braxton-hicks, when do I worry?

[Sassafrass]

The last week or so I've started having a lot of braxton hicks, some painful, as well as a lot of achiness around the whole bump and my lower back. Today I get braxton hicks as soon as I get up and move about, walk up the stairs or get stressed in anyway. I've also had a couple of quite painful ones, 5 all in all during the day. Should I worry about it, or is it normal? I'm 28 weeks pregnant with dd2 and never had this problem at all with dd1.

[tellyaddict]

Hi!

I think most people don't have them with their first but do with their subsequent pregnancies. I had these from the same time (28 weeks) with my third. Only mine were regular and quite painful and would last for a few hours at a time. To cut a long story short, maybe you should get checked for a urinary tract infection? Turned out I had one but it wasn't detected until I was kept in hospital at 33 weeks with suspected early labour (it wasn't!). It doesn't show up on the dipstick tests, a sample needs to be sent away.

Probably worth a chat with your midwife just to check things out. Oh, and everyone kept telling me that Braxton Hicks are NOT painful and not regular!!

Probably nothing to worry about but I would see a midwife soon just to be ultra safe.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

[charliesmum22]

I agree with tellyaddict, have a chat with your midwife just so she knows what's going on.

I had BH's from around the same stage as you, I was getting up to 40/50 a day some days. Most were painless but had a few that weren't. Was signed off work by the doctor, and as soon as I rested the number I was having reduced. Mine were definately to do with tiredness. The minute I started back at work they increased again.

Hope you're managing to take it easy and get lot of rest?

Btw, my BH's continued until DS was born, one day before his due date...