What Do Contractions Feel Like? (Page 1)

Well, everyone is different. I'm 38 wks too but with my second and I have contractions all the time. They are just now starting to get strong and very noticable.

With mine, my stomach gets hard all over, and I get a crampy like feeling that goes up my stomach. When I have a strong one I can feel it on the back of my uterus and in my back. When I first started getting them I thought it was just him streching but he isn't that big and I know he is head down so his butt is sticking up and he can't make all of my tummy hard as a rock. It is almost like you really have to go potty (#2) and then you go to the potty, sit down the pain goes away and you don't have to go. But that is just how it is for me. ( sorry if that sounds gross)

i hope I have helped you some. I pray you have a fast and safe delivery.

Lindasy

You will know when your getting contractions they will get closer together and more painful just time them...

Also sometimes your water may break beforehand, I had bh for three days prior and then when my water broke all hell broke loose lol!! They are painful but its hard to explain cause they arent at the same time its like some serious period cramps getting worse.

Try this if you put a paperclip between your index and thumb and keep pushing down for about 1min -3 min you will start to feel cramping similar thing to what happens with contractions they get worse only thing is you can stop pushing down with your fingers and not with contractions

everyone is different just keep your head high and if you feel like its time go to hospital, they will send you home if your not in active labor yeah kinda of sucks being sent home....

Thanks for the responses! That helps me a lot.

I'm not even sure if i've been having bh contractions, I do notice sometimes when I touch my belly that it's very hard but I don't feel any tightening, cramping or pain. I'm so anxious to deliver!!!! I'm hoping I go early I really can't wait any longer.

Anyone have any suggestions for speeding this up....My doctor said she won't have me induced until i'm at least a week late. I don't think I can wait that long:)

When you are in labor, you will know believe me. It is a pain that starts out low and kinda like period cramps but they rise in intensity and radiate all over the lower-- middle stomach. They are also felt in the back same exact way, and sometimes both stomach and back at the same time. I had full back labor with one of my children out of 3. They will get harder and stomach will harden with them, and will get much much closer together.

Good luck--safe and speedy delivery to all full term ladies, well, and all the rest too!!! Just not today

If you really want to try and get your labor going try nipple stimulation. Keep in mind that this will only work if your body is ready to have the baby.

The contractions you can get with the stimulation can be very intense so be careful. Most woman who do this for 15 minutes each nipple for about three hours go into labor within 72 hours. If you start having a contraction while stimulation stop and wait then begin again. Just be very careful.

There is also castor oil but I don't suggest it. It just gives you the runs and dehydrates you, that is why you go into labor. Not at all pleasant if you ask me. And can make for a very messy delivery.

Oh, when you start having contractions, walk. That is the best to get them closer and stronger.

Good luck!!

Lindsay

I know what you mean I want to have him so bad we are due on the 26th and I asked my doctor if he was not here by then would they induce labor at my next appt. After my due date which will be the 29th and she said no I have to go atleast on week over before they will even set a date to induce

hey how long does the low pain that feels like period craps last before they more up? I have been having the bh contractions, and period like cramps for 2 days now, its not bad at all, just noticable. Sometime I get some sharp pains but not that bad. Can you help me?

Its like they started by my ovaries--just like beginning of period cramps, then they would spread across my stomach and upward too. Changing into hard and very painful, then they would get less and less then stop. Then it would all start again. Sometimes in the back the same way. Sometimes belly and back. Just start out little uncomfortable, but by the top of them really bad pain and everywhere, then back to no pain. They come every 5 minutes or close to that when they want you to come to hospital. Constant and consistant before they want you to go to the hospital.

Good luck to all of you

Hi my contratcions were all in my back I experienced nothing in my stomach at all but it just felt like really bad diahorrea cramps which reached a peak and disappeared.

Well I just had the chance to experience labor and mine started in my back it felt like I had to use the rest room, and then by 11 am I was having them in my back and stomach, and befor I had him I was having them mostly in my stomach and it was the worst thing I have ever experienced but well worth it I would do it again in a mintue, I love my little boy

That's what i've been wondering too is how to tell when you are having contractions. I am 38 weeks pregnant exactly tomorrow-due february 1st. The last couple prenatal appointments I had my Dr. Told me that my cervix is still shut, but he was able to feel my babys' head so maybe that's good news....As far as labor starting soon. I don't know thought, this is gonna be my first baby.

hey I was 38 wks and had been dialited 1/2 an inch for a week and 0% efaced and I had braxton hicks all weekend, then on monday I was 39 wks to the day and I was having pains in my back that made me think I had to poop. So I went to sleep and ignored it. That was at 6 am and then I tossed and turned because it was uncomfortable. Then at 11 am I was forced to get up because it hurt so bad it was now in my lower stomach,. And I went to pee and there was some pink. So I wanted till I felt the pain again andthen watched the clock until I felt it again and the contractions were 6 mins apart. So I called the doctor and went to the hospital and time went by so fast, I guess cause I was hurting so bad. I am not good with pain, I got sick and barfed so after what seeemed forever they gave me so pain meds to help the pain , but then one hour later, I woke up in terrible pain , and I did not know why the meds had already stoped working , then she told me I was in active labor and it was time to go get the big shot. The epidural , I was told it urt going in, but you are tooo busy worrying about your next contraction to worry about the epidural, and then no pain , my baby turned at the last min, and I had to have an emergency c-section, I really hated that I could not have hm the normal way but his heart rate dropped to the low 30's and we all know thats not normal. So they rushed him out. Good luck and god bless

Thanks i'm sure that I will know when it's the real thing or I could always go to the hospital and see, worse comes to worse they'd just send me home if it's false labor. I've been having really bad back aches, my stomach gets hard a lot but I doubt it's the real thing yet.

proble braxton hicks if your whole stomach is getting hard, but yeah you will know for sure. No doubts about it at all.

Thought I would add since my lil "no name' is being stubborn

i have had false labor a few times already and it feels similar to real labor except contractions would stop or they wouldnt get anymore painful im due in a few days and im going crazy cause the baby is playing games with me. Honestly though you will know when ur in labor they do get more painful im not going to lie but at the same time they are somewhat managable until you have no break in between I believe they call that transitional labor.

Good luck everyone!!

I went into false labor last friday in the middle of science (embarrasing, much?). It started with a dull ache at the back of my stomach, and my tummy got harder than it usually is. Then they got worse, pushing lower down. It kind of felt like a foot was jabbing into me. It was just false labor, though, and they amnaged to stop them. I'm guessing they'll be worse when they're real. :)

Feels like someone put a blood pressure cuff all the way around your stomach and pumped the damn thing up until it exploded!

(x).