Contractions?

[Misssarah04]

Every week my midwife asks if I've been feeling contractions and I always end up saying, "uh maybe. I don't know. None painful..." and it gets left at that. But I'm a first timer and wonder if I just don't know what they feel like. I've read every book and browsed forums and still feel lost. I often feel what I think is baby girl pushing on my uterus, sometimes accompanied by a pressure very low, but i suppose it could actually be my uterus contracting and squeezing her. Bur most say contractions start low and spread upward but I don't feel that. Any other ladies feel their contractions differently or unsure if what they're feeling is a contraction? At nearly 39 weeks I assume I must have felt some by now right??

[Misssarah04]

Thank you ladies. I also talked to my midwife today so I feel better. And baby girl is doing great. I keep telling my midwife group that I'm glad that I'm such a boring patient.

[zazou]

My first pregnancy, I hardly had any....with this pregnancy I have had early contractions and was put on Magnesium to stop them. Last Tuesday I was in sooooooo much pain from the contractions, I almost went in as I thought our baby was coming....well the next morning they slowed down. So for us with previous pregnancies, you can see we are also a little unsure.

Real labour contractions are much more intense than BH or false labour contractions, they do not go away if you walk or change positions, and it is difficult to speak or concentrate through them. I'm also nearly 39 weeks and playing the waiting game too. You'll be fine and all the best!

[waitn838]

you are def not alone....i went through 3 births and each of them i never knew i was having contractions

i was due 1/1/12 but thanks to silent contractions as i call them my babies (i was preg with twins) came in November

the only time i felt conractions was after my water broke and they tried to stop my labor but things progressed....and i can tell you it felt like a very strong period cramps....

my doc told me anything that is painful is a real contraction....if you are unsure there are tests that can be done (NST) to check for contractions...talk with you doc

[Ashlee2210]

You're not alone! WIth my daughter I never knew what a contraction felt like. I am now pregnant with my second child, and I still don't know what I am supposed to feel!? Crazy, huh. lol - Don't worry though, you will definitely be able to tell when it is a contraction. I remember getting a crampy feeling like period cramps, but they just got more intense, and came more often. I am now 37wks with my son, and still get confused if that was a contraction or not. Good luck with everything!