how long can i have strong painful braxton hicks before active labor starts?

Question

i am 35w1d , 6 days ago i started to have painful braxton hicks and i end up in the hospital monitoring the baby moves and contractions, the monitor showed irregular contractions which was little bit with high intensity..Well the pain continued since that time although i had a bed rest for 3 days..So i wonder if my body is getting ready to labor? And should i expect the active labor soon..i have 5 weeks left before my due...would this pain continue for the coming 5 weeks?

Answer 1

Potentially you will get them until proper labour kicks in.They are usually intermittent. During my wife's pregnancies she had BH contractions on and off from about 30 weeks.

Answer 2

In the last few weeks of pregnancy many women do feel very uncomfortable, and symptoms such as those that you describe are not unusual. Braxton-Hicks contractions are not usually painful although some women do find them so. Sharp pains in the groin area are quite common in the last month and not usually a cause for concern. At the end of a pregnancy the baby has much less space in which to move and movements are often associated with more discomfort.

I understand your concerns about whether and how you will know when labour is starting. Every labour and every woman is different so there is no easy rule to follow. Usually as well as the onset of contractions a woman will have a show (a loss of either blood or mucus vaginally). Midwives and GP's are aware of the difficulty in being sure about whether labour is starting, and are used to assessing women around this time to clarify this. I feel that it is important that you arrange to see your GP or midwife as soon as possible to discuss your symptoms, and so that you can be examined to look for signs of pre-eclampsia, and also to establish the position of the baby and whether labour is imminent.

Answer 3

Your question could read how long is a piece of string I'm afraid. I expreiance Braxton Hicks at around 30 weeks for a few days and didn't go into proper labour 10 days after my due date!

It is your body have 'practise' contractions and as you still have at least 5 weeks to go it can't really be taken as an indication that real labour is on its way.

The pain might stop 2moro or it might carry on until the big day. I'm sorry but there really isn't any cut and dry answer to this.

Speak to your GP or Midwife if your unsure.

Answer 4

gosh, i had those things forever it seemed like. I was a week late and i still had them when i got enduced. i dont know if thats what your body is doing, but mine sure as heck wasnt.