Braxton Hicks or the real thing?

[Mummy_to_be87]

I have been getting some regular tightenings for the past half an hour, I have been timing them online, they are like tight pressure but Im seeing a regular pattern...BH or the real thing?

They seem to last about 1 minute 15 seconds on average and coming every 3 minutes

 

[Mummy_to_be87]

Anyone any advice? They are still there but no waters breaking or anything...could braxton hicks last this long? Maybe I should go to bed and stop over thinking everything

 

[New_Wife]

This happens to me alot. I get them all day long lasting 45-75 seconds. But I never start timing them unless I can feel them in my pelvis. In my experience, the tightenings fizzle out but anything that causes pelvic pain causes cervical changes.

 

[Jess137]

If you walk around and they still get worse then it's probably the real thing. I had them every 5 minutes last night for an hour and a half but they stopped when I got up and walked around.

 

[Guppy051708]

Here is a technique i learned as a child birth educator to know if it is the real deal or practice:

Do all of the following. If they stop at any point you will know it is practice. If you do all of these steps and you are still getting them, its more than likely the real deal

1.) drink
2.) eat
3.) walk
4.) shower
5.) sleep.

if you still have them after doing all of that consecutively (even if they are not technically "regular") then theres a pretty good chance you'll be meeting your baby in the next few days. Another obvious sign is if you water breaks...but not many woman have that happen.

and a note about "regular contractions" ive given birth twice now, both unmedicated, and my contractions never ever ever got regular. not the way they make them out to be, they would come 2 minutes, 3 min, two min, 14 minutes, 20 minutes, 1 minute etc. so i wouldn't rely soley on timing, but obviously if they are regular that is still a great indication but just pointing out they dont have to be truly regular to mean it's not labor. But you can always use the 5,1,1 rule (or 4, 1,1,) so if they are a minute long, every 4-5 minutes, going on for at least 1 hour, then call your provider....some women dont experience this regularity though but if you do, do the above mentioned things and if its still going you should be on your way to meeting your LO

 

[Mummy_to_be87]

Last night i went a walk with my oh but they seemed to get worse so we came home and had some water milk and pizza, it was hard to eat with the tightenings. i went to bed and slept on and off as the cramps kept wakening me up. they are still coming and going now and are making me feel sick, a bit like period cramps beginning at my side/back going to the top of my bump then down to my lower bump/pelvis. im going to go to my mums so im not alone today. also tmi but i feel like i really need to ''clear out'' my insides :/

 

[Starburst2]

My midwife advised to try a warm bath if doesn't stop the tightenings it is prob the real thing!

 

[Mummy_to_be87]

Im going to try a warm bath now and see if i can shift them if not i might call my midwife so scared!

 

[Rozz1e1]

Aw huni try not to be frightened, ring your mw now for some advice and support sweetie, youre full term now so baba will be ok if born now, ring ure mw and see what she says, its what shes there for after all huni zxxx

 

[77Tulips]

My m/w says two large glasses of water and a bath, if that doesn't stop it let her know something is probably happening.

Don't be scared it's an amazing time, breathe and believe in yourself.

 

[Starburst2]

Thinking of u, everything will be fine

 

[Dollybird]

Sounds like the real deal to me but I've never been in labour so just speaking from info I've read! Good luck I'm sure all will be grand xxx

 

[Guppy051708]

Last night i went a walk with my oh but they seemed to get worse so we came home and had some water milk and pizza, it was hard to eat with the tightenings. i went to bed and slept on and off as the cramps kept wakening me up. they are still coming and going now and are making me feel sick, a bit like period cramps beginning at my side/back going to the top of my bump then down to my lower bump/pelvis. im going to go to my mums so im not alone today. also tmi but i feel like i really need to ''clear out'' my insides :/

oh wow i think it's safe to say your are in early labor hon! would be extremly surprised if you wern't! The fact that they stuck around is one thing. The fact that they actually intensified, you go girl! Sending you lots of quick labor vibes

PS i would eat a nice meal (not too much though!) and try to get some sleep. you might be "excited" but def get your sleep bc you can never know how long (or short) labor will take.

 

[Mummy_to_be87]

I had a bath this morning and it didnt stop the pains, I have ate breakfast and lunch and have been constantly drinking water, I walked to my mums house and had to stop on the way over, the cramps have radiated down into my pelvis like a low dull menstrual cramping type pain that wraps around my lower back and causes shooting pains into my pelvis and my tummy goes hard I am considering ringing the midwife as they have been constant since last night, some are getting stronger and some arent as strong but they are always there, I dont want to get my hopes up just to be disappointed as Im still quite a bit from my due date but then stranger things have happened and I gave birth at 39 weeks with my DD after 1 week of early labour

 

[Guppy051708]

I think calling your MW is a good idea. I really think you are at least in early labor.And you never know you could be starting active too.

No one can know when your LO will actually be born, but dont write it off just because you are 37 weeks. I had DS1 at almost 42 weeks. So when i was in labor with DS1 at 38 weeks, you can imagine my denial...well at least thats how it would have gone had my water not broke very first thing haha Babies develop at different rates, so it's totally possible.

You are doing a great job!

 

[Guppy051708]

oh and with the contractions, some being more intense than others, thats exactly what both of my labors were like. Nothing was textbook about either of my labors. According to the books i should still be pregnant bc i never experienced normal, regular contractions, and some were doing a lot of progress and others were super inefficient.

 

[Mummy_to_be87]

My midwife says to come to L&D and she will get me on the machine to see what is going on, so excited but nervous, I will update as soon as I can

 

[Guppy051708]

Best of luck

 

[xsadiex]

Ooh how exciting! Good luck x

 

[Rozz1e1]

Best of luck huni xxx