Irritable Uterus support

[alison13]

Emerald, I didn't see your ticker either! Oops. So you're only a few weeks ahead of me. Well, I'll be seeing you around here for a bit!

 

[readyORnot]

Readyornot, just actually looked at your signature line thing...congratulations!!

LOL thank you!

No problem! Actually my contractions got a lot more frequent towards the end (my last couple of weeks) to be honest. Because of that I was unable to determine quite when I went into labour and only really figured it out less than 2 hours before the baby was born. And even then it wasn't until I started pushing that I realised how far along my labour was.

 

[alison13]

Readyornot, just actually looked at your signature line thing...congratulations!!

LOL thank you!

No problem! Actually my contractions got a lot more frequent towards the end (my last couple of weeks) to be honest. Because of that I was unable to determine quite when I went into labour and only really figured it out less than 2 hours before the baby was born. And even then it wasn't until I started pushing that I realised how far along my labour was.

wow Readyornot, I just read your birth story-that's crazy! How did you like your homebirth??!! I guess i'm counting on my water breaking again to know when to go to the hospital. Probably shouldn't bank on it though! How is your little one doing now?

alison

 

[Emerald87]

Emerald, have you tried the liquid Floradix Magnesium? Someone on another site said it worked really well and I just ordered mine. How far along are you, boy or girl? Why aren't they doing cervical checks for you? I have my next ultrasound this Friday, so hoping it is good news!

Tiger, that is so awesome you've made it so far!! Let us know how the delivery goes. I've heard labor tends to be shorter for us with IU. My first was only 3 1/2 hours from the time they gave me pitocin to his arrival!! Crazy!

Readyornot, I'm in the US, and my docs have all been great so far
You must be getting close to your due date, right? How has your IU been now? It seems like things settle down after 36weeks for those that get there...I wonder if that's because it isn't stressful anymore-I mean the baby could come anytime and be ok at that point.

Baby321, I cannot believe you have no more IU??!! That's wonderful!! What pelvic floor exercises did you do? Are you referring to kegels or something else? I'm glad you're in the safe zone. I have a calendar where I cross off each day with a fat red marker! Lol. I can't wait to hit 29/30 weeks!!


Soooo glad I found this thread! Prayers for all our babes!
Alison

Hi Alison!

No cervix checked because the last few I had were reasonably fine so they don't bother monitoring unless there's an indicated. Irritable uterus doesn't count as a reason - they figure since the contractions didn't change my cervix earlier, it won't now. I've had them since 16 weeks with no changes so far so they just don't care anymore lol.

Don't get me wrong, with some pushing they did check it initially. I do pay for private scans on occasion to monitor her growth and while I'm there they thoroughly check my cervix. Next scan is 30 weeks.

I'm taking chelated magnesium. Magnesium oxide is contraindicated in pregnancy so I take the chelated. It also is absorbed easier. I upped my dose recently as my contractions were starting to escalate.
I haven't heard of Floradix magnesium - I just googled it and it appears to be a drink? I'll stick to the tablets; I'm already terrible with taking them (which I shouldn't be, I'm a doctor in training and I bitch at others to be medication compliant so I should practice what I preach!!) so a drink would be even worse lol.

 

[Emerald87]

Emerald, I didn't see your ticker either! Oops. So you're only a few weeks ahead of me. Well, I'll be seeing you around here for a bit!

Yep, hopefully I'll be here for ages yet.

 

[alison13]

hi Emerald,

yep, it's a drink, and supposedly easier for your body to absorb (?). I've heard it doesn't taste bad at all, more sweet than anything. I just hope it works! Actually, the last 2 days I've felt pretty good, not too many contractions, but I have no idea why??!! Maybe the last 17p shot they gave me on frday did the trick

is anyone here on bedrest? I have only been put on pelvic rest, but I lay down whenever I can because it feels so much better!!!

Alison

 

[Emerald87]

Did they find cervix changes with you? Why did they prescribe pelvic rest?

I had an awful day yesterday. I was contracting every 3-7 minutes non stop. My abdomen was so tender by the end of it. I haven't had any sleep because of all the BHs was due to a bad combination of stress, too much activity, not enough water, gut upset and my bubs non stop wiggling and kicking.

