Could I Be Having Contractions This Early?

Hi I believe that stress is a big issue also being on your feet alot. Have you ever been considerd at high risk? I am also pregnant with my second child. I think that maybe staying hydrated has a big part during pregnacy. Most of all ask your ob

With my second child, I also experienced early contractions. At first I didn't think much of it, but then they started getting closer together as the weeks went on. By 32 weeks, the contractions were anywhere from 2-3 mintues apart to 8 mintues apart. I went in the to hospital as my doctor recommended, and sure enough, 2 mintues apart at 32 weeks! Yikes. They stayed that way for the entire pregnancy (delivered at 39 weeks). They weren't too painful and I could go about my day, but after the hospital visit, I was put on moderate bed rest and they gave me a nasty pill in the hospital too. As you know from having a first child, contractions aren't anything to mess with and it is worth having it checked out. Even if it is nothing and you feel stupid for going, at least you will know for sure what is going on. Good luck.

Hi I.,

I used to have early contractions with my last two pregnancies. It has been a while, almost 6 years now, but I seem to remember they would come on when I was dehydrated. If you are running around working and forget to drink, which is very easy, that could be the issue. I would always freak out and then I started reading up on dehydration and contractions and there was a big connection to it. Try and stay hydrated and see what happens.
I would surely keep your doctor in the loop about it though, esp. considering you gave birth early to your first.
Good Luck, hope this helped a bit.
Chris

It is PERFECTLY NORMAL. Every woman has contractions even if they are not pregnant you just can't feel them. I didn't know about them either until I was reading a Bradley Method book and they described them, then I noticed mine. I would also get a little short of breath or "winded" when I had them too but that is normal too. You describe them EXACTLY right, your stomach getting hard then goes back to soft.

From now on you will feel them as your body "hugs" your baby :). I wouldn't worry but you can always ask your doctor about it since you have a history of that kind of thing.

God bless and enjoy knowing more about them this time around!!

With my first son if I was on my feet more then say 1 hr I would swell and my stomach would be hard especially after 20 weeks, I also had braxton hicks at this point to. However, that being said if you have had early labor before you need to tell your doctor, he will probably tell you take a 20 minute break every hour that you are on your feet that is what I needed to do, most times it helped. I did have my son a month early anyway though. don't freak out it's most likely fine but tell your doctor anyway.

CALL YOUR DOCTOR!!!
It might just be braxton Hix contractions but it is better to be safe that sorry.

They say after you have one with your second one you have braxton hicks earlier. Well you notice them earlier and are more sensitive to it. With my third oh it was bad. Wah wah. lol But any how although I dont think you should worry tell your doctor about it in case you may need help with this situation.

I actually started having contractions at 20 weeks, but I was pregnant with twins. If it really is contractions, you just need to be careful. They ended up taking me off work at 26 weeks. I would definitely mention it to you doctor and see if they think that's what they are. Best of luck to you with your second pregnancy!

It's a bit too early for the warm up contractions...Braxton-Hicks contractions. Since you have a history of early labor, call your doctor immediately. Rather be safe than sorry.

Call your health care provider NOW. With your history, you cannot wait!!!!

I would talk to your doctor. It may be nothing. But considering that you had some problems with your son it might be worth looking into. I know with my oldest, who is a November baby, I had a lot of "practice" contractions. I don't remember them starting this early though.

Drink lots of water. Tons

I had talked to my OB agbout this at 18 weeks because I was having the same thing it sounds like. They were not consistant however and he said it could be anything from the uteran ligament but I suspected that it was the baby just getting in some weird positions as well which is happening now for sure because I can feel the baby wedging himself in. Also my plecenta is down low in front which my OB also suspected. I'd be sure to talk to your OB about it but hopefully it's just one of the things I mentioned. I too had a premature birth of 6 weeks but I ruptured at 32 with a slow leak. I was induced at 34 weeks with my first.
Good luck.

i second that! CALL THE DOC!!!

I had the "hard belly" from month 4 on. It would be hard for awhile, and then soften after a bit. I noticed it mostly when I was active, walking, or getting groceries. In the last month of the pregnancy, the pattern settled into the more typically described Braxton-Hicks contractions (regular in the evenings), and then there was a DEFINITE difference for me the week that labor started. I surmised that my uterus was toning itself, and looking back it seems that was the case - preparing me and the baby for labor. My daughter was 3 weeks late (our midwife said she looked 2 1/2 weeks post-term at birth), and my labor was LONG. I have only had one baby. I trusted my intuition (not the nagging, worrying mind) and did not worry about the hard belly. I cannot speak for your situation, only to recommend resting your body adequately and exercising it adequately and listening to it. And relax, relax, put your feet up when you can.
Best wishes to you! (mine was also a november baby)

You could be experiencing Braxton Hicks, however if anything... check with your doctor to be sure nothing major is occuring!

Trust me, as someone that never realized my frequent headaches was a clue to my preeclampsia. I also suffered migraines frequently prior to pregnancy, and just before I was placed on bed rest (then induced a few days later...) I actually swelled like a huge hot air balloon!

Be safe... Call the doctor so you are more at ease~

I would definitely be wary and careful. Lie on your left side as much as possible, drink plenty of fluids, and if you still have them, call the doctor!

I started having Braxton Hicks contractions off and on when I was 22 weeks along and had them throughout my entire pregnancy. Since you have experienced preterm labor in the past, you should probably consult your OB. He would be the best one to go to for advice! Good luck.

