Contractions?

[igw80]

so I am 39 weeks tomorrow ... wondering if any other mamas have experienced anything like this...

today I have had very noticeable and frequent pain down low near the waste line (just at the bottom of belly)... this pain sometimes feels like a menstrual cramp and sometimes feels like it could just be pressure from baby...??? Could this be a contraction? I am also noticing much more frequent need to urinate since yesterday...

I have been timing these painful moments and they've ranged from about 13 to 22 minutes apart....

Has anyone else had this kind of experience? I am not seeing or noticing any tightness or squeezing of belly and only having this pain down low, not anywhere above that in the rest of belly/uterus area....

Thoughts? Experiences? Advice?

Thanks mamas!

[Anonymous]

please call your doctor

[igw80]

why do you say that? I am just curious to hear from other moms.... doc said to call when 5 minutes apart.

[Anonymous]

OP you've been posting this symptoms for the past few days. JUST RELAX. When a real contraction strikes you'll know.
I've answered your posts before and I have had the same pain for 2 weeks now. Don't worry. Your baby will eventually come.

[Anonymous]

I had my first 3 weeks ago. For the last month I thought I was going to deliver in a matter of hours ALL THE TIME. But believe me, you will know. Just wait for your membranes to rupture and stop obsessing. Enjoy the time you have left and seriously, sleep. I couldn't because I was so uncomfortable and excited but I wish I tried harder.

[Anonymous]

I am going to have to disagree with PPs that you will just know when you are having real contractions. I actually did not realize it when I was in very early labor because I kept expecting menstrual cramp type pain and my contractions did not feel like that at all. Mine felt more like waves of pressure and also as if the baby was hitting her head hard against my pelvis (which is what I thought was happening). Hard to describe the feeling, but definitely not at all what menstrual cramps feel like to me. My water broke before contractions became regular so that was my cue to head to the hospital, and I am sure once they would've become very regular it would've been hard not to "know", but early on I did not.

[Anonymous]

i agree totally with pp--I had no idea that what I was feeling were contractions--it felt like pressure (not menstrual cramps) so I figured it was just part of being in the third trimester--but then the pressure was so frequent (like every 5 minutes) that I thought it might be contractions ( i wasn't due for 3.5 more weeks). I called my doc, she asked me to time it and then advised i go to the hospital. sure enough, baby was born.

I think unless you have had a baby before and know what contractions feel like, its hard to say you will just 'know'--I asked my doc to 'explain' what contractions felt like and she said it was a tightening feeling--for me it was nothing like cramps. it was like a dull pressure that was very uncomfortable for 10 seconds at a time. once it was 2-3 minutes apart, it was actually unbearable (pressure got harder and more intense). thank god for epidural!