 

[readyORnot]

Did they find cervix changes with you? Why did they prescribe pelvic rest?

I had an awful day yesterday. I was contracting every 3-7 minutes non stop. My abdomen was so tender by the end of it. I haven't had any sleep because of all the BHs was due to a bad combination of stress, too much activity, not enough water, gut upset and my bubs non stop wiggling and kicking.

poor you

been there, days like that really suck.

 

[Emerald87]

Did they find cervix changes with you? Why did they prescribe pelvic rest?

I had an awful day yesterday. I was contracting every 3-7 minutes non stop. My abdomen was so tender by the end of it. I haven't had any sleep because of all the BHs was due to a bad combination of stress, too much activity, not enough water, gut upset and my bubs non stop wiggling and kicking.

poor you

been there, days like that really suck.

Yeh... sucks is the polite word for it, isn't it? A bit better today; only about 7 contractions so far (overall, not this hour lol).
I called the hospital for some advice and she said I should have been up there last night getting checked *whoops*. If they get back to that stage today I'll head up. I just hope it hasn't induced cervical changes; it was one of the worst days I've had.

I assume now that the in-laws and my family have gone home the relaxation will let things settle again. Might take a few days to get back to baseline though and until then I'll be unsettled

 

[Baby321]

Hiya Alison, yes it is the keagel exercises that I have been doing and they have helped me a great deal. Well I think it is because of them my contractions have stopped.

 

[Sparkly baby]

Is anyone stil one here?

I'm on my 3rd pregnancy and 3rd time I've had irritable uterus. First time I didn't known had it! Baby was born at 30 weeks, they have no idea why. Second baby I had irritable uterus which was monitored from 17 weeks. I managed to get to 36 weeks befor any changes to my cervix happened.

So here I am 18 weeks tomorrow and it all started again about 2 weeks ago. Only today, they seemed to have ramped up a bit. See midwife in 2 weeks so have to hang on. Last time I used homeopathy to help, I think it did. Tus time I have decided to try acupuncture and see how that works. Even if they ease my mind because I'm doing something. I started to send myself crazy today by timing them and begging dh to feel them. Dh is starting to go a bit crazy as I promised him i wouldn't do this again!!

Anyway after the essay, hope you're all managing to get in with your IU. Here's to a happy and heathy 40 weeks

 

[readyORnot]

Hi sparkly baby, sorry to hear that you have to put up with this horrible condition!

Hopefully you'll get to 40 weeks this time (or at least 37 anyway), and I hope your IU calms down for you soon. Don't forget to keep well hydrated, it can really help in a lot of cases.

 

[TigerGalLE]

Hey Hun. IU is such a pain. I had it and actually ended up getting induced at 41 weeks and 1 day. My induction went super fast for a first time mom. Didn't take much to get my contractions going.

Good luck. Hope your little keeps cooking for a long time!

 

[Paulinmaulin]

Hi ladies , I am so glad to have found this IU support group as I have been going crazy with my cranky uterus for months, now. Got used to just deal with it.
I live in Croatia, Europe and here the doctors’ don’t take you serious at all if you don’t start dilating, leak fluid etc.( thank God I haven’t - but believe me I lost a few years of my life wondering if this next set of contractions will start dilating me). I mentioned the term IU it to my OB and doctors at L&D but they have never heard of it??? They just say some uterus are more sensitive than other and as long as I am closed no worries...
Anyway, I am now 32+5 weeks and started having regular contractions at 20 weeks. At first I could kind of control my uterus with plenty of rest, lots of water, magnesium and would still have days with regular contractions 5 min apart for a couple of hours but since hitting 29 weeks nothing helps any more. I can’t walk, sit, stand or even lay on my left side as I start contracting!! On a good day when I just lay in bed I contract for a few hours (at least 10-15 contractions an hour), but on a bad day my stomach contracts nonstop until It’s so hard that I can’t even touch it as it hurts. I was prescribed some muscle relaxants to take if needed. sometimes it helps but sometimes it doesn’t.
Also, I was never put on bed rest… only to take it easy if I feel the contractions coming… but I couldn’t imagine walking around or doing any kind of activity since last couple of weeks. I am wondering if I went on with my business as normal if I would have started dilating. But I wouldn’t risk it. (Good thing here is that you can go on an early maternity leave, so I stopped working at 24 weeks as I could not sit at a desk for 9 hours without agitating my uterus.) I put myself on a modified bedrest. I learned too live with it.
Anyway my OB was never too concerned as I was not dilating and he never put me on tocograph to measure the contractions until my last appointment two days ago and of course I was contracting regulary every 3 min. He did a vaginal us and I am closed with a long cervix 3.8cm.
The thing that concerned him is that baby is measuring a week behind, actually she is average size for 32 weeks but she only put 250g since last months check up(when she was measuring ahead).
He is now concerned that maybe contractions are doing something to the placenta and flow to the baby. I have another US in a week to monitor her growth and then they will decide if there is need to put me to hospital and have me monitored and on stronger meds. For now I just got some muscle relaxants.
So after a long story - my question is where your doctors ever concerned that contractions could do any harm to the baby? I always thought that BH can’t cause stress to babies?
Thanks and sorry for such a long post but I just had to went everything out.
I wish you all good luck and making it to the term.

