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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Irritable Uterus - Long... sorry

24 replies

dejags · 30/07/2004 10:39

A while ago I posted about being really uncomfortable and having sore braxton hicks.

Anyway I asked to be monitored on Monday because baby Dejags hadn't been moving much - naturally he started playing a game of solo football the minute the monitors were attached ...

The midwife did notice from the trace that I have an irritable uterus - 4 BH contractions in 20 minutes which were fairly strong. I have been having episodes lasting up to 3 days where I have non-stop Braxton Hicks which range from uncomfortable to breathtaking - it feels as if the baby is stepping on something in there and I have a knitting needle like pain for a few seconds.

I told the MW this but she didn't seem too concerned... The BH seemed to ease on Wednesday when the baby changed position, but I have noticed that the BH are back today with a vengeance...

Is this normal at 34 weeks?

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Original poster

dejags · 30/07/2004 11:33

anyone?

OP posts:

beansprout · 30/07/2004 12:56

Dejags - I'm really sorry but I simply don't know anything about this one, but just wanted to post to say I hope someone can help you soon! Good luck Am 30w so I'm sure I will be entering BH territory very soon!

Original poster

dejags · 30/07/2004 16:45

my ability to kill threads obviously now extends to killing them before they have started...

OP posts:

JanZ · 30/07/2004 16:54

Dejags - like beansprout, don't really have much to add, but wanted to let you know you weren't being ignored!

All I can remember about BHs was that they were very irrelgualr - some days I could get a lot, some days none at all. None were as painful as yours though - but they could take my breath away.

If the midwife wasn't concerned, I'd be reassured by that. Easier said than done though

sponge · 31/07/2004 07:32

At 34 weeks I was having masses of BHs but they weren't painful, just tight. Sounds like your uterus is making yours more uncomfortable than usual although could be down to position of the baby too.
Have you tried all the favouring your left side, not leaning back in chairs etc to try and make sure bubs stays in a good position?
If your mw isn't worried and your baby's fine then it doesn't seem like it's a problem but a drag for you if it's already painful at this stage.

ggglimpopo · 31/07/2004 08:33

Message withdrawn

Original poster

dejags · 31/07/2004 11:12

thanks Ladies...

well if it bodes well for a quick return to pre-preg shape then I shan't complain again...

OP posts:

Girly · 31/07/2004 11:24

Hi dejags

I had the same problem during my last pregnancy, it started at around 35 weeks and carried on till i had my waters broken at 39 weeks. It was exhausting and fooled my m/w several times. I was walking around 3-4cm dilated in the last couple of weeks. The plus sdie was that when my waters were broken due me me not being able to carry on for any longer, my actual labour was only 4 hours and I recovered really quickly, my belly had completely gone by 3 or 4 days after!

I found that ignoring them and going to bed helped alot, also water/bath seemed to slow them down and relax me.

It is a right pain, I know, my main advice would be to relax as much as posible as overdoing things makes it worse.

I am pregnant with no3 and am dreading it happening again, my m/w is due over soon and I shall ask her whether i should expect it again. I will let you know what she says.

Hope this helps

mieow · 31/07/2004 11:45

I had the same problem with my third child. Started at 30 weeks, and I was admitted three times, the second the day after I came home after being in hospital for a week. Walking upstairs, sex and over doing it was a trigger. I did go into labour at 33 weeks (but that was just me, nothing to do with the irratable womb) but I found those 3 weeks exhausting

dinny · 31/07/2004 20:37

Hi Dejags I started a thread the other`day about painful pressing/squirming etc which you posted on. I called the del suite to ask if normal and they made me go in for monitoring. Turns out I have yet ANOTHER urinary tract infection. Just wanted to check they have ruled this out with you? Am sure they have. I am So pissed off as I'm on antibiotics again- my poor unborn baby is getting so many doses.
How are you feeling today? Dinny x

tassis · 01/08/2004 19:37

Hi dejags, I had an irritable uterus too. It was my first pregnancy and at 32 weeks I woke in the night with painful contractions. Went to hospital and it looked like baby was on the way. Got to 2cm in 8 hours, had tour of neonatal unit and was prepared for prem labour. All settled down and a few days later I was sent home. Back in a couple of days later, when they decided it was an irritable uterus and it continued on and off for the next 7.5 weeks. I kept being paranoid that it was just braxton hicks and I just had a v low pain threshold, but at the end of the day the same intensity of contractions got me to 7cms and I had a quick and straightforward delivery.

