heres a question for midwives & experienced mums.....

[eightisseventoomany]

What if your belly contracts........CONTINUOUSLY ????!!!

but No pain....by 11pm last night (Monday) Braxton Hicks were coming every 5 mins....then every 2 mins....and just a few hours later (3am!!! to be precise) my abdomen/fundus was constantly hard !!!!
no pain.....just occasional twinges...

(pain scale of 1-10....would be about 2-3)....but its only sweeping of pain across the belly lasting only a few secs....

I couldnt get up & move....I did have to lie still on the couch all night.....but laying there....the pain was as described above !!

This is baby no 5&6 for me....
i know exactly how labour feels....contrations feel etc etc...

However.... on my 4th pg....
I had BH coming every 10 mins (again....no pain)
was told to go hosp......and in car my waters went.....horrific pain kicked in straight away....and son was born within 2 hours....

taking this into account.....when i had BH this time round.....I wanted to be safe (as its twins.....)and phoned hosp when got similar things happen (last week) ...explained to hosp that i was having BH every 10 mins without pain....
I was asked to go in....
and all night long in hospital they came & went....then got irregular....and i knew it had tailed off....
so I went home following day.
2 days later....same thing happened again....so I thougt Id wait a while longer (as fed up going back/forth to hosp!!!)
but started getting slight painful twinges....dull waves back pain....sickness....diahorrea....etc etc....
So....again....I thought....this is the start of it....
got to hosp 10pm ...only for it to die down again by 7am...!!!

Last night......I refused to ring hosp until something HAPPENED ....
However.....now the belly is permanently solid as a rock.....still got back ache....sickness....strange feelings.....crushing chest.....sometimes having to crawl to bathroom when twinges occur....
but nothing my body is doing is actually telling me anything normal!!!
its just a ball of rock now....and has been since 11pm last night !!!

This is the most confusing message.....!!!
I refuse to go hosp...until SOMETHING definite happens.....
have there been cases of the abdomen just staying permanently hard ????
and still nothing happening ????

or are the gods being cruel to me ???

Go to hospital!!!!!

It's twins and babies number 5 and 6.....

Off you go again, Mumsylady. Get yourself checked out at the hospital.

Good luck, hope your twins make an appearance soon. They are causing you some bother aren't they?

Go to the hospital.

Are you sure your waters didn't go? AFAIK (I have 2 dcs and waters never went) if the waters are gone your bump will feel hard as there is no longer a cushion of fluid.

I know.....but I dont want to keep going to hospital...
Im soooo fed up of lying in hosp. beds....and nothing happening...

Its frustrating...!!!

i was adament last night....even as the contractions got closer & closer....I was scared that Id be leaving it too late....but I was so determined not to wake DH & ring family again for nothing....so i waited & waited...
the contractions just got closer & closer....until its just permanently solid as a rock !!!
i can barely walk....Or get on off settee....but as im lying still....there is no "true" pain...

its ridiculous....!!!

I am the guru of labours....and yet im still thrown by this one...

I refuse to ring anyone until something happens....
IE babies head pop out / I'm in agony ...etc etc..

Are your babies moving? If not, definitely get you to hospital. Even if they are, it might be a good idea. How many weeks are you? Is the first twin head down?

Don't wait too long Mumsy. I had a short labour on dd1 (about 4 hours) and was warned not to hang around when anything started on dd2.

But following several hospital stays for high BP and a few false alarms I felt the same as you.

Had a few mild twinges at 11.30pm - thought it might be another false alarm so hung around for a while which led to a very speedy car journey during which I felt I was barely holding dd in and she was born shortly after we reached the hospital less then 2 hours after first mild twinge.

It was scary and stressful.

Best of luck.

Sorry -go to hospital now. It's twins and 4th pregnancy. Take your ipod and a good book, but get there!

Babies are moving around....they are fine.....so no worries there.

1st twin is now cephalic....doc did scan on saturday just gone....when I was last in hosp with my twinges/contractions 10 mins apart!!!)

Really cannot drag myself to hosp again....
I really really am peeved with keep thinking " this is definately it"
I have given in to the feelings twice now...
for a mum of 4....this is crazy...!!

