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I had this! I had Braxton hicks from very early on, and they became a lot stronger when I was in the third trimester. They basically just told me to take it easy. Pelvic rest kind of stuff... no heavy lifting and drink lots of water. I went in at 24 weeks, convinced I was in labor because they were coming pretty regularly. Thankfully, they were non productive and I delivered at 38+6.

Glad you and baby are doing well! Sorry you had to go to triage, I know how stressful that is.

@spaniellove: I actually could never feel mine! I just had bleeding incidents and then at 26 weeks they hooked me up to a monitor and found out I was contracting.

I did!!! But it started at 34 weeks. I was already off work so my OB told me to take it easy (not necessarily bed rest) until I was 36 weeks. Resting didn't stop my contractions though. They happened all the way up to my induction at 40 weeks. When they hooked me up to the monitor that morning of my induction the nurse got excited that I was already contracting. I said yeah only constantly for 6 weeks now and I only ever progressed to a 1 on my own. So it ended up not being a problem for me or LO. Just annoying.

I was in the hospital 4 times total. I had an intense stomach ache (still don't know what that was but I was sobbing in pain) that made it much worse and actually is when I dilated to a 1 before it all stopped after the stomach ache passed and I rested.

That's what I had with my last 2 pregnancies, it was the worst with #2. I actually had to go in around 27 weeks and be on a magnesium sulfate drip, and I got a steroid shot to help develop her lungs. Those contractions did make me progress but they stopped it, then I was in and out of l&d about 4 more times, I could time them and they gained in intensity every time. After that I was on bedrest until I hit 35 weeks, to which it was revised to pelvic rest until I was induced the day after my due date.

Don't be scared to call, I was instructed to call if they lasted through changing positions, taking a bath and drinking water (they always did), they will just monitor to make sure all is well.

@spaniellove: I had a FFN test every time I went into triage for labor. At the top of my head, it was 23 weeks, 27, and 32.

At 35 weeks they didn't.

@spaniellove: no. I would have to look at my private blog to get all the details...

I was 1cm dilated at 23 weeks. Since FFN was negative our goal was to get to 28 (??) weeks then reassess. Contractions started up again at 27 but FFN was negative. I was told they wouldn't stop them if I got to 32 & I'd get steroid shots for her lungs.

Thankfully it never happened but that was our game plan.

I did notice that dehydration triggered my contractions. I had to get fluids the first time I went in! I drank a gallon of water a day which helped but of course I did go back in a fewpre times!

@spaniellove: I feel like I heard that ffn wasn't as accurate early in ye pregnancy. When I went in with contractions at 23w, no dilation, they didn't do it. I might have had irritable uterus, it's hard to tell. My advice is just to be extremely conservative about everything. Don't feel awkward calling every day or going in very frequently. Meds to stop labor are very effective and every day is super impt! Hopefully you'll be like many of the ladies above and have a nice long rest of your pregnancy!

I had a very similar experience to @mamamoose and @pepper. My contractions started at 20 weeks and I was eventually put on bed rest and procardia at 28 weeks. I also did the FFN tests and had ultrasounds to measure my cervix every 2 weeks - all negative, cervix stayed long and closed. The constant contractions (monitor picked them up every 2-3 minutes at 28 weeks) were brutal, but luckily they were totally nonproductive. My doctor expected me to go into labor within hours when they took me off bed rest at 36 weeks, but the contractions basically stopped at that point and LO didn't decide to make an entrance til 39+4 weeks.

I actually just asked the doctor recently what they will do if the same thing happens with #2 and he said that it probably will:( But he also said they would probably skip bed rest this time and just make me take it easy (no commuting, etc.) since the experience with #1 indicates it was just an irritable uterus, not pre-term labor.

@spaniellove: call. I agree with @Mrs Green Grass: you should be overly cautious and call when concerned.

Thinking of you!!

No experience - but I'm thinking of you!

@spaniellove: my sister had this!! She was on bed rest for quite a while, and had to stop working, but sometimes even sitting up was bothersome. She did have a lot of contractions too.... After all of that she didn't go into labor until the day after her due date!! So hopefully the same will go for you - she took it very easy then started to do more at 36/37 weeks,.. She started her bed rest at 28 weeks I think?