A few suggestions - I got a lot of use out of my TENS machine in those 7 weeks, we were told to avoid sex (which we did until the night before he was born!), try to take it easy and drink plenty. Like dinny, I kept having UTIs and was on antibiotics pretty much constantly for the last 7 weeks. Sending lots of love!

kbaby · 01/08/2004 19:40

hi i started having strong bh at 23 weeks. i was monitored in hospital and was having contractions every 5 mins. it turned into nothing and i was sent home. however i carried on getting strong bh for the rest of my pregnancy. i found that over doing it brought them on and if i lied on my back. Certain days I would have them all day. When i was 36 weeks i had to be monitored due to a fall and they also commented on the fact that i appeared to be having contractions every 15 mins. by that time i was used to them and told them that it was normal. i went on to have my baby 4 days late and by the time id got to hospital i was 10cm dilated after only a 4 hr labour. i think all those braxton hicks helped speed everything up and funnily enough the contractions during labour didnt seem to hurt much which i think was because my uterus was used to the contracting.
Hth

kbaby · 01/08/2004 19:43

Sorry forgot to add that I was told I had a irritable uterus which is why I was having strong braxton hicks. It is worrying though as I used to think my labour was starting until I just got used to them and when your labour does start you will know.

sleeplessmum2be · 02/08/2004 08:57

Have just read this thread and am 39 weeks preg with really strong bh/contractions for the last 3-4 weeks and you have now all made me feel more normal and a lot less paranoid that there is something wrong or that im going to go into full labour at any minute. I know have everything crossed for the favourable quickist less painful labour due to all the practice. thanks ladies and only other suggestion to add is to use your breathing to get through them!!!! good luck!!!

Original poster

dejags · 03/08/2004 09:19

Have found that the heat really sets them off too - a cool bath followed by a lie down or 10 minutes on my ball really helps...

I take heart about the fact that labour will be quick and that my tummy will return to semi-normal shape faster.

I did get very fit prior to this pregnancy and my tummy muscles were very tight .... wonder if that has anything to do with it?

OP posts:

gingernut · 03/08/2004 09:26

I think I had this too - lots of very strong and uncomfortable BHs from quite an early stage. They would come every 20 mins or so and really took my breath away (sometimes I thought I was going to pass out). I found relaxing and stopping whatever I was doing was the only way to stop them. I'm pg again now, nearly 24 weeks, and I can already feel it starting again .

I'm afraid I didn't have a quick and easy labour - far from it - but that was probably due to ds's head being big. But I did lose the tummy very quickly afterwards .

tassis · 03/08/2004 17:43

I was told I had great tummy muscles too, so feel smug! And although it took a few months, my post-preg figure is better than my pre-preg one!

highlander · 03/08/2004 19:16

does everyone get BH?

My OB keeps asking me if I'm getting them but no sign yet and I'm 33wks now.

Starting to feel like a freak!

dinny · 03/08/2004 20:19

Highlander, I didn't get any BH with my first preg. Have had some this time round though. My mw said common to get them on 2nd/subsequent pregnancies as muscles are usually less toned than the first time.

I had a very fast first labour despite not having them. Don't feel like a freak - they are quite annoying!

gingernut · 03/08/2004 20:25

I think everyone gets them but not everyone feels them (presumably some people have stronger BHs than others). If you ever notice your bump going really hard all over then you are probably having one.

In fact, even when you're not pg, your uterine muscle contracts regularly as far as I know. It likes to keep in shape!

highlander · 03/08/2004 22:45

god, how embarassing is this.......

Phoned my sister and it turns out I have been having mild BH. Like you say gingernut, my tummy does go hard quite often (especially when I'm exercising), but I thought it was the sprog rearranging himself!

You know that thread on Childbirth - 'why are women teated like idiots', hmm, I probably deserve to be treated like a complete monger....

gingernut · 03/08/2004 23:10

I thought they were foetal movements at first too..it was only after a few weeks when they started getting stronger (this would have been about 28-30 weeks or so) that I realised my tummy was going hard and that they were probably BHs.

Original poster

dejags · 04/08/2004 09:21

Don't worry - first time round I didn't have a clue. When my waters broke I was attached to the monitor - I commented to the midwife that the baby was moving a lot and she said "no dear - those are contractions" ... this time round I spotted them much more easily...

OP posts:

Oatie · 16/07/2007 17:49

Phew! I am so relieved to know that there are lots of others who have experienced this. I have had numerous UTI's and it seems that I'm having another which has set off my uterus to start contracting. For days now, I've had the discomfort of the urinary symptoms, the uterine contractions (which are mostly painless but very uncomfortable and have been happening anywhere from 10 minutes apart to hourly for days and days) and then this has all set off my bowel so I now have diahorea!

I've been in hospital numerous times over the last couple of weeks now, and as I'm only 26 weeks pregnant, they of course have given me certain signs to look for in case it progresses to labour, but in general all I can do is rest, and drink lots of water. I feel really horrid and worn out from all the activity.

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