hi i am due on oct 16 so i am very close almost 40 weeks. My question is that i am getting braxton hicks where my stomach gets extra hard and tight for some time but i feel no pain at all. Is that normal coz i hear girls say that at this stage they all feel some sort of pain some sort of signs, but with me i am not getting anywere. Do you think i will go past my due date i hope not coz i cant take this anymore. Anyone else experience the same thing where they didnt feel pain, then how did labor start for you and how strong were contractions at that time. When did you start feeling pain, also where is it suppose to hurt near the vagina or up in the stomach, sorry i know i sound stupid but my doc is not much help at all. Please share your experience in detial i will really appriciate and again why am i not feeling anything at all. Also how close do you think i am to labor!! Thanks All!!
ps..oh one more thing the baby has fully dropped i feel so much pressure down there now!!
2006-10-13 07:46:13 · 15 answers · asked by angel 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
I had a baby in May and all of my braxton hicks contractions were exactly like yours, they were painless. When you have real contractions you will know. At first they just feel like period cramps then if they get stronger, last longer, and get closer together you can bet you are in labor. Everybody is different, I had to be induced even though I had been having the braxton hicks for weeks. I know it seems like you are going to be pregnant forever and even trying to think about still being pregnant tomorrow is depressing but hang in there. If this is your first baby there is a good chance you may go past your due date. My OB told me first babies tend to arrive about a week before or a week after the estimated due date. If I may, I suggest an epidural when the day does come. I had a wonderful, and for the most part a fairly painless labor because I had a great epidural. Again, everyone is different but my experience was great. Hang in there! Congratulations on the baby! Good Luck.
2006-10-13 07:57:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Angel,
With my first child the doctor said I was having contractions & I never felt them UNTIL they broke my water. I was induced. After my water was broke, I felt plenty! I was about 4 cm when they broke it & then at 6 (which was about an hour later) I got my medication to ease the pain. My stomach area never really felt the pain. The pain that made me cry was the lower area where they poked that crochet needle looking thing in me.
My second child was delieved via emergency c-section. But I was hooked up to monitors for a day before that was done. They told me then that I was having contractions & I could feel the tightening of my stomach but it never hurt. Just felt like doing sit ups. That went on for a day getting closer & harder, then ... I had placenta abruption and had to have c-section.
I am guessing that you will be having a baby within the weekend. Are you on any bedrest? Any restrictions? If not then go walking to increase the contractions. Drink lots of water. Don't stress out. If your water breaks, go to hospital. When the tightening gets really hard for about a minute & are about 5 minutes apart, then go to hospital. If they think it is Braxtons then they will send you home. They are there to help you so, let them.
Good luck!
Wish you all the best!
2006-10-13 08:03:58 · answer #2 · answered by staxi 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That is not exactly normal but I experienced the same thing. Feel lucky! I was actually in labor for about 12 hours before I started feeling contractions. When I went in for my stress test they had to tell me when I was having a contraction. Contractions hurt in different places for different people. Some people have them in their back. Mine were mostly on the left side near my hipbone. You need to look for the mucous plug. (kind of bloody and I know this is gross but as my grandma said and was mostly right it kind of looks like blood streaked snot, and can be grey in color) When you lose your mucous plug labor is almost always less than 24 hours away. That is the best way to tell. I was dilated for over a month and a half and my daughter had dropped a good while before that. So I hate to say it but really the only thing I know to tell you is be patient and try to do other things to keep you busy and keep your mind off of it. You can also try walking it can help push the baby down further and help you go into labor faster. Good luck.
2006-10-13 07:57:47 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
first baby is hard to tell. Since your body has never gone through labor, the "hardness" that you feel are definitely braxton hicks contractions....
believe me, when you are in labor, you will know! It will start kind of like cramping during your period. I felt it like VERY MAJOR CRAMPS, and gets worse from there.
The best thing to do is walk, walk, walk, and walk some more.
I hope you went through some birthing classes where they explain labor in much greater detail. Everybody is different. I went through labor for only a few hours, but then was rushed into emergency c-section, so I can't tell you past a few hours of labor.
God bless you and your baby!
2006-10-13 07:52:23 · answer #4 · answered by just me 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With my first baby, my pain started right away. I was 2 cm dialated and I thought it was the worst pain ever. My water never broke, they had to break it. With my 2nd baby, I could feel my stomach hardening up, but not any pain. But the night before I had drank castor oil to try and get my labor started so I was not sure if it was the real thing. I started timing them and they were consistent, but not hurting. So I finally called the doc and he told me to come in and check me. I was 5 cm dilated but still not hurting, so they gave me pitocin to make my contractions harder and about 5 hrs later I had the baby.
