Cramping and tightening at 26 weeks

[MinisterforCheekyFuckery]

I'm 26+2 and for the past few days have experienced an increase in sporadic 'tightening' feeling in my bump, which I put down to BH and didn't think more about it.
But this morning, along with the tightening I started getting cramping pain, not dissimilar to period pain, in my lower abdomen. It went away after a couple of hours and I went about my day, feeling normal in myself, but I over the past half hour the pains have started again.

I know cramping and aches and pains are not uncommon in pregnancy but I don't remember having this with my first baby and just finding it a bit unsettling. But I don't want to call the hospital and waste their time over nothing either.

Should I wait and see if the pains go away?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Call the Hospital. You won’t be wasting their time at all. If for any reason you are in premature labour there is stuff they can do to help the baby AND stop the labour and the sooner they do it the better. (I have a baby born at this gestation so I know. For what it’s worth he’s fine now but it was tough and go for some time so it is best to be safe).

Certainly go and get checked

It's not a waste of time, it's your baby. Absolutely call in if you're worried.

Just spoke to the hospital. They said to take paracetamol and wait an hour.

If you continue to have pains when you call back, they might get you on for a trace to check baby and contractions. If they are concerned they will check if the contractions are doing anything to your cervix (they may or may not because of how early you are) I went in with issues at 31 weeks and they did a test on me to check my chances of preterm labour all came back fine and I was sent on my way. (just shy of 38 weeks now) so don't worry x

If I was in early labour then wouldn't the pains/contractions become more frequent and intense rather than stopping altogether for hours at a time?

Yes more than likely but I didn't have a pattern to my tightenings and they checked me over (fetal fibronectin test for preterm labour) so it depends on your hospital x

Well I'm still getting the strong tightening sensations but the pain has eased so they've told me to wait and call back if pain gets worse or if I have a show or anything.

I also feel completely exhausted, like I could sleep for days, so I wonder whether I've been overdoing it at work this week (been extremely busy, on my feet a lot) and this is my body's way of telling me I need to start slowing down a bit.

Might you be dehydrated? I was in the garden and had this a bit, went away when I put my feet up and had loads of water.

Yeah maybe, get some rest and relax. Once my little boy is in bed I might get some well needed nap time too zzzzzz...

I had this at about 25 weeks and it turned out to be a bad UTI, any chance it’s that?

I doubt it, Incy as I had a glucose tolerance test on Wednesday, they checked my urine while I was there and all was fine. Haven't needed to wee more often or had any other symptoms.

I'm thinking it's just Braxton Hicks but if it gets worse I will call them again.

Or just turn up at the labour ward.