Braxton Hicks or contractions?

[laurahilder]

Hope someone can help me out as I'm not completely sure what they are.
I've been getting what I've been told is Braxton Hicks for about 3 weeks now; my stomach goes rock solid and I find it hard to breathe a bit when this happens. But in the last few days, they've been happening more frequently, about every 5 minutes or so, and seem to be becoming stronger. They aren't painful, just uncomfortable and last for about 10-20 seconds. Is this still Braxton Hicks or could it be the start of labour as I am due in 8 days?

 

[leahsbabybump]

sounds to me like it could be the start of labour if the tightenings are regular and getting more painfull i would give l&d a ring and see what they say of its been going on for a while x

 

[Jenren]

I've been having these too accompanied by period pains !!

Just a waiting game I think see if they develop x x

 

[laurahilder]

I had the period pains with them, but they fizzled out about a week ago, so I'm not sure. Would be nice if he/shes early; is very uncomfortable at night with the heat lol

 

[Cloe]

Ok, now I am panicing a little bit. I've been experiencing the same kind of tightening in my belly (more further down) accompanied with the fact that is difficult to breath for me when it happends. I always assumed it was just him turning around inside or pushing his back/butt against my belly.

I am only 27 weeks and 3 days along, I was wondering the same thing. Braxton Hicks or contractions??? I hope there will be more answers to this threat.

Cloe

 

[pinkclaire]

Sounds like BH to me! They get more intense as you get closer but ive had them strong for quite a few weeks now and well, I'm overdue!

 

[ready2b81]

Wow, I'm glad I read this post because I am experiencing the same thing and I will be 38w tomorrow. I haven't had any period cramps though. I wonder if this means labor is really close!

 

[alasia]

I had really strong tightenings accompanied by period pains in my lower back and under my bump at 28-30 weeks, I used to get 20-30 a day and they were enough to take my breath away and feel really uncomfortable.

I then got some ones that were coming every 2mins and 57 seconds for 30 minutes, then 3 minutes and 55 seconds (lol) for another hour 2 weeks ago...then they stopped and I haven't really had that many BH since.

I'd just say see and wait to see if they get painful and regular (and stay regular for at least an hour), then it might be labour. Oh and drink plenty of water, as dehydration can set off braxtons and cause them to be worse than usual.

 

[laurahilder]

Glad to know I'm not the only one that been experiencing this!
Thankfully after about 3-4 hours they fizzled out,so I'm guessing it was Braxton Hicks this time.
They certainly are becoming more frequent though. I only used to have about 10 or so a day and mainly in the evenings. Now I get several an hour pretty much all the time. They still aren't painful; I just find them really uncomfortable and struggle to breathe through some of them easily.
I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens...

 

[londonangel]

It sounds like it is probably pre-labour/early labour. Nothing to worry about, but really a waiting game to see what develops. I was a bit embarrassed the other day to discover that I was having tightenings and hadn't even noticed! How did I find out? I was worried that baby was moving like a mad creature and had been doing so for two and a half hours non-stop (not usual for her - she's very active but not normally as ridiculously active for such a long period) and I worried that she was distressed. Got hooked up to the monitor at the hospital and one of the monitors they put on apparently measures 'uterine activity' i.e. tightenings, contractions, etc. The midwife asked whether I'd been getting any tightenings or contractions and I said now and then after about ten minutes she said, looking at the readout, 'well, something's happening as you can see the peaks on here.... I hadn't realised that my uterus going hard was some sort of contraction/tightening/Braxton Hicks type thing. I had thought it was just baby moving into an odd position. Oh the embarrassment.

 

[londonangel]

I meant 'no', rather than 'now' in above post. Typo, sorry!