36+3 Braxton Hicks or contractions that have stopped?

[dreamerkr]

Hey guys, I’m currently 36+4 but yesterday at 2:30am I woke up with cramps that felt like the ones you get before your period starts. I noticed that they were regular, about every 10 mins or so. They got a little worse, and felt like period pain, then I managed to fall asleep at 5am and woke up at 7am when they were every 5 mins. I called triage who told me to take paracetamol and a bath, and if they still didn’t get better then to go in after an hour. They weren’t better after an hour so I went in and sure enough, there were regular tightenings showing on the monitor. I stayed on the monitor for an hour, and then they sent me home and told me to go back if the cramps get worse.

When I got home I was so tired as I didn’t get much sleep that night, that I fell asleep for an hour and when I woke up at 2pm the cramps had gone completely. It was so weird.

Is this normal at this stage, and does it sound like Braxton Hicks or early labour? Today, I don’t have regular cramps but I do have a crampy feeling that’s constant and not that strong at all. It feels like my period is going to start soon, but it’s not that bad at all. I had a midwife appointment this morning, baby’s head is pretty low but he’s not engaged yet.

I had this for about ten days / 2 weeks before my first was born (sorry!) - on / off contractions that would ramp up a bit overnight but then ease off again. It was prodormal labour for me. It got progressively more and more and then eventually established. My active labour was pretty quick considering it was my first so I think my body spending all that time preparing was laying the groundwork and not for nothing. It’s mentally tough though wondering every night if tonight’s the night. Hopefully it won’t be as long for you.

Thank you! I really hope it won’t be that long for me even though I’m not even 37 weeks yet but I feel so done haha. Just so exhausted and tired all the time. With my first I had a planned c-section as DS was breech, and I didn’t have any contractions or cramps or even Braxton Hicks that time, which is why I have no idea if it was Braxton Hicks or contractions that I had yesterday.