Irritable Uterus support

[readyORnot]

Hi everyone

I don't know if anyone will find or join this thread but having failed to find a support group here in the UK I thought I'd try and see if there are any women with this condition anywhere in the world who are interested in having our own BnB IU support group.

There is a website with lots of stories and information on IU: it's not in your head

Here's the short version of my story so far. If anyone else joins and is interested I might add the long version in a later post!

I've had it since 20 weeks but in this country they don't take it seriously at all. They pretty much don't believe you, and therefore do nothing about it.

For me I normally get 2-3 strong contractions an hour every day, which I can cope with (plus several mild ones which I just ignore), and then once a week or so I get an episode which lasts between 12 and 24 hours where I'm getting 10-15 strong, painful contractions per hour. This week I had my worst episode ever, with 4 days of back to back contractions every 3-5 minutes and my abdomen is so painful from 4 days of constant contractions that I can't even touch my own stomach. I've given up on trying to get medical support and now all I can do is pray the contractions don't trigger labour, as it's still a little early.

Note: I've found that deep relaxation and controlled breathing make the contractions easier to deal with and not as painful. I've never needed painkillers for the contractions themselves.

Everyone is welcome in here, especially women who have this condition, think they have this condition, and have had this condition and now have a healthy baby or a story to tell about what their outcome was.

Good luck to everyone!

 

[TigerGalLE]

I’m here!! I’ve read that website also and found it helpful.

I actually did think it was all in my head when I went to the hospital the first time. The lady looked at me like I was crazy when I told her I was having contractions every 2 minutes. Then she put me on the monitor and sure enough I was!

I’m so frustrated and discouraged. Bed rest is a pain. My house is a mess. I feel like my body is failing me.

I’ve been contracting constantly since Monday. There seems to be no relief in site.

In the hospital they are able to get my contractions to stop with terbutaline. But as soon as I get up and walk to my car they are back. It is like I can’t be upright at all.

 

[mnjhowell]

Hi ladies!! I right here with you. I kept blowing mine off to Braxton hicks until I started bleeding and the contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. For me I was so Leary of going in because I am a nurse and worked in L&D with all these ladies for so long

Thank you so much for the website link!

 

[TigerGalLE]

Hi ladies!! I right here with you. I kept blowing mine off to Braxton hicks until I started bleeding and the contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. For me I was so Leary of going in because I am a nurse and worked in L&D with all these ladies for so long

Thank you so much for the website link!

What was the cause of the bleeding? Did they say? They keep telling me to watch for bleeding but I can’t imagine what would make me bleed? A placental abruption or something?

I to am a nurse. I work in the same hospital but in the ICU. We don’t do any type of L & D... ever......

But just being a patient and on the other side of the fence is hard...

What did they do to stop your contractions?

 

[PegLeg2na]

I had my first episode of IU at about 25 weeks. (However, I know I started having contractions early on in the pregnancy, I just didn't know it at the time.) Luckily it calmed down after a day or so and I didn't have too much more trouble until 34+5, where I was getting contractions 5 minutes apart lasting a minute all day. I was given three shots of tributaline and enough tributaline pills to get me to 36 weeks (pills made me feel TERRIBLE btw!) and now that I'm past 36 weeks I don't even pay much attention to timing the contractions anymore. Some days they aren't so bad and I don't notice them, other times I get very painful ones 3-5 minutes apart that last 45-90 seconds. I'm a little worried I won't be able to tell when "real" labor starts since so far these contractions haven't done much to my cervix. I've woken up a few times in excruciating pain thinking I'm in labor but the contractions calm down once I get up and drink a cup of tea. Sigh. I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) too and I'm wondering if there's a connection, though the IBS symptoms have toned way down during the pregnancy.

Thanks for starting this thread!

 

[Baby321]

Hiya Ladies, I am here. I have had these constant contractions since I was 16 weeks, but I do think they started on and off a week or two earlier. I am also a nurse, so as you know, you are on your feet all the time, a couple of times I noticed that as I approached the end of my shift the contractions would become painful. I had a couple of days off work from which I realised that I was contracting all the time. I have not been able to go back to work. I am always lying down. as soon as I get up I start to contract continuously, every 2-3 minutes, so my husband and mum have been very nice and they have been helping me out with house chores, dropping children off to school etc. I did mention it to midwife but all she said is that I should not be having that many contractions and that usually contractions start later on than 20 weeks and that was that. I rang up an on-call dr he said to present myself at urgentcare and that they would refer me to maternity services. I did go to the urgentcare and the doctor that I saw just laughed it off and said what do you want me to do about it and just checked my urine(which was clear), no cervical examination, nothing at all. So, I came back home. On another occaision, I went to my G.P., he was nice, more helpful than anyone else I saw, he gave me a sick note for a couple of weeks and said that try to make it to 20 weeks, usually you start to get help then. So, for the last couple of weeks, I have just been at home, bedrest, feel helpless, feel like that there is no help to save my baby. I do have my 20 week scan this week (although I will be 19+5 weeks) so I will be asking for some help, I just want some reassurance, I just want my cervix examining, so that I know that no changes have occured. Sorry for the Rant. I can sympathize with all of you.
readyORnot, thankyou for starting the support group x

 

[TigerGalLE]

Good luck with your scan hun. I hope you can get some support soon. It is so frustrating!!

 

[Baby321]

Thankyou Tigergaille x

 

[TigerGalLE]

Good news at last!!!!

Went to the doctor this morning. I had a transvaginal ultrasound to measure my cervix. It was LONG and CLOSED!! Hurray. She measured it during a contraction and it did shrink some, but it still wasn’t at a concerning level.

I’m off bed rest and can return to work. The doctor said I had an “irritable uterus.” Go figure...

