contractions at 17weeks?

i am laying in bed with my husband watching t.v tonight and i feel like i am having contractions. my muscles tighten up and i run out of breath. but i am laying on my back so i dont know if that could have anything to do with it. how do i know if its braxton hicks contractions or real ones. and could i have either one at 17weeks? my cervix is fine . i just had an ultrasound yesterday. i feel the baby move and go into corners already. could that be why i get that whole stomache pressure? when should i start to worry?

[rebbecca]

i think u should call ur dr to be on the safe side.

[newbie2b]

Sounds like what happened to me when I was pregnant. I was getting braxton hicks very early on and called the Dr. She told me that most likely, I was dehydrated and that I should be drinking tons of water. And that if you are experiencing more than 4 an hour, you should go to labor and delivery.  Call your doctor and drink tons of water asap. It's to early to be having braxton hicks.

[Crritter]

I agree with the others.  I had Braxton Hicks early on, 16 weeks the first time and 10 weeks the second, but you should always mention it to your Dr.  If your belly is tightening and getting hard, it's a contraction of some sort.  Drink more fluids and relax, unless they are coming often like the others mentioned, then call ASAP.  Otherwise try to relax, and you shouldn't lay on your back from this point on, baby is getting too big and can place pressure on your blood flow.  I mentioned it to my Dr. at my appts.  By the second time around I was used to having them from before so I was not surprised.  Some gals do notice them earlier and some never notice them at all.  Call your Dr. and tell them what's happening and then try to relax.

[WhatYouMakeMe]

I thought I was having braxton hicks- went to L & D to get checked, it was true contractions.  They had to put me on meds to stop it... I take it every 4 hours.  I say you should call your doctor and ask what they want you to do.  Fluids are great too.

[girliegrl1723]

i would say drink more water too. its likely its braxton hicks. i had them off and on throughout my pregnancy. as early as you also. call you dr. just to be sure. that type of cramp could def. be from slight dehydration also. when i was preg. i would drink like 4-6 bottles of water a day. you really should double the amt. you usually drink when you are preg. too much water is never a bad thing - i dont think. maybe you shuld try asking this question on the pregnancy forum? :o) good luck and don't worry too much!!! (i know, easier said than done)

[boosty]

well, i finally fell asleep last night and this morning, i am fine. for some reason, i feel like its the weird pressure of the baby's movemnet that i feel thats making me feel like this if thats possible. but it wasnt four times an hour, it was every other minute. but i am fine. so i dont know.

[WhatYouMakeMe]

Oh!  They told me that if you have 6 or more contractions in a hour, to call them (my ob).  That went for braxton hicks or reg contractions.

[spade22]

Braxton Hicks contractions actually start around 6 weeks into pregnancy but aren't usually felt (if they are felt at all) until the middle of the 2nd trimester.  They aren't painful, have NO pattern to them, and many people wont feel them unless they have their hand on the uterus - in this case they will feel a tightening/relaxing sensation.

As the others have said, if you have 6 or more of these within an hour, you need to call your ob or head to the hospital.  Dehydration is definitely something to watch out for while pregnant.

[Cheyenne_08]

I had a weird pressure like you are describing and I was in per-term labor and never felt a single contraction. You might want to talk to a doctor just in case.

[Crritter]

My Braxton Hicks got painful at the end, but it was when baby was bigger and tried to kick through them.  It's not uncommon for them to hurt at the end too, but glad all is well.  I did have to have mine stopped at 36 weeks in order to turn baby, they were coming every 2 to 3 minutes, but I couldn't feel al of them and felt really sick and pressure.  I craved lots of water, it's good to keep hydrated.

[boosty]

thank you so much. i cant say it was dehydration cause i have been drinking aloooooooooooot!