Am I having contractions?

[MommyDD]

40+4 days
Had a sweep yesterday, lost my mucus plug this morning. Been having bad cramp since early hours. And now about every 10-20 mins getting pain like extreme period pain, making me feel like I need a poo. It lasts about 30 seconds. Dunno if it's just pelvis pain tho. First time pregnant and worried I may just be being a wuss. Waters haven't broke yet. And hurts to move. If I move it triggers more pain. Xx

Definitely sounds like contractions. It may stops and start or last a few days. Try moving, sway, walk or stamp through the pain. Rocking in a birthing ball can help. Warm shower or water bottle can be good too. Do you have a TENS machine?

Dont look out for waters going as sometimes they dont go on their own or only once in established labour..mine have never gone untill im about to have the baby... Give the hospital a call and take their advice which is alot better than any advice you can get from here. Labour feels different for most my 1st started as a stitch like pain soon went into period type pain my 2nd was intense period type pain straight away and then the pains got closer together. Definitely give them a call asap though x

Yes it sounds like I’d but a word of warning - they’re called practise contractions and I had them 2 days before baby came! Download a contraction timer now to track them

There really isn’t any need to call
Them for pains 20 Mins apart- they’ll tell you to take some paracetemol and go for a walk! No hurry. Just use the time to relax and have some food and rest x

Thanks for your replies. A bath helps and bouncing on my yoga ball. I do have a tens machine also is it safe to use? Xxx

Yes a tens machine is fine. The sooner you put it on the better it works. Is it a maternity one with a boost button?

Practice contractions or braxton hicks normally stop when you move so it sounds like the real deal.

This is so exciting! Btw by practise contractions I didn’t mean be braxton hicks- that’s just the language the app used for latent labour. Didn’t realise until now that it was misleading

Also the hospital should’ve told you when they want you to come in- mine is 3 contractions in 10 minutes which is pretty standard and I bet hardly anyone manages to wait until then!

Sounds like contractions to me! My waters have only every gone just before baby is actually born so don't expect them to necessarily go earlier on - it's not like on TV! It's always been a massive buildup of pressure for me and when the waters go a HUUUUUUUGE relief (like a giant spot!) and then pushing starts

Good luck! I think you'll probably have you baby within the next 48 hours (hopefully sooner!)

Ooo i hope so, it's scary but exciting I want her out now as I've had such bad discomfort and pelvis pains with her and feel like I've waited forever. I've got everything ready for when I go in. When my waters break I have to ring them to go in or when I'm getting contractions every 5 minutes I think xxx

Yes every 5 mins is a good one. My waters were Broken in hospital with the first but with the second I hadn’t noticed at all, but they had been leaking for a few days- I thought I was wetting myself so don’t worry too much about them x

Stay strong, you got this!!

Good. Luck x

I keep checking this thread to see if baby is here!

I could have written this myself!! 37+5, lost plug Tuesday night and have all of the above going on! I've had a huge increase in quite thin discharge too since losing my plug, and my underwear feels damp quite often. Are these labour signs? First time mum, clueless 🙃

Anderson it sounds like your waters and leaking ( probably hind waters) sadly it doesn’t necessarily mean action stations but it might well do! I lost my plug on a Thursday and started leaking waters and I had her the following Monday- real labour kicked in on the Sunday.

I got down to contractions every 12 minutes on Tuesday night but at about 5am they stopped and I fell asleep! Lost my plug the next morning but nothing since!
I’m 37+6 today

@Passthecherrycoke should I just carry on as normal or do I need to give my MW a call?

Well, I’ll just say this without judgement but if you tell the midwife I suspect they’ll ask you to come in, test your waters and if they’ve broken, they’ll book you in for an induction tomorrow, which you may not want.

I’m not suggesting you don’t contact a professional, but you know. You could also leave it a bit longer. My labour ramped up at night.

Either way, not long until you meet your baby. So exciting!!

@Passthecherrycoke eep! Would usually be very excited at this point but I've got a poorly dog who won't stop throwing up & has a vets appointment booked this afternoon - it all comes at once doesn't it! Think I'll summon DH home to watch the dog if I decide to call the midwife. Such a confusing time! Thanks for your help!

MommyDD Hope everything is going well.

Andersonx3 midwives will want to assess you if you think your waters have gone there is a risk of infection developing. They take a swab, like a smear test and then do what looks like a pregnancy test and will be able to tell you instantly if it’s your water. They will also pop you on a monitor to check baby’s heart rate and to see if you have any contractions.

It could be that it’s just your plug not your waters. At 37 weeks your plug could easily grow back.

I would be checked out so you know what is happening. If waters have broken and if everything else is OK then they will tell you to go home and wait. It’s up to you if you then decide to go for induction.

Good luck!

Hello, spoken to maternity and midwife my SPD is in full swing as well as contractions which are at 7-10mins apart. Mucus plug deffo gone but still getting mucus coming out of me. Shes taking her time, so painful. Had 3 hours sleep since it all started. So fed up xxx

You’ll get there mommy. This bit is so hard. Tonight could be the night. If not, tomorrow!

This is definitely the worst bit.

Spd has taken over I can barely identify contractions now as just have constant pain. Had hardly any sleep hurts to move and struggle to go to toilet. Baby has moved less. I dont know if this is normal I can barely speak. Partner going to ring hospital. Just so much pain :(