how do contractions feel

[Anonymous]

I have been having irregular lower back pain ( by the way I'm about 39.5 weeks) and some abdominal pain as well. I have been have those abdominal pais due to baby moving around a lot. I don't really want to go to the hospital too earl and just "hung" in there. My OBGYN told me to come when tha contractions are 5 minutes a part but I'm not sure if I'm having them or not. Pllease help...Also I have some light brownish discharge. Thanks

[Anonymous]

You must be getting close. The brownish discharge is the show. When I had it, I gave birth within 24 hours. I also had only back pains. Good luck!

[tracenik]

Like the worst menstrual cramps of your life. Believe me, you'll know.

And good luck!

[Anonymous]

tracenik wrote:Like the worst menstrual cramps of your life. Believe me, you'll know.

And good luck!

It really bothers me when women say believe me you'll know. There are women out there, myself included that did not know and almost did not make it to the hospital in time to deliver. I was timing contractions but they never hit the 3-5 minute consistency mark and had only mild back pain. My water broke on the way to the hospital and I delivered approximately 45 minutes later. I think some of it has to do with individual genes, pain threshold, etc. Please be careful not to generalize.

[tracenik]

Point taken. Sorry!

[Anonymous]

To me, they felt intense and caused me to become very