You could have pain in your stomach, back or vaginal area. I would walk, walk, walk, walk to try and bring on labor. Stimulate your nipples or have hubby or b/f (seriously this is suppose to release a hormone to start contractions) I wouldnt recommend drinking castor oil like I did because you will get the craps bad. Good luck!
2006-10-13 08:05:44 · answer #5 · answered by Jenny K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ANGEL, YOU WILL HAVE THE BABY ANY DAY NOW, THIS SOUNDS LIKE YOUR FIRST CHILD, AND THE FIRST ONE USUALLY TAKES A LONG TIME. YOU SEE I HAD FOUR KIDS BORN IN 1980, 1986, 1987, 1988 AND THE LAST ONE I HAD VERY LITTLE PAIN, SHE WAS SO EASY TO DELIVER, B/C I HAD TWO IN A ROW PREVIOUS. IF YOU ARE REALLY TIRED OF THIS DO A LOT OF WALKING. YOU SOUND LIKE YOU ARE IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES OF LABOR TO ME. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT SOME HAVE A LOT OF PAIN AND SOME DON'T. BELIEVE ME YOU WILL KNOW WHEN YOU ARE IN LABOR IT IS A PAIN THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET, YOU GET CRAMPS IN YOUR LOWER STOMACH SO BAD, YOU ACTUALLY THINK THAT YOU MIGHT DIE FROM THE PAIN, BUT YOU WON'T.BELIEVE ME THAT BABY WILL BE HERE ANY DAY NOW. JUST TRY TO KEEP WALKING, THAT'S WHAT WILL BRING YOUR LABOR ON, CONGRATULATIONS ANGEL, I HOPE EVERYTHING WORKS OUT FINE FOR YOU.
2006-10-13 07:56:00 · answer #6 · answered by tinkerbell 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A very small percentage of women don't feel pain from contractions even when they are in labor. You should discuss that with your healthcare provider in case that is applicable to you. You can try doing squats until the pressure increases and then push. This will help put pressure on your cervix to help you dilate and efface and maybe go into labor. Good luck and congratulations.
2006-10-13 07:51:00 · answer #7 · answered by Miriam Z 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you can have Braxton Hicks without pain. Have you dialated any yet? Your labor pains will feel like bad menstrual cramps. I went past my due date with the 1st baby so don't be alarmed if that happens. I had to be induced. 8 days past the due date.
2006-10-13 07:55:39 · answer #8 · answered by pinkzebra 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
o.k.
baby dropping--that's great! you're on your way.
when you'll be in labor---no one knows, but you don't have too much longer. even if you go past your due date don't worry, the national standard is to induced no later than 42 weeks. most doctors will induce around 41 weeks. so, you only have a few more weeks to go even if you go late!!! hang in there.
as for the contractions---
i got contractions for about a week before i went into labor and they didn't hurt at all. i felt them, sure, but they weren't what everyone talked about "take your breath away", "won't be able to speak" contractions.
i went into labor on a saturday and i woke up and started having frequent wussy contractions. my contractions were pretty frequent, but they barely registered on the pain-o-meter, so i waited.
we went to some friend's to watch football and hung out. we timed them and so forth and by 9pm i was haveing them very frequently and they were getting painful enough that i didn't feel like an idiot going to the hospital.
SO! we got to the hospital and sure enough....i was in labor.
so, your contractions...the real ones, will hurt, don't worry, and you will know when it's time to go to the hospital. just listen to your body and don't get freaked out.
oh, also, when it comes time to push...just focus on that part of your body and try to concentrate on pushing that baby out and you'll do great!
i, also, recommend an epidural. i had one and i don't regret it for a moment. i was in labor about 12 hours and didn't feel a thing! it was nice to be coherrent and awake and not feel those contractions!! i had just enough feeling to know when to push.
take care and you'll be fine. i drank some raspberry tea every day to try and trigger contractions, don't know if it worked, but it tasted nice.
take care!
2006-10-13 08:00:55 · answer #9 · answered by joey322 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had severe braxton hicks, trust me you will know when they are real labor pains , real labor pains feel like the worst period pains you have ever had, along with the tightenings. Good luck
2006-10-13 07:48:52 · answer #10 · answered by kendra B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