I am 31 weeks pregnant and having pretty strong braxton hicks contractions. I have at least 10 if not more a day, and sometimes they get to every ten minutes for about an hour, then go away again. This has been going on for a few weeks now, along with loose bowels for the last week and cramping very low in my belly.
Has anyone experienced this? Is it normall?
2006-09-11 16:51:32 · 6 answers · asked by 0bnsgrl0 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
My doctors wont check to see if I am dilated and say everything is within the 'normal' range.
None of this feels like it should be normal and is completely different to my first pregnancy
2006-09-11 17:03:09 · update #1
For most docs, the rule is if you have more than 5 in an hour and you drink water, lay down, and still have more than 5 in an hour and its prior to 37 weeks it's time to go in and get checked.
For me, I was having periods (sometimes lasting hours) of strong contrax every 5 minutes starting at 31wks... and it just ended up being irritable uterus for me. Now, at 36 weeks, I've had the diarrhea as well, plus the contractions have been solid for 2 days now, coming every 4 minutes, and I just passed my mucus plug all at once tonight (confirmed by a midwife)... so I've finally made it to early labor.
Either way, you will have to call in and ask your doc if the first statement applies to you, because even if it's not labor, they may want to stop the contractions if they don't go away on their own (as they did with me). I ended up getting shots of terbutaline and then oral terbutaline to control the contractions as well as weekly monitoring and FFN's... also, they gave me my steroid shots, just to be sure.
I'm finally dilated to a 1, which seems like nothing. But with just losing the plug and having the runs, I'm hoping things are REALLY getting underway. Midwife said it could be up to 2 weeks but I have entered early labor officially... so it could be just around the corner...
Good luck!
2006-09-11 16:58:49 · answer #1 · answered by thoughtfulwind 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You shouldn't be having that many braxton hicks contractions in one day! You may be in early labor... you need to call your doctor soon or you could even go into the labor and delivery and they can check you out ... if you are in labor this early it isn't safe for the baby... they will need to stop it... You better check on it SOON!
2006-09-11 23:56:31 · answer #2 · answered by M~Lyna 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you asked your OB. They can check your cervix and see if it has thinned or dialated. The cramping and diarrhea is of concern. Braxton Hicks are normal but if you are this worried about it call your doctor tommorrow. Thirty-one weeks is way too early. Can't be too safe.
2006-09-11 23:58:20 · answer #3 · answered by Oak18 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is this your first pregnancy? You may feel more Braxton Hicks and earlier Braxton Hicks if it is not.
I would get it checked out but it is probably just a combination of loose ligaments and a virus.
2006-09-11 23:56:37 · answer #4 · answered by Love Birth 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
DRINK MORE WATER!!!
The more dehydrated you are, the worse the BH contractions are. I was having them for awhile but I've upped the water intake to about 4-6 liters a day and now I hardly get any. When I do, they're not that bad. Keep taking your prenatals and without a doubt drink more water.
39wks pregnant
2006-09-12 00:13:21 · answer #5 · answered by Miss. Bliss 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had premature labor with both pregnancies. With each, the doctors told me to go to the hospital if I had 10 contractions in an hour. Talk to your doctor, they may want to monitor your contractions more closely or start treating you for preterm labor.
2006-09-11 23:56:05 · answer #6 · answered by LasVegasMomma 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