A small whine and a question

OK so the question first - will I know a real contraction when one comes around? I've been having BH lately (probably 10-15 a day depending on what I am doing) - some of them are uncomfortable. Well today I have had to do a bit more physical labor then I am used to at work - someone is on vacation and I have to do my own production work. It is well within what my rules are but it is making me uncomfortable so I have stopped. Well now I am getting painful tightening and on top of all that fun I keep running to the bathroom (sorry for the TMI - horrible diarreah). I am still at work plugging away. I am actually sitting sideways at my desk with my feet on a chair - the boss is away I am getting comfy! I don't have any bleeding or anything like that. A few of these pains have taken my breath away and stopped me in my tracks but there is no pattern to them. I'd say that they last about 10-30 seconds each. I see the OB on monday and will mention this for sure and if it gets worse I'll call in today or over the weekend. Not sure if the uterine pains could be related to the diarreah either. Also last night my feet/legs/ankles were an extra kind of swollen - I've been resting with them up as much as I can. Oh yea - and the cervical "poking" pains. Not sure how else to describe it lol feels like the baby is in there and literally poking my cervix - HARD!

The whine is really just that I am concerned and uncomfortable. I am so blessed to be having this baby  but wow - the things no one tells you about being pregnant! lol


I know I am full of first time Mommy-to-be worries so thanks for reading this and always listening to my questions and helping out! All of my close friends have had c-sections and never dealt with any of this stuff.

Liz

You are almost 37 weeks and that is when I had Emad....sometimes latent labor can last a while, up to 3 days or so, like with me, but when the REAL one**** you will know. YOu may be having real contractions based on your description but until they are regular and consistent it is still just getting body ready. Have your angel on speed dial! LOL

Thanks Samara!!!

Amanda G is my Angel and her number is programmed in my cell! lol

I know some of this is nerves, first baby, house isn't ready etc. But I am so ready if this little one decides to make an appearance in the next week or so!

I'm asking myself the same question. I have contractions every day and I'm convinced that I won't know when the real thing comes until after an hour of regular contractions.

My doc said the poking pain was the baby's head putting pressure on some nerve on my pubic bone. I hate it when that happens because it is pretty uncomfortable! 

Hey sweets .. You are so right, there are a MILLION things no one tells you about and you just kind of have to figure out on your own! :-)
They do sound like BH, just strong ones. The loose bowels are part of your body getting ready, too ... cleaning things out, so to speak. Lucky you! I was TERRIFIED that I was going to  have an accident while pushing! Ha! Maybe you won't have to go through that! The cramping is all part of moving that little nugget around, softening and ripening your cervix, and preparing you for birth. These can go on for a few weeks, like someone else said I think, and they will get stronger. BUT, you will SO know when contractions start. They are much more intense, and they will be regular in terms of timing. My doula always said that if you can still talk while the contractions are coming, it's not time. You're in labor when you can no longer speak, lol.
It's coming soon, Liz! Hooray!

Hum me having trouble talking - hubby will know for sure something is wrong then! lol

Thanks :) I will rest easier knowing that this is just all prep. I work with 22 men and a few of them were giving me off looks this morning like they were worried - I guess I didn't look so good! lol Nice to know they care.

Thanks again for the info!

My contractions actually started pretty gently.  I went to bed around midnight and just couldn't sleep because I kept having to pee every half hour exactly...and hardly did anything.  It just gradually increased until I realized what was going on...and then I just waited until it got about 5 minutes apart before calling the dr and going to L&D - around 10:30 a.m..  The dr sent me off to walk, eat and drink (exactly opposite of what the lamaze classes told you at that time...don't know what they say now).  They admited me around 5 p.m.  My water didn't break on it's own, and I did not lose my mucus plug until about the time they admitted me...when I went to the bathroom to clean up after they'd checked how I was dialating is when the plug came out.  The nurse broke my water after I was admitted.  I did OK w/the contractions all night the beginning of the night and all day...it wasn't until around 8:00 p.m. that I asked for drugs...which did no good for me...I  couldn't have an epi because of my previous back surgery so they gave me demeral...which made me puke on everything and everyone in the vicinity.  My son was born around 11:30 p.m....so I had almost exactly 23 hours of labor and did it drug free for about 20 hours or so. 

When the dr saw me, he laughed...he said he'd never seen a first time mother so calm during labor.  I was EXHAUSTED from lack of sleep the entire night before - and we'd gone for a hug walk the day before, about 6-7 miles! - so I just wanted to sleep...I was taking cat naps between contractions.

All that said though...everyone is different.  Your water could break on its own at home...or not at all.  Your contractions could start gently or come on suddenly (I think it's Lexa who only gets about an hour or so of labor?!).  Just pay attention to whether there's a pattern to water you're feeling...and if it gets too uncomfortable or you're worrying too much...call the dr or L&D.  Technically, you're almost to the finish line...so you could go any day now and still have a perfectly healthy little one. 

WOW - thanks Holly!! I've already talked to anesthesia about my back issues and he said that the epidural won't be the problem - pushing will. I'll have that talk with the O B on monday.

AS for now I am going to reast as much as I can until it is time to go home.

Ohh you will know! For me I was woken up by a contraction that compared to a reallly bad menstrual cramp. It got me curled up in the fetal position and made me poopy sick right away. (note: It was the day after Xmas so I had probably eaten some unhealthy food to contribute to that issue.) So the contractions started out as a terrible period type cramp and got worse and worse and worse and worse from that point on! lol! So if you think about period cramps - the most painful of those are the least painful of the contractions. If that makes sense. That's the best way I can describe it. I was NOT prepared for the pain of some of the contractions. (Some are far worse than others.) But I would do it again in a second! Time also flies by when you are in labor. I was in labor for 12 hrs and it seriously felt like 2 so don't be too worried about that either. After she was born I immediately looked back at the whole day and loved every minute of it!!!

-Ashlie

Thanks that is reassuring!

The ones I have had this morning (maybe 4-5) did feel like strong menstrual cramps. I have decided that I am going to work with my feet up the rest of the day! I don't think that anyone will notice let alone care lol

Thanks for the information, it does make me feel better.