So, I thought I have been having Braxton Hicks (or as my husband calls them, Mason Dixons) for a long time now, but today things have been feeling different. Starting around 25ish weeks I was feeling a lot of belly tightening, and the frequency of this has increased with my progression. Now, at a little over 35 weeks the tightening is almost painful and happens several times a day. I figured this was BH. Starting last night, though, I've been having lots of cramping off and on. Today it's been pretty consistent - like the day before I start my period. Not terribly painful, just uncomfortable. Is the menstrual-type cramping BH or is the tightening BH... or both?
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I've heard BH feel like tightening, while labour feels like menstrual cramps. Are your cramps timeable at all? I'd call your doctor if it continues, just to be safe
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@sslm: Not really? It just feels almost identical to PMS. General crampiness all day in my abdomen and inner thighs/groin, and then kind of like I need to poop all the time, which is how I would feel during PMS and my period. The cramps definitely don't hurt as bad as during my period.
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@photojane: Hmm. Maybe it's just constipation? Or nothing? Or like you asked it could be BH? I was mentioning some cramps to my sister yesterday and she said I should be prepared to be uncomfortable from here on out, and that I would know if something was wrong or I was in labor.
Sorry I don't have more info!
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@sslm: ha! yes, I've been totally uncomfortable lately. I know it's not constipation - thankfully that's not an issue I have to deal with! I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I think I'll have her do a check and see if maybe this is me beginning to dilate. Lets hope so!
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I'm cracking up at Mason Dixons.
I've been feeling achy at the end of a long day, like a little crampy but also through my hips and thighs like you mentioned. I asked the doctor and he said that at this point as the baby engages more fully in the pelvis it's normal to feel achy. My stomach is so weirdly tight all the time though - so I can't tell at all if I've had any tightening like people describe Braxton Hicks.
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@photojane: I felt the exact same thing at 36 weeks (cramping like I was about to get my period.) the cramps started coming more frequently and stronger but nothing I could technically time as a contraction. I was a little freaked so made an appt with my ob and he said i was at 3cm and those were BH even though I didn't necessarily feel the tightening each time. I bet that's what you are having. Good luck at your appt tomorrow!
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6 comments