https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 02 Aug 2026 17:53:20 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1312419 Wed, 01 Jan 2014 22:24:24 +0000 Vegmama 1312419@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Update: just more of the same ... Lots of period-like cramps, pressure, and BH. Midwife said labor is right around the corner &amp; she'll check me for dilation on Monday. My partner seems to think baby will be here Friday. We shall see!! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309519 Tue, 31 Dec 2013 09:11:36 +0000 sera_87 1309519@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started counting when I couldn't do anything other than pace back and forth. They never got super close together so going by 5-1-1 wasn't really helpful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309481 Tue, 31 Dec 2013 08:56:09 +0000 MrsH 1309481@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm planing to start counting when there is a pattern. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309416 Tue, 31 Dec 2013 08:16:01 +0000 regberadaisy 1309416@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How are you this morning?! Once there's a pattern I started counting. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309395 Tue, 31 Dec 2013 08:02:18 +0000 Mrs. J 1309395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I noticed a pattern. My midwife kept telling me to stay home, although I couldn't walk or talk through them. I was surprisingly at 8cm when I got there, but my contractions never got closer than 4 min apart.</p> <p>Good luck ! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309261 Tue, 31 Dec 2013 00:29:21 +0000 QBbride 1309261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My midwife recommended not timing them until you couldn't ignore them anymore. I thought this was good advice because otherwise your early labour just draaaaags. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309225 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 23:42:28 +0000 MrsA 1309225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd had period-like cramps all afternoon, then around 9 p started having back pains that had a noticeable start and end. I think DH started timing them when I needed counter pressure to get through each, but mine was entirely back labor so it may be a different experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309220 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 23:38:18 +0000 immabeetoo 1309220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I was no longer comfortable talking through them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309216 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 23:35:31 +0000 mrskc 1309216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My labor started with period like cramps and they just got progressively worse. I think I started timing them a couple hours after they started when they were regularly 5 min apart and more painful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309206 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 23:24:36 +0000 FarmWifeGina 1309206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have always had timeable contractions (5-10 minutes apart) for 20+ hours before active labor. They were different than cramps, but with my first labor I'm not sure I caught into the difference until a couple of hours of them happening regularly. Sooooooo, your cramps COULD be a promising sign of something happening in the near future! Or they could simply be a promising sign that your body is getting ready to do something within the next few weeks. ;) But they ARE a promising sign! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309205 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 23:22:09 +0000 mlm2934 1309205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No advice since haven't been there :) but will be thinking of you and anxious to know if it ends up being the real deal! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309201 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 23:19:04 +0000 Boheme 1309201@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started timing when I noticed a pattern. They were about 10 minutes apart. Excited for you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309197 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 23:16:46 +0000 LovelyPlum 1309197@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309140 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:39:44 +0000 avivoca 1309140@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started timing when I noticed a pattern. Mine started out like period cramps and got more intense the further along in labor I got. However, mine were never regular; I could have several contractions 2 minutes apart and then have one 14 minutes apart. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309136 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:36:13 +0000 Dagny 1309136@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My contractions were very irregular for the first few hours of early labor. At a certain point, they became regular (every five minutes) but still weren't painful. It sounds like its early labor! Good luck mama!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309133 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:35:16 +0000 lawbee11 1309133@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My first contractions were like period cramps and as soon as I noticed a pattern I started timing them. They were only slightly more painful once I got to 5-1-1 and went to L&amp;D (I was 4 cm when I arrived). I got an epidural at 6 cm, and even then they weren't bad. I would close my eyes and concentrate on breathing, but I was never crying or screaming or even making any sounds. I think if there's a noticeable pattern you should start timing them! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309126 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:33:09 +0000 Crystal 1309126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No advice, but good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309103 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:25:02 +0000 swedishfish 1309103@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had been having contractions for weeks and weeks...though everyone told me they weren't contractions. I was induced and when the Pitocin kicked in, lo and behold, my contractions felt the same way they'd been feeling for weeks. I was able to talk quite easily through my contractions until my water was broken at 6 cm. Those could very well be real contractions you're having. Good luck!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309095 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:21:07 +0000 Navy_Mommy 1309095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did have a friend who had false labor for DAYS - they were so intense she couldn't talk through them, lasted a minute, got down to 5 minutes apart....but that would only last for an hour to 90 minutes then they would spread out again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309092 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:19:34 +0000 Navy_Mommy 1309092@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I waited till they got so intense I couldn't talk through them. Some people won't necessarily experience that though.</p> <p>I would say either start counting them when they become intense enough that you can't talk and walk easily through them OR when they have been steadily increasing for over an hour. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309089 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:19:10 +0000 Grace 1309089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had false labour every night for a week before LO came. I decided to count them all as real contractions and just go in when they were 5 min apart. And that happened when they got too painful to sleep through. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309087 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:18:27 +0000 Dandelion 1309087@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The real contractions feel like your uterus if filling up lile a balloon andthen pushing down from the top. Unless your cramps are at regylar Iintervals I don't think you need to count. But it could start any time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-counting-contractions-as-contractions#post-1309085 Mon, 30 Dec 2013 22:14:15 +0000 Vegmama 1309085@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm 39 weeks, and have been having contractions (no pattern) for 2 weeks. Today, the baby was extremely active, I've felt a lot of different pelvic pressure, and tonight, I'm having mild, period-like cramps every 5-10 minutes. Nothing that's stopping me from talking, but they are noticeable. Like a period. </p> <p>Did your contractions get really painful before you started timing them (or counting them as real contractions)? We are having a home birth &amp; I have an appointment tomorrow with the midwife, so I'm not in panic mode or anything ... Just curious! :) </p>