Almost constant Braxton Hicks

[caggimedicine]

For the past few days, I have been getting Braxton Hicks every 3-5 minutes. It's a nightmare! I can't stand up when i'm having one - my tummy goes rock hard and feels SO heavy, as if baby is about to fall out!

Anyone else getting / had this at this stage?

 

[ruthj]

How far along are you? I'm 33 weeks and I have the same thing happen to me. I was actually in the hospital last Thursday night for the same reason, cause the docs said I was having contractions and they were trying to stop them. But they haven't gone away

 

[caggimedicine]

I'm 35 weeks - i'll be 36 weeks on Monday.
Maybe I should start properly monitoring them?

 

[ruthj]

yes ma'am! it could be early/slow labor. I don't feel my contractions, even when I was hooked up to the monitor and docs were asking if I felt anything. Since your Braxton Hicks are so close together, have you called your doc?

 

[caggimedicine]

I haven't called anyone.
I've just been making a note on them since my last post. They have all lasted just 1 minute, but have started at the following times:

7.47 pm
7.52 pm
7.54 pm
7.57 pm
8.07 pm
8.13 pm

They do seem to have slowed down a bit again now - the space between them is getting longer. They're pretty inconsistent re timing too.

 

[XJessicaX]

Had this from 20 weeks in my first pregnancy! Thousands of them! I was told it was just an over-active/irritable uterus. At 33 weeks they were so frequent that as I work in the hospital one of the doctors I work with demanded that I go to the maternity foetal unit just to be checked out. So I was hooked up for 30 mins and had the foetal fibronectin test which was negative. The midwife just commented that I was having a bollock load of braxton hicks but that is all they were.

If you are at all concerned then get checked out though!

 

[lily24]

You could have an over active uterus. My MW thinks i do as mine are constant sometimes, now with cramps as baby is OP.

Try drinking more fluids also see if that eases things

 

[caggimedicine]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not anxious about them - they're just annoying lol!

 

[sweetdrea]

Yes and its horrible I've had them no stop since week 34 they keep on going

 

[san fran shan]

I was having them every 7 minutes. My docs said if I had more than 6 in an hour to go to L&D to get checked out. So I did. My cervix is still long and closed and the swab of my cervix came back negative for PTL. That was like a month ago. I still have a ton and asked what I need to look for now that would cause concern because if I went in for more then 6 in an hour I should just move into the hospital. He said if I have them every 3-5 minutes go get checked. I don't worry about mine at this point because I have had my cervix checked. You don't sound concerned, but if it was me, I would at least go and see if I was dilating at all. But like other posters have said, its probably just an irritable uterus. Mine is super irritated...can't really blame it though.

 

[Bay]

Yes me too. I've had BH since mid 2nd tri, but they started coming every 5mins from week 27 onwards. I'm at week 34 now. No uti or bleeding or discharge, with regular BM. So i'm not too concerned at this stage as they are not painful and random, i think it's just my body preparing itself for the big day.

I never noticed any BH with my first until week 36.

 

[Zoesmommy]

I've been in Labor & Delivery 3 different times for Contractions. I never call my doctor until they've been consistently 3-5 minutes apart for an hour, don't stop if I move or change position and I know I'm hydrated. Every time they don't show on the monitor, fetal fibronectin comes back negative and they send me home. Two Weeks ago I was in and they weren't showing, cervix was high and closed andI tested positive for Bacterial Vaginosis. I started a round of oral antibiotics. I had no contractions until Tuesday. They started at 1:30 and I finally went to L&D around 9. They were showing on the monitor, I'm 40% effaced and a centimeter dialated. FFN was negative again, but still have bacterial Vaginosis which can cause pre term labor. I got two shots to stop the contractions and a steroid shot. Now I start vaginal capsules for the BV and am technically considered pre term labor. Moral, trust your instincts! I knew they were contractions and more they are changing my cervix and I needed medication. Listen to your body. My doctor says that without checking me they don't know so he would rather see me 100 times with nothing then miss the 1 real time

 

[Bay]

Zoesmummy - if you don't mind me asking, did you have any symptoms with your BV?

 

[Betheney]

yes you ladies sound like me

The other night i had them every 4-8 minutes for 9 hours!!!! i didn't sleep a single wink. They were definitly braxton hicks though. All the docs said some women are just like that. I too am unconcerned because my daughters pregnancy was exactly the same and i delivered at 39+4 so defs no pre-term labour there. My doctor said as long as they don't start to get painful or more intense and as long as i have no loss with them. Some can really take your breath away and after a few hours my tummy starts to feel tender from the work out and my round ligaments start to ache, but they are still only braxton hicks.

 

[XJessicaX]

If I had listened to the advice of "go in if you have more than 6 BH an hour" I would have literally spent the entire of my pregnancy sat in hospital!
I find dehydration sets them off, a full bladder, sex, walking too fast, getting up too quickly, sitting down too quickly, sneezing, a sudden laugh, if my baby is moving a lot, if I jump startled, if I need a poo, if I go for a poo, when I walk upstairs..........the list is endless lol.

 

[RedRose]

I'm in the same boat- agree with Jessica above, I pretty much have them all day long

My first pregnancy was the same so I'm not too fussed. If they got into a painful pattern or I had any loss of fluid etc I would be worried.

 

[mum2be257]

I'm only 28 weeks and the last couple of days been getting loads, really quite painful! x

 

[Betheney]

If I had listened to the advice of "go in if you have more than 6 BH an hour" I would have literally spent the entire of my pregnancy sat in hospital!
I find dehydration sets them off, a full bladder, sex, walking too fast, getting up too quickly, sitting down too quickly, sneezing, a sudden laugh, if my baby is moving a lot, if I jump startled, if I need a poo, if I go for a poo, when I walk upstairs..........the list is endless lol.

These are all my triggers too.

During those 9 hours I drank so many litres of water to get them to stop and it never worked. But I found eating a nice big meal seems to stop them. As soon as I eat breakfast they seem to taper off.

 

[Terangela]

I am 33 weeks tomorrow and it feels like one big long contraction. I know they are BH as there is no definite start and no definite stop to these. I get them for hours at a time today so far I have had them 3 hours today. Nothing seems to stop them they just stop on their own. They make me have to pee and have heartburn too. So uncomfortable. I just don't know how I can go through 6-7 more weeks of this. My babies tend to come before 40w but after 39w... This is insanely uncomfortable.

 

[AllyTiel]

I only got them increasing that much a few days before and the day I went into labor.