Are These Contractions?

Yep. I had my second child 6 weeks ago, and the contractions I had with her were completely different from the ones I had with her brother. With this I learned that there are different types of contractions. With my son I had cranpy ones, and with her I felt like my belly was going to explode. Have Fun!

Those are called Braxton-Hicks. They feel like cramping but are not full on contractions. Your body is getting ready to have your baby. Now is the time to start getting excited! Congratulations!

If nothing else, it's probably at least Braxton-Hicks contractions. Those all help. As long as you can make them stop by drinking something and laying down, you're fine. If they go consistently or persistently, it's time to call the doctor. You can ask when they want you to call for specific conditions. Congratulations!

My contractions are cramps. They feel like really bad menstrual cramps actually. But I usually don't have any until right around my due date, and then once they start they don't stop. At least that is how my first 2 were, we'll see about # 3. My guess is they are, but if they aren't regular, like your doctor said I probably wouldn't worry too much.

if its your belly muscles generally feeling hard and flexed for a little while, its probably braxton hicks... fake, non-productive "practice" contractions, which are totally normal. Braxton hicks generally go away if you change positions or acitvities. Sounds like thats what it is to me. =) Good luck with baby #2 and heres hoping the next 9 weeks go by quick for you!

Braxton Hicks. Totally normal

Very very normal. I have five kids and had contractions like that all through my pregnancy.

It could be contractions, or Braxton-Hix, or even just gas. The important thing is that it goes away after a short time.

Labor contractios generally start mild, but come at semi-regular intervals. At first, they last 60 sec or less and come about every 15 min. As labor progresses, they will last longer, be more intense, and closer together. They can feel like menstrual cramps, or tightening, or back pain, or like you really need to go to the bathroom (especially bowel-movement feeling) or something else.

This sounds like Braks and hicks. I had mine at night also. I even went in to the hospital twice. but my first was born early so I was nervous the second one would be. turns out, I never really had "good" contractions on either birth. But I guess once you have "good" ones, you would know the difference. Ithink they are sot of located different places in the area too. I know my real contractions at the hospital before delivery was in my back and down there. where the B/H were more up on top of my belly.

If you don't have the tightness with the cramping it's probably not contractions. But some cramping in your 3rd trimester is a normal thing. Congratulations on your baby boy!

sounds like braxton hicks, I had alot of those with all of my pregnancies. If you dont know what they are you can think they are true contractions, but its just your uterus practicing for the real thing. Braxtons are what you say you are having, cramping feeling for a few minutes and it goes away and it dont come back, or it will come back but like say 30 minutes later or even longer then that.

It sounds like contractions. With both of my kids, my contractions felt just like menstrual cramps. Except when I was in labor, I would cramp and my stomach would feel really hard for a few minutes then it would relax and then a few minutes later it would do it again. It sounds like your are probably having braxten hick contractions. I had them all through the last trimester. But pay attention because if you start having them every 5 or 10 minutes without them going away then you might need to go in to get checked out.

It doesn't sound like contractions. When I had them my belly got hard like a rock and felt really tight!

The answer is yes to both of your questions.

What you need to know is that it is normal for the uterus to contract throughout pregnancy and some women can feel it early on.

Talk to your care provider about the differences in Braxton-Hicks contractions and true labor. You can to a quick search online, too. Try to allow yourself to stay calm, there's nothing dangerous or negative about this...Braxton-Hicks contractions are very helpful, they're like practice or dry runs for your uterus.

One last bit of advice from every single fiber of my being...whether or not you're planning medication in your birth, contact a doula (several and interview them)!! It's the best gift you can give yourself, your baby, AND your husband!! Do some research on that, too. Look up Doula studies.

B.,

Congratulations on your little boy!! Cramping and contractions are completely different. Talk with your doctor (I ask the nurse a lot of questions, because he's never felt contractions OR cramping there before! And he admits it openly!!) Contractions are tightening of your belly, and when they are really good ones, you may feel like you have to control your breathing and focus on something else to just get through it even when they are 30 seconds long. Cramping can be from a lot of different things, and some of them are quite concerning. Talk to your doc about them. It may be you just rolled over wrong (done that!) or moved too quickly (done that!). And don't be alarmed if you don't feel many contractions. With your first I've heard that you don't. I didn't. We are finally on our second (there is a 7 year stretch of barrenness between) and I'm having TONS of contractions this time. Last time all I got was one good night of them and that was all the practice I got. Quite the bummer, but I know now they can be painful and bothersome so I have a different perspective this time around!!

Good luck with labor and delivery! LIsten to your body and you'll do great!

V.
married 9 years, daughter age 7.5 and another daughter due 4/12. Oh and we have a dog too.

drink two glasses of water and lay on your Left side? I am not positive if it is left or right side but I know you can google it.. If they are braxton hicks, then they will go away, if not time them and see if they become regular and more intense.

It sounds pretty normal to me. If it was real labor it would continue. If you ever have bleeding (even a little) with the contractions, then you should call the doctor. However, with my first child I did have a lot of cramping with no tightness all day, then went into definite labor in the evening. But it was obvious, because it was full term and it kept going and got worse. I have had other children in which I had contractions off and on for the last 4 weeks, especially the last week. Two of them I had trouble telling when real labor set in and had to go to the doctor to check (one was real, one wasn't but came the next day). Anyway, all my labors were short and easy, so I think all the contractions during the last part helped. I was always 4 centimeters dialated for the last month.

Sounds like Braxton Hix (spelling) contractions.

Remember....You are in labor if: they get closer and closer together (watch the clock ex. 15 min then 10 min, then 7 min) and if you can't sleep between them. Put a lighted alarm clock next to your bed.

Rochelle