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How often do you have Braxton-Hicks contractions?
Are any of you experiencing BH contractions on a daily basis yet?
I started feeling about one a day at 16 weeks, and since 18 weeks, I'm getting them throughout the day. Sometimes they're a little painful, especially because I'm wondering if I've developed a small hernia. I'm not sure whether to wait that out until my next doctor appointment on Oct 20 or make an appointment to have that checked now...
Anyway, back to the subject at hand.
So I get a few random BH contractions throughout the day, nothing consistent or regular. However, once I lay down for bed at night, I get BH contractions that are about 5-7 minutes apart and last for about 2 minutes at a time. This will carry on for about an hour to an hour and a half before I fall asleep, and then I'll be fine until morning. I wonder if the contractions are induced by all the baby's movements? It seems the more he moves, the more contractions I get. And at night, I swear the little guy performs Olympic style gymnastics for about an hour before falling asleep.
The BH contractions at night are kind of painful. Nothing intense, just a dull ache.
Anyone else?
I started feeling about one a day at 16 weeks, and since 18 weeks, I'm getting them throughout the day. Sometimes they're a little painful, especially because I'm wondering if I've developed a small hernia. I'm not sure whether to wait that out until my next doctor appointment on Oct 20 or make an appointment to have that checked now...
Anyway, back to the subject at hand.
So I get a few random BH contractions throughout the day, nothing consistent or regular. However, once I lay down for bed at night, I get BH contractions that are about 5-7 minutes apart and last for about 2 minutes at a time. This will carry on for about an hour to an hour and a half before I fall asleep, and then I'll be fine until morning. I wonder if the contractions are induced by all the baby's movements? It seems the more he moves, the more contractions I get. And at night, I swear the little guy performs Olympic style gymnastics for about an hour before falling asleep.
The BH contractions at night are kind of painful. Nothing intense, just a dull ache.
Anyone else?
I hope you're able to get into the specialist soon and that the treatment helps. There's nothing worse than being ill or in pain when you're pregnant.
I had my OB appointment this morning, and she said that the localized spot of pain I’m feeling is not in my uterus, and it does in fact seem to be colon related. She palpated the area on my stomach, and determined that the pain is not being caused directly by the pregnancy. However, she said that spot is highly unlikely to be an area that develops a hernia, so she basically ruled that out, but not completely. She seems to think it is spastic colon, and may not even be my colon having spasms, but my small intestine.
Anyway, she prescribed me an anti-spasmodic pill that I’m supposed to take four times a day. She also had the receptionist schedule me an appointment with my gastroenterologist to investigate this further. At the moment, that appointment is for October 23, but the receptionist told me that as soon as my OB gets a chance today, she is going to call his office and see if he can get me in sooner.
She was also a little concerned that I’m having Braxton Hicks contractions as often as I am, so she checked me for cervix dilation, but I’m fine. Guess I’m just unlucky enough to have those darn contractions as often as I do. But she said that basically until I get up to 37 weeks, if I show any signs of spotting or other leaking fluid, or the pain gets more intense with the contractions, then to see her immediately. I’m pretty sure I’m perfectly fine, though, and I’ll have no problem getting to full term for delivery. I wasn’t very concerned about the frequency of my contractions until she said something and wanted to check me.
Anyway, she prescribed me an anti-spasmodic pill that I’m supposed to take four times a day. She also had the receptionist schedule me an appointment with my gastroenterologist to investigate this further. At the moment, that appointment is for October 23, but the receptionist told me that as soon as my OB gets a chance today, she is going to call his office and see if he can get me in sooner.
She was also a little concerned that I’m having Braxton Hicks contractions as often as I am, so she checked me for cervix dilation, but I’m fine. Guess I’m just unlucky enough to have those darn contractions as often as I do. But she said that basically until I get up to 37 weeks, if I show any signs of spotting or other leaking fluid, or the pain gets more intense with the contractions, then to see her immediately. I’m pretty sure I’m perfectly fine, though, and I’ll have no problem getting to full term for delivery. I wasn’t very concerned about the frequency of my contractions until she said something and wanted to check me.
I just got off the phone with a nurse practitioner at my OB's office. She called me because the doctor is out today, and wanted to verify that the pain I'm feeling isn't a potential emergency.
I explained to her the type of pain I am feeling, and she thinks it does sound very much like a hernia. She said if that's the case, it can most likely be addressed to repair after delivery if it's not a critical hernia.
Guess I'll find out for sure on Tuesday morning.
I explained to her the type of pain I am feeling, and she thinks it does sound very much like a hernia. She said if that's the case, it can most likely be addressed to repair after delivery if it's not a critical hernia.
Guess I'll find out for sure on Tuesday morning.
I will admit that I've been holding off on making an appointment with my OB, but I got that done this morning. I will see her on Tues morning to determine if I've developed a hernia.
I'm really not so concerned about the BH contractions, but I will mention that when I'm there, just in case.
Mostly, I'm worried I've developed a hernia, because I don't know how else to describe the intense pain I have been feeling in one small spot just below and to the right of my belly button. I've never had a hernia before, so I don't know what one feels like, but I just can't think of any other way to describe the way the pain feels. It feels like something is stabbing through my stomach wall, and I cannot apply any pressure on that point or it is extremely painful. If it's not the stabbing feeling, it's a dull burning sensation over that spot. Oddly enough, this spot is not popping out, so it can't be seen, but I sure can feel it!
I noticed it on my last u/s when the doctor slid the doppler over that part of my stomach, but I'm so used to intestinal pain that I just ignored it, thinking it was only circumstancial to that day. But the pain and stabbing feeling has gotten worse over the last three weeks. It especially hurts when the baby kicks that exact spot, or when I have a BH contraction.