I had the exact same thing with my pregnancy...I never had any contractions with my first son but this time the Braxton Hicks started fairly early. My midwife told me it was normal and they can start as early as 20 weeks. As long as they are not too painful it is normal. Try drinking some water and laying on your side for a while and they may go away. If you're still worried call your doc. Good luck!

I.,

You could be having Brackston Hicks contractions or you could be having real ones. Are you drinking enough water? Dehydration will cause you to have contractions. I know this by experience. I am currently 29 weeks pregnant and had to go to the labor triage last week because I was having contractions and it was due to dehydration. I thought I was drinking enough water but my doctor wants my urine to be as clear as tap water. If you are concerned call your doctor. Good luck. J.

I'm sure you've contacted your doctor about this right? Five and a half months is pretty eary. I would call your doctor ASAP if these are really contractions.

A

I say listen to our L&D nurse Donna here, but have to say I had Braxton-Hicks contractions around 20 weeks during my only pregnancy. They weren't painful, just an uncomfortable tightening and releasing that I could almost time. My OB questioned me extensively and determined that Baby went into position about that time and stayed, but decided to "wait and see" when I said it wasn't painful just extremely regular. I took it as Nature's way to tell me to slow down at times. It could have been caused my dehydration, I'm not sure.
I did get into a car accident at 34 weeks and cranked up intensity and frequency of contractions to every three minutes on the fetal monitor at the hospital, but nothing happened (Baby was just ticked at getting squashed by the seat belt). I ended up going five days before term.
So my non-medical advice is to slow down, drink water and relax after getting the A-OK from your OB that it's not anything else. Good luck!

I have 4 kids, and after the first one, the braxton hicks were terrible. I distincly remember with my 4th, feeling that familiar 'hug' feeling, and thinking oh, boy here we go. I was 10 weeks along. I was treated for pretem labor twice with #2, and #1 was a month early. I do agree that you shoiuld contact your Dr. It is not worth taking a chance, but try to rest, and like the many others have said, DRINK your water!

BTW, the good thing is, my labors were extremely fast, I think after the 31.5 hours of labor with the first, (they kept giving me drugs to try and stop her from coming early, but it didn't work) My actual labor with #2 (when she was finally born) was 2.5 hours, the 3rd 1 hour 45 min, and the last from the water breaking to birth (only two of what I thought were the a few of the hundreds of warm-up co0ntrax) 57 MINUTES!

Yes! they're contractions called "Braxton-Hicks" contractions. They're your body's way of getting ready for the real deal. Your uterus is a muscle, it needs to work out before the performance! lol While most of the time they're just as you described, a hardening and softening, they can be painful at times. It's a good time to practice your lamaze or other breathing technique that you're going to use during labor:)

I. ~
I'm an L&D nurse. Call the doctor or go in to the hospital to be checked out. Braxton Hicks contractions are usually in the 3rd trimester. Sometimes bladder or vaginal infections can cause cramping. But especially since you have a history of pre-term labor, you need to be checked out. If it's just an infection, they can give you some antibiots. You also could be a little bit dehydrated - you really need lots of water when you're pregnant. Your urine should be almost clear, that's how you know you're drinking enough water. 20 weeks is way too early for something to be going on, so you need to be checked out and make sure.
Good Luck!
D.

Please be careful and rest. In the summer, you need to drink tons of water, especially if you're pregnant. Dehydration will cause contractions and can throw you into early labor. I'd assume that not enough water is the thing that triggers it and see if that will help. I'd talk to my doctor or midwife right away too. They might need to put you on an IV in the hospital to get your fluids up. Please take this seriously! Possibly it's not a big deal but since you've been through this before and didn't realize it, I'd call my health care provider immediately, while drinking a bunch of water!

I had this happen too early on. I was told it was Braxton Hicks. And then when I actually was in labor, I just kind of brushed it off as braxton hicks again because even though my stomach was getting hard, it wasn't painful. It turns out that I think some of my nerves are dead due to an old back surgery which is why I didn't feel the earlier contractions (I did feel the later ones and, oh boy!) Anyway, as long as they're not at regular intervals, I wouldn't worry. It never hurts to mention them to your doctor at your next visit (especially since you delivered your first child early). What he or she will likely tell you is that if you're getting these "contractions", it may be your body's way of telling you to slow down (my early braxton hicks tended to happen when I was over-exerting myself). Good luck!

You are probably having braxton hicks contractions. I had those a lot when I was pregnant. Is there any regularity to them? If not, I wouldn't be too concerned. Just bring it up to your doctor at your next appt.

Congrats!

I began having serious contractions at about 12 weeks. I was placed on Procardia. Some contractions are normal throughout the pregnancy, apparently mine weren't.
However, it doesn't sound like yours are similiar. It wouldn't hurt to be checked out. At least for your own piece of mind.

Hi I.,
Sounds to me like you are having Braxton Hicks contractions which are practice contractions of your uterus. I had lots of them. Check with your Dr. or Nurse Midwife. Mine would come on stronger with each pregnancy ( I have 3 children)and the more active I was.What helps to relax them is drinking enough water, slowing down ,resting either sitting or even laying down if needed.
Blessings, C. (I'm a Physical Therapist with specialty in women's health teach a Pregnancy exercise program at a local Hospital)