what did YOUR early contractions feel like?

[Mary Jo]

mine definitely started like period cramps, all in the bottom of my belly, not at all in my back. they got worse and worse till I felt I was being disembowelled.

 

[sammii0711]

Im 38 weeks and 5 days and ive had lower back pain and lower abdominal pain that doesnt really hurt to much, plus a few tightenings in my belly ? Can someone please tell me if these are early contractions ??

 

[bellaloo]

Period or trapped wind sort of pain every 3 minutes or so with both my pregnancies x

 

[babyhopes2010]

bad back ache at first. i dlated 2-10cm in one hour!!

i didnt feel the major contractions until pushing these were like a wave of intense pain and overwhelming desire to push. this was when they were 1-2 mins apart

 

[Reno]

I just had regular tightenings about 5 minutes apart from the beginning, about 6 hours after I started recording them, I could feel them in my back too! They didn't really get painful until I had my waters broken about 10 hours after my first contraction, and 5 hours later he was born!

You'll know them when they start! good luck x

 

[Shineystar]

very very strong period cramps, for the first 30 mins i guess then it got stronger and closer together very quickly. I also felt like something was coming away from me when I tried to breathe through them! got to 6cm on only paracetamol and a bath within 2 hrs! Then I felt my body was pushing from an early stage..

however - baby was back to back and I was also induced (only the prostin tablet) so not typical!

 

[Angelbaby_01]

Period pains and my back hurt quite a lot.

 

[Kaede351]

For me it was like REAL intense period cramps that spread down my legs to my knees :/ they didn't hurt as such, they stopped me from walking though because they made my knees weak to begin with.

XxX

 

[xdxxtx]

Mine felt like extreme period pains... It was a pain I'd never felt before... They were 10 minutes apart, then 5 minutes apart, then 2 minutes apart, and then I got to the hospital and they went back to 10 minutes apart. I swore I was gonna have that baby in the car, but then it died down as soon as I got there. I was 2 cms and got sent home... lol... I had that baby a week later. I'd had those contractions the entire time. They did HURT once I went into early labor, but I was at that stage for a week like I said. When I did have my baby, I was laying in bed watching TV and my water broke out of nowhere. I hadn't felt any more contractions than what I was already feeling until after my water broke.

 

[wifey29]

My waters went, then I started having mild period cramps every 8 minutes. They got continuously worse until I couldn't stand or talk through them, all I could do was moan.

 

[aliss]

Pitocin= a knife being stabbed!

Natural = a bad period pain (and then it got worse)

 

[Sproglet]

My back hurt, thought I had been sitting funny so shifted to get comfy, and my waters broke. My contractions were all in my back and were that long and close together right from the start, I didn't realise that's what they were till they monitored me at hospital.

 

[kippenhok]

Kind of like period pains but duller and "larger" (as in, I felt it over a larger area) in the lower abdomen and they came rolling in waves of every 10/11 mins. Bleh!!!!!!! I started from absolute 0 too, hardly any effacement and dilation - so I got to enjoy the WHOLE ride Jealous of the other ladies that start already cm's dilated!

Edit: Didn't feel anything in my back! LO wasn't back to back so maybe that had something to do with that.

 

[Sussy]

Tightenings that I didn't find painful at all, just thought were braxton hicks until my waters broke in the post office! The sensation built up until it was like period pains in tummy and back

 

[kecie]

At first it felt like really horrible back pains that came and left as i didn't feel them in my tummy until at least 3 hrs later

 

[dizzygirluk]

Hiya,

For me, early contractions felt like bad period pains. I had NO back pain whatsoever. They where all low down at the front.

I suppose everyone is different! People told me it wasn't labour because I felt nothing at the back...this was complelty untrue.. I got to the hosp at 7cm when I was waiting for the back pains lol....in the end I needed some gas and air!!

Good luck!

 

[SillyMoo1983]

Mine felt like I needed a huuuuge poo as the contractions were all in my bum! I thought I was just constipated and kept trying to go to the loo but nothing happened! But then noticed the pains were regular. I always thought they would be in my tummy. My baby turned out to be breech with her back to mine. I'm not sure if baby's position has any effect on where the contractions are.

 

[Torz]

The first time they were like period pains that were regular & got worse gradually. I knew I was in labour from the start as they felt different to braxton hicks.

The second time I was getting back ache in regular patterns but wasn't sure if they were contractions because they went too painful & I didn't have to breath & rock through them like the first time. That day I went to pick my breast pump up & went & did some shopping at Costco with my mum. As I was driving home at about 5pm they started getting closer together but not any more painful, I knew that they were contractions but they felt different from the first time, all in my back & hips.

That's how it staid right up to half an hour before I delivered when they suddenly became extremely painful & intense. I even phoned midwifes at one point & spoke to them & they didn't believe I was in Labour so wouldn't send anyone out (planned home birth). My son was delivered at home by my sister who also thought I had hours to go yet untill I was screaming that the head was out, she still didn't believe me untill she looked lol. Midwifes turned up half an hour after delivery after my oh phoned while I was delivering

 

[Bunnikins]

like a constant (not intermittent) heavy crampy, pulled muscle feeling in my front and back (i think it was in my back cos she was a back to back baby), gradually getting so that it got worse in peaks. After pitocin it was so painful i think my mind has blocked out the feeling to protect me from going insane!!

 

[Linzi_x]

for me early contractions were the same pain as period cramps but not as bad. they did get worse as the day progressed though.