I shall wait until I am in agony...or the waters break or something that is a real sign...

I know that you ladies are thinking whats for the best....and have my best interests at heart....
but this isnt a normal thing....thats why i was wondering if any midwives know of this happening to anyone they know??

I dont want to ring midwives & ask them....because they will say come in again....
I really can not stand keep going in & out....its depressing & such upheaval for DH & my 4 kids & keep getting ppl to babysit...

I just wonder if anyone has a similar experience ?? surely Im not the only abnormal wierdo experiencing this ???

lol at waiting till a baby's head pops out to go to hospital.

I can understand your frustration, it must be maddening sitting around in hospital when nothing is happening and you could be at home with your family.

I think that most posters are going to advise you to get yourself to hospital to get checked out.

Can you not get a midwife to come out and examine you, I know they have midwives who do this if you are booked for a home birth - I'm assuming you are not, but I don't see why they couldn't send a community midwife out to you just to check you over?

I have only had 3 babies but with each one the braxton hicks became more and more constant.

From about 36 weeks onwards in my third pregnancy, I could probably have gone to hospital every night thinking I was in labour. Sometimes my bump would stay hard for absolutely ages, making it really difficult to do anything.

My midwife always said I had an irritable uterus. Every time she tried to examine me it would go rock solid, sometimes she could not feel the position of the baby I have been told that drinking plenty can help the braxton hicks as it can mean you are slightly dehydrated.

After all my wittering, I suppose what I am trying to say is that because this is your fifth pregnancy and it is twins I think all these things are just going to be (doubly)worse. [clutching at straws - trying to help]

On a positive note, I do think once everything kicks off it will be quick. As your body has already done loads of work. I really hope this is soon for you.

I was speaking/asking/posting from a professional standpoint (don't like to say exactly what I do) and if I was on duty at your local maternity unit and heard of your story, I would say please come in, it is no problem to see you, would rather see you 10 times and reassure you than miss something that might be worrying, and if all's well, you'll be back home with your older dc as soon as possible.

Thanks for advice ladies.....

where would I be without you to spill all my woes to????
xxxxx

will take advice of drinking more....could well be dehydration...(to at least cancel out that possible cause)

Thanks marchbunny ...
I could well have got an irritable uterus.....after so many pregnancys...??!!

Maybe the more you have....the worse the uterus gets irritated??

Bit stuffed regarding knowing when to decide to go then...
looks like ill have to wait for the waters to go....then get DH to put his foot down getting to hosp !!!
for what will be hopefully the last time xxx

With my second I prob left it a bit late to go in, was only there 30 mins before I delivered dd - but i could definitely tell I was in labour and not just BH or irritable uterus. And the same again with ds although he took a bit longer to come out!

My waters have never broken until the pushing stage, have always had contractions first and a show.

I suppose everyone is different. I do think if you are at all worried or think things are happening the midwives will always be happy to see you especially as it is a twin pregnancy. Must be difficult though as you have 4 others to sort out first.

What would be great in this business is if someone could come along and say 'right Mrs Mumsylady, at 7.42 am on Wed09 09 09 (good birthday by the way) you will go into labour and exactly 2 hours later your twins will be born!' They would be millionaires

Are you hoping to have a vaginal delivery? Tis very exciting.

I am thinking we will be ringing 999 on the 9th of the 9th '09 !!!

How many other mums are thinking the same ??!! hehehehe

Hoping for natural delivery....had natural with other 4.

1st pg...was typical labour....painful contractions...every 1/2 hour....got closer together...till could take no more !! (at 10 mins apart... )
waters went just before delivery.

2nd pg....almost same as....except could handle pain for longer....dialated quicker...but same pattern of painful contractions...getting longer/stronger & closer.

3rd pg.....almost the same again....got far more practice braxton hicks prior to contractions though...

4th baby....just BH's...and no pain till waters went...

so all normal...typical labours for the first 3 babies.....
all messed up from then on !!! hehehe

Warning to all you ladies out there...having 3rd or more baby...!!!!
labour doesnt always follow the same pattern