Cramps: braxton hicks or slow labour?

[Lorrymac]

Morning Ladies,

I'm hoping someone might be able to help me here - for about a week (give or take) i've been getting cramps. They started quite low down like a period cramp used to feel, but yesterday I was having a nap and when i woke up I got a few of them over the space of 5-10 minutes and they were across the whole of my belly. I thought they were braxton hicks because although people say they're painless some women get them when they're not. I keep reading the word "uncomfortable" about them too but what does that mean?!? i find my bra uncomfortable!!

Can anyone shed any light onto what this might be? i don't like using the word painful (my burst appendix a few years ago was painful so i compare pain to that now) but it wasn't much fun. baby is sitll moving plenty, getting hiccups daily and shuffling around on a regular basis. I am 38 weeks this coming sunday.

many thanks, Lorraine

[natalie_1982]

I'm afraid I can't help re BH, as I am not even sure if I am having them or not. My belly does go tight, but I jyust assumed that was because baby had moved to the front? Also, it seems to have hiccups ALL the time, and as it hasn't engaged yet i still have pressure in my ribs and other rumblings and movings around so am not sure what is going on in there LOL

I started taking raspberry leaf yeterday though, after seeing my midwife in the morning who jiggled baby around (blimey midives have pokey fingers don't they?!) so I am not sure whether it is the raspberry leaf or the joggling but baby seems to have been having a non-stop party in there since, there has been no end of tightenings, wrigglings, mild pain / pressure in my pelvic area, etc. I am assuming that it is trying to engage.

None of it has been painful though, just odd!

[warpig3]

LOL Nat, midwives having pokey fingers, just wait 'til you get to hospital. I was woken up by a midwife wanting to massage my breast at 6am in order to feed the baby, not quite what I was expecting, and somewhat surreal. Mrwarpig commented that she may have been a raving lesbian but I prefer to think she was just doing her job (men!!!!).

[Psychick]

lol warpig, Ive been through it twice and they never wanted to massage mine (thankfully!) are you sure mr warpig isnt right? lol
Im just kidding, I know they do need to do that sometimes if baby isnt feeding well or the flow needs a boost.

As for the BH, I was getting them regulary for about 2 weeks before baby arrived, I had been getting them before on and off, but these were different and kept making me wonder if it was time. I couple of times I even started timing them just in case. I was also getting the low down, mild period type pains. When the real thing started, I knew the difference straight away.

natalie, mine had an activity spurt before she came along as well. I thought world war three had broken out in there lol She quietened down shortly before birth though.

[natalie_1982]

Hello ladies - how are you getting on? How are the girls?

My friend is coming round tomorrow with his little girl, she is 11days old and was only 4lb2oz so I can't wait to see her!

WP, it was probably wishful thinking from Mr Warpig. And definitely sounds like something Mr Nat would come out with! LOL

[fine,thanks]

warpig, youve had your baby, fabulous,hope all well

[warpig3]

Hi fine thanks, long time no read! Hope all is well with you. yes had a baby girl on 23 Feb, Alexandra, all was good, in delivery suite for 50 mins then out she popped and no stitches!

Nat, 4lb 2oz, wow, thats tiny, she would make the piglet look like a porker! And yes it possibly was wishfull thinking on mrwarpigs behalf!

Hi psychick, hope all is going well for you and Holly.

I am off to bed now for a nap as mrwarpig is off on paternity leave. He said he couldnt wait to be off on holiday! HOLIDAY!!!!!!!!! ha ha, yeah right! He will be glad to get back to work by the end of it methinks.

[Psychick]

Hi warpig, yes things are going good for us here, hope all is well up your end too. So mr wapig is expecting a holiday eh? lol Hes in for a shock isnt he? My boyfriend was climbing the walls to get back to work lol

[Lorrymac]

Hi Redcrx,

I am wrong then, i meant the problem you get when the placenta comes away from the uterus wall....?

saw midwife today, she said all is well. cramps she said are caused by the baby fidgeting about and the uterus reacts by cramping. makes sense to me!

it's just a waiting game now...... tick.....tock.....

[2ndtimemum]

I've got the same problem my stomach is really hard this is my 2nd preganacy my feet are really swollen my skin and my scalp are itchy and I don't know what is worse the fact I have to keep scratching or the "Braxton Hicks" that keep waking me up