the nesting thing but mid afternoon it was a good twenty minutes of painful aching over bump and lower back.

Advice welcome :-)

Take it easy FFS!!!

Drink lots, rest etc. you need to go easy.

I've six days left at work (thats bringing Mat leave forward by a week, a toddler hellbent on sending me demented and a house in chaos

And a DH who specialises in competitive tiredness.

But you are right, I do need to rest. I go to bed around 9.30pm, up at 6 with toddler and on days at home have an hours lie down when toddler naps.

Your DH sounds lovely

I remember being pregnant with a toddler. Hard work! You won't get much respite when baby is here so take it easy while you can (relatively speaking).

Op ignore creative - not very sympathetic at all ..

Op if your worries ring you mw to help settle your worries

When my bh get to much Ill have paracetomol or have a nice relaxing bath

I'm just under 33 weeks and have had similar Braxton-Hicks (as painful as when I gave birth!).

I was found to have a bladder infection which can apparently cause spasms, which in turn influence uterine spasms (contractions). It is listed as one of the reasons people go into premature labour!

I was so surprised because I have no symptoms; no burning urine, no frequency, no odour, no discolouration. Nothing!

So I wonder if it might be worth getting your urine dip-sticked.

Had urine checked on Monday with MW as that was something she wanted to rule out. It seems to be lifting and driving which are the major triggers.

I worked at home today after dc1 went to nursery, few BH but not painful, after picking dc1 up I did a bit of shopping (foolishly with basket) then drove a way home, filled up with petrol, did the washing up, watered the garden with dc1 on hip and now BH are going nuts.

So. Ahem. Maybe I need to slow down...

I get the same for about an hour every night. My mw said take paracetamol and try a warm bath. I've been experimenting with my gym ball when it happens and this sometimes helps as does drinking a shed load of water x

I have much more intense contractions last night and was every 3-4 minutes. After a bath and paracetamol it slowed to every 4-5 minutes but certainly didn't subside.

I went into the delivery suite and was seen on the monitor to be contracting every 3-4 minutes, but a speculum examination showed the cervix to be closed. Hence sent home!

They did a urinalysis while I was there an found no evidence of infection, but told me that it's an irritable uterus (ya think?!!!!) and that it's probably worse because of the recent infection which should only last a week and then settle down.

I had just done some heavy food shopping and then mopped the kitchen floor though, so maybe rest will help prevent such regular and uncomfortable contractions.

I'm in a situation at 33 weeks where, the only way to know if I switch to proper labour contractions is;

a) my waters break (bit too late by then though!)
b) the contractions become every 1-2 minutes
c) contractions become so extremely uncomfortable that I am needing much stronger painkillers (not all that reliable either, as I got to 7cm with just paracetamol in my first birth!!!)

I think I'd feel more relaxed about it if I wasn't booked for a Caesarian section and am eager to avoid a sudden birth and all the physical damage that is anticipated it would cause me (the reason I've been granted a CS in the first place)!

Hope your contractions die down for you too as its pretty tiring I be contracting all the time!