She said I may contract everyday until my due date..And then some people with an irritable uterus actually have to be induced! She felt confident that everything would be okay and she really reassured me.

I’m so thankful that my cervix isn’t effaced and it is closed!

Maybe there is hope after all.

I think I’m going to go get a maternity belt to hold up my belly. I think that will help for when I am up on my feet... Oh and she said to eat lots of Kiwi and Bananas.. They help relax the uterine muscles....

 

[Baby321]

Thats great news Tigergaille! I am happy for you. I hope they check how my cervix is when I go for my scan. I have actually given my notice in today at work, feel a bit sad but I don't want to risk losing baby. I hoe we all get through this together x

 

[readyORnot]

Wonderful news TigerGalLE!

I have ultrasounds every 4 weeks anyway for other reasons so they check my cervix each time. At 20 weeks my cervix was short and the consultant initially thought it had started to open but thankfully not and there've been no further changes so far so my fingers are crossed.

Hi everyone, just have a few tips that might help a little:

Some things that I've found to trigger contractions or which I've heard can trigger it:

• heavy activity (i.e doing stuff!)
  
• DEHYDRATION
• full bladder
• light nipple massage/stimulation (not kidding, this is apparently very true!)

and unfortunately for me, driving also seems to trigger contractions in me which is very unfortunate because it hurts a lot when I'm contracting and driving at the same time!


Something which I've found reduces the pain of the contractions is if I close my eyes and do deep breathing during the contraction. Really slow deep breath in, using your diaphragm (i.e. breathing in should push your belly out), then a long slow breath out.

 

[TigerGalLE]

Dehydration, activity, and full bladder almost always stimulate contractions for me. Idk about nipple stimulation.. Haven’t had any kind of stimulation lately. LOL

 

[Baby321]

I have contractions all the time when I am on my feet or even sitting upright, need to sit down at a reclined position but mostly I am always lying down. I have my scan tomorrow so Hope I can get some help then. I hope you ladies are doing ok x

 

[PegLeg2na]

Do any of you get contractions that wake you up at night? It's usually when I have a full bladder. I hate it because I have to wait for them to stop before I can roll over because they hurt so bad Not a nice way to wake up night after night!

 

[Baby321]

Hello pegleg2na, No, i have been lucky that I don't have them at night. I do get them when I have to stand up to go to the toilet. Whilst i am lying down i hardly get any, its when I am upright that I get contractions continuously. Just fed up. Haven't been out for a couple of weeks, resigned from my job yesturday, I had a fantastic job, but I had to for this little one's sake. x

 

[babypeanut25]

Thank you for starting this!

After a trip to hospital a while back , complaining at my last 2 midwives appointments and then a frantic call on Monday I'm booked for a scan on Thursday to check things out. I'm in constant pain and now on medical leave as my job is working with children and I could no longer lift.

Ill write a full story once on my computer and not phone



Me:

So at 15 weeks I was in hospital for strange pains and cramping in belly. They hooked me up and didnt find anything worrisome. Every midwives appointment from then I said that im always crampy and uncomfortable. Finally at 31 week appointment midwife said I have irritable uterus. On monday 30 I had to call midwife as cramps were really bad. She sent me in for an ultrasound on thursday and im now waiting the results.

On top of feeling like im always contracting and cramping I also am dealing with ripped tummy muscles. This pregnancy has been really hard but worth it once I see my son im sure

 

[Baby321]

Welcome babypeanut25

 

[Emerald87]

Hi ladies! I'm so happy to have found this group.
Yesterday at 16+3 it was suggested that I have an irritable uterus. I started getting significant contractions yesterday - they weren't painful, just tightening and pressure. I went into the ED as I had about 3 in a half an hour period. I've only had a few today and they haven't been as intense. I'm watching carefully. However I've had bad back pain since 4am today
It was the weekend so I hadn't been on my feet all day like I usually am - I'm a med student. I hate to think what it'll be like tomorrow when I'm back to hospital and up all day.
I've taken today off to rest and I meet my OBS on Thursday morning. It can't come soon enough; I'm counting down the seconds.
She didn't hook me up to a toco or check my cervix yesterday which really pissed me off. Hopefully my OBS does a proper check and takes me seriously. It's frikkin scary having contractions at only 16 weeks with my first baby!
Trying to keep fluids up as recommended but it's a bit challenging; I already drink heaps so adding more is just making me need to pee lol

 

[TigerGalLE]

Sorry you are having trouble Emerald!

Let us know how it goes at the doctor. My only advice is to drink drink drink. Like 2-3 liters a day. Also I was told to eat bananas and kiwi. They help decrease the contractility of your muscles.

Good luck!

 

[readyORnot]

Hi guys, I hope everyone's doing okay - Emerald how did it go at the doctor? Babypeanuts, do you have an update?

I just thought I'd post a quick update and hopefully someone can benefit from this.

My biggest trigger is stress. Any kind of stress and the contractions start, and the more stressed I am the more frequent they are. Stress is what triggered my marathon 101 hours of extremely painful contractions (3-5 minutes apart) which left my abdomen sore to the touch.

5 weeks ago I started hypnobirthing classes. In these classes we are taught breathing techniques like the one I mentioned earlier, deep relaxation techniques and self-hypnosis.
After my 3rd hypnobirthing class and 3 weeks of practicing the relaxation and breathing techniques I suddenly realised that my contractions were no longer painful. They're just as strong as they were before and I would still describe them as uncomfortable and I'd certainly rather not be having them at all but I cannot tell you how grateful I am that they're no longer causing me unbelievable pain.

Today has been a bad day in that I've had a lot of contractions - maybe about 5 or 6 per hour all day - but I honestly could not be happier that there's no pain.