fetal fibronectin positive...scared

[Scout]

I started cramping (period like) on sunday afternoon and it continued thru the night and into Monday morning so I went in to see my OB and he checked me and all looked okay...I wasn't dialated at all and baby looked good on ultrasound. He just phoned and told me the fetal fibronectin test he did came back positive and told me that if my contractions last longer than 30 seconds to call him. I don't know what a contraction feels like?? He told me to take it easy until I see him again in a week. I'm scared.

what should I be looking for? Those period like cramps...well, it was more of an achy feeling like b/4 period starts. They didn't hurt or anything, just noticeable. But those would last a long time...like half an hour, the achy feeling would go away for a few minutes and then come back. At first I thought it was a constant achy feeling, but then I realized that it did subside but then come right back. Is that a contraction? I've seen others post about their belly tightening, but I don't think that's happened to me. What does that feel like? Now I'm worried about every little pain. I'm achy right now.

thanks

 

[MomPepperdine]

Tbh I never noticed my tummy getting hard when I had contractions mine were more period like

 

[mandaxx]

Contractions for me are unmistakable. This might sound weird but it's the best way to explain them. Have you ever had a bad bout of diarrhea? The cramps you get with that are very like contractions. It's a tightening pain right from the core of your body and causes you to grab something to squeeze onto and breathe slowly xx

 

[AP]

Positive FFN tests are very inaccurate. Loads of things make them positives, things they still havent even discovered yet. Products and recent sexual intercourse in the last few days are two reasons that can cause positives. Negative FFN's are far more reliable.

I had my first baby at 27 weeks at at first the contractions were mild but they made me grit my teeth (I actually posted that here when it was happening!) and I thought it may be wind pains. They did quickly get stronger and I went off to the hospital and had her, and had I looked up information on giving birth I would have known what they were in the first place.

I used the FFN tests with my 2nd baby, we had 4 positives from 22 weeks and we went overdue.