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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

third pregnancy, 14 weeks, braxton hicks or worrying cramps?

14 replies

Joseyjo · 22/12/2006 14:38

So, this is my third pg, I am 14.5 weeks and have been experiencing strange tightenings. In my second pg i had really strong bh, but i can't remember when they started. i am pretty sure it wasn't this early. anyone in the same situation or know of it starting this early? alternatively is it cramping? I had a missed mc over the summer and am a bit paranoid.
thanks

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Quootiepie · 22/12/2006 15:13

tightenings this early? Id ring MW hun, i don't know what it could be xXx not just stretching feelings?

lulumama · 22/12/2006 15:27

i had BH very early with 2nd pregnancy..some women have them very strong and very early..some never notice them

if you are concernec, get checked out

any loss of fluid, or blood and regular cramping and tightenings must be checked out

have also read that not drinking enough water and becoming a bit dehydrated can give you BH...IIRC

might also be the stretching too as everything moves to accomodate the baby

Mincepiedermama · 22/12/2006 15:28

I had these4 and was worried as have had two m/cs in the past. But they turned out to be round ligament pains. All perfectly fine and normal.

Good luck.

Original poster

Joseyjo · 22/12/2006 15:56

thanks.
i just managed to speak to my midwife and she was fairly dismissive - i.e. if i am not bleeding then don't worry.
it just really feels like my whole uterus (which is not that big as yet) is contracting. she said that bh don't occur till the 3rd trimester irrelevant of which pg it is. anyway, i will keep watching and monitoring and keeping my fingers crossed.
thanks again!!

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lulumama · 22/12/2006 19:02

nonsense that you don;t have BH before 3rd trimester!!!
have a warm bath, drink lots of water and relax....x

Original poster

Joseyjo · 19/01/2007 12:21

well, just to finish off this story...
i went and had a scan yesterday (now 18 weeks) and the lady who scanned me said that she had seen uterus contractions on a 12 week dating scan. so it IS possible, it is just wierd of me to be able to feel them so early. so there to my community mw!!!!
feel so much better to know that i am slightly strange but still completely normal!

OP posts:

marchbunny · 19/01/2007 12:56

hi joseyjo

just wanted to add my experiences to your thread. I am currently 14 +5 weeks with my third and also experience 'tightenings'/braxton hicks. With my DS who was my first I started getting them at about 19 weeks, and with DD about 15 weeks, and with this one even earlier. I was told with my last two that I have quite an irritable uterus , and it just used to go really hard, especially when I was being examined!

Don't know where your midwife came up with the idea that they only happen in the third trimester. I did a 'google' on this topic a couple of weeks back and read somewhere that the uterus contracts from about 6 weeks, but obviously that is far to early to be felt on the outside. Anyway, enough rambling. Hope you continue to have a good pregnancy.

RedKennedy · 19/01/2007 15:56

Glad you got good news about this - I have exactly the same thing happening, have had since about 18 weeks, im now 23. Feels like my entire uterus is rock hard (like after an orgasm and I can feel the outline of it through my tummy and it lasts for up to a minute or two. I had read the same about BH not starting til later so was fretting. Called m/w and she said the same, if theres no bleeding then it doesnt sound bad, call me if theres bleeding. Thanks Joseyjo x

Original poster

Joseyjo · 19/01/2007 19:11

good to hear that my news has helped someone else!!!
i suppose it is not fair to expect community mws to have all the answers to every question we have. It is just slightly frustrating that they never seem to have satisfactory answers to ANY of my questions!
hey ho, this is the last one, so i won't have to put up with them much longer

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lulumama · 19/01/2007 19:15

glad all is well joseyjo!! xx

bambi06 · 21/01/2007 11:14

dont know if this helps but recent research.. has shown that dehydration can cause early braxton hicks..its something to do with a chemical reactionwhich then releases the hormone oxytocin[responsible for contractions of uterus] which may be reason..so get drinking

lillaura · 21/01/2007 11:34

im having my second pregnancy and from about 15 weeks ive been having braxton hicks at least one a day!!!! mw said nothing to worry about - unless you have 4 within an hour

TrinityRhino · 21/01/2007 11:39

I foind out recently that your uterus is conracting right from conception it's just that you don't feel them for a while

lillaura · 21/01/2007 12:55

spose it all works in the same way as being ble to feel baby move earlier in second pregnancys then shame i havnt grasped wen bladder full easier this time

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