I think I really did something to make it worse about a week and a half ago; I unknowingly stepped on a spider that was crawling around in my bedroom in my bare foot, and it bit me. I was so stunned and freaked out at the size of the stupid spider scuttling away from under my foot that I jumped backwards and then onto my bed, holding my foot. I think some motion that I did aggravated the pain in that spot, because I felt two extreme stabbing sensations just below and to the right of my belly button immediately after I jumped on the bed.
Soooo, I haven't really known what to make of any of this. I have held off on calling the doctor because I HATE going in for weird things like that and then finding out that nothing is wrong with me, then I waste at co-pay and work time. The last time I went in for "nothing," thinking it could be pre-term labor at 16 weeks, I went to the ER and had a moron doctor that knew nothing about obstetrics (he could barely figure out how to use the doppler to locate the heartbeat), and the ER co-pay was $75. Then the next day I went to my OB to make sure I was not dialating or miscarrying, and she checked me, and there was nothing wrong, thank God. But still, that co-pay cost me another $25. So all in all, I spent $100 in co-pays to find out nothing was wrong with me or my baby. I just felt guilty that I'd spent that kind of money which turned out to be for no reason other than the fact that apparently, I was having a paranoid moment.
Anyway, I was talking to my husband this morning, and he told me to go ahead and call the doctor because he's getting concerned seeing me in this weird pain, and he said if anything, he just wants the peace of mind that the baby and I are okay, and that if I'll need surgery to repair a hernia, we should find out now so we can prepare.
I'm really not so concerned about the BH contractions, but I will mention that when I'm there, just in case.
Mostly, I'm worried I've developed a hernia, because I don't know how else to describe the intense pain I have been feeling in one small spot just below and to the right of my belly button. I've never had a hernia before, so I don't know what one feels like, but I just can't think of any other way to describe the way the pain feels. It feels like something is stabbing through my stomach wall, and I cannot apply any pressure on that point or it is extremely painful. If it's not the stabbing feeling, it's a dull burning sensation over that spot. Oddly enough, this spot is not popping out, so it can't be seen, but I sure can feel it!
I noticed it on my last u/s when the doctor slid the doppler over that part of my stomach, but I'm so used to intestinal pain that I just ignored it, thinking it was only circumstancial to that day. But the pain and stabbing feeling has gotten worse over the last three weeks. It especially hurts when the baby kicks that exact spot, or when I have a BH contraction.
I think I really did something to make it worse about a week and a half ago; I unknowingly stepped on a spider that was crawling around in my bedroom in my bare foot, and it bit me. I was so stunned and freaked out at the size of the stupid spider scuttling away from under my foot that I jumped backwards and then onto my bed, holding my foot. I think some motion that I did aggravated the pain in that spot, because I felt two extreme stabbing sensations just below and to the right of my belly button immediately after I jumped on the bed.
Soooo, I haven't really known what to make of any of this. I have held off on calling the doctor because I HATE going in for weird things like that and then finding out that nothing is wrong with me, then I waste at co-pay and work time. The last time I went in for "nothing," thinking it could be pre-term labor at 16 weeks, I went to the ER and had a moron doctor that knew nothing about obstetrics (he could barely figure out how to use the doppler to locate the heartbeat), and the ER co-pay was $75. Then the next day I went to my OB to make sure I was not dialating or miscarrying, and she checked me, and there was nothing wrong, thank God. But still, that co-pay cost me another $25. So all in all, I spent $100 in co-pays to find out nothing was wrong with me or my baby. I just felt guilty that I'd spent that kind of money which turned out to be for no reason other than the fact that apparently, I was having a paranoid moment.
Anyway, I was talking to my husband this morning, and he told me to go ahead and call the doctor because he's getting concerned seeing me in this weird pain, and he said if anything, he just wants the peace of mind that the baby and I are okay, and that if I'll need surgery to repair a hernia, we should find out now so we can prepare.
I'm high risk... so I'm not sure that its the same for others, but since I have a cerclage and a history of pre-term labor my Dr's have always told me to call if I have more than 4 contractions in an hour.
I would definitely talk to your Dr. about it at your next appointment, or sooner if you are concerned.
Not to scare you, but with all the pre term labor I had with DD (she was born at 30 weeks) the contractions never hurt, they just felt like tightening in my abdomen, almost like the baby was just balling up and pushing against my tummy.
Best of Luck to you and please keep us updated.
I would definitely talk to your Dr. about it at your next appointment, or sooner if you are concerned.
Not to scare you, but with all the pre term labor I had with DD (she was born at 30 weeks) the contractions never hurt, they just felt like tightening in my abdomen, almost like the baby was just balling up and pushing against my tummy.
Best of Luck to you and please keep us updated.
I have had them, not knowing what they were. I went to the hospital because it felt like a bowling ball was gonna fall out of my vagina while walking. I had no previous knowledge of what a BH was. Once i arrived at the doctors, it happened again. they told me that it can be normal but to monitor it. and now that i know whats happening and what to expect, i feel more comfortable.
I've literally been getting them since about 14 wks (this is my 2nd pregnancy...). Some days I have more than others but sometimes they do take my breath away. She is sitting so low and my belly will harden just above my pubic bone to an inch or so below my belly button. I get them more when I'm at work - maybe b/c I'm on my feet all that time, but who knows. I do want to talk to my OB about it and just make sure...
I haven't had any contractions. I get cramping which is more like achy crampy and I get round ligament pain, but that's about it. I'd be very interested to hear what your OB has to say.
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