 

[suspectpink]

Hey so glad I found this thread! It's very reasurring x I was diagnosed with a IU and SPD last week!! This is my 3rd baby and looking back I 100% had it with my 2nd! I did have to have steroid shots with him at 34 weeks but he stayed put until 39 I had a very quick 4 hour labour at home!! I'm worried this time because baby is breech and back to back! I'm so parinoid I'll mistake real labour for my IU ! My contractions don't sound half as bad as some of the ladies have described so I guess I'll know for sure when they really start to hurt! Eeeeek!! Much love to you all and hope we can all enjoy our pregnancies the best we can xxxxx

 

[readyORnot]

good luck suspectpink and paulinmaulin, please keep us updated!

 

[LittlemissH]

So glad i found this ladies! Im 21+2 and been having heaps of contractions since about 19 weeks. Went to hospital on Monday morning and they diagnosed irritable uterus. I cant relax at all as all the time im worrying is this real labour although my uterus was closed on Monday. They have advised i do as little as possible at least until baby is viable. What a scary time! x

 

[Baby321]

Hiya, LittlemissH, I remember the time when I was in your situation at 16weeks. I found it very scary. I felt like i had no help. All i'd get told when I'd go to the gp's that they would not be able to do anything before 20 weeks if baby came. I weren't offered any internal checks or anything like that. I put myself on bedrest, my mum used to come and help me everyday with the house chores and husband helped me with the kids. For about 10 weeks I was on bedrest. I searched the internet for information to help me but there was only a limited amount of info. on the web. What helped me was the rest. The more I rested the less frequent my contractions seemed to get. One midwife advisec me to do pelvic floor exercises along with that I took pre-natal vitamins and increased my fluid intake. All this helped. When i got to, I think it was 6 1/2 months, my contractions had completely gone. Since then I have been fine. I have c-section in 13 days which I am very nervous about but I am glad to have made it this far. Every week was a milestone when i had IU. I hope this information helps you and best of luck with your pregnancy xxx
Rest, fluid, pelvis floor exercises and pre-natal vits, take care xxx

 

[readyORnot]

^^what she said!^^

For me the main thing that helped was minimising my stress levels and lots and lots of fluids.

Wishing you all the best LittleMissH

 

[alison13]

Hi ladies, I haven't posted in a while, but things are going well for the most part! Ffn tests are coming back negative and cervical ultrasounds are showing a long and closed cervix! I am now 30 weeks, so I'm getting there! Time passes way too slowly though
I happen to be having lots of contractions tonight and thought about you all. Part of me thinks I should be calling my doctor, but I could call in every week and so far nothing has changed! I just had an ultrasound this morning and my cervix measured 3.5 cm long, so...I'm going to just hang out in bed watching Mythbusters with my hubby. Hopefully, the contractions go away.

I have been taking liquid magnesium and for the most part I don't get as many contractions, but I skipped this morning's dose. I also had a rough night the last time I skipped a dose. I'm wondering if the magnesium really works that well. I just know I'm not skipping any more doses!!

How is everyone else doing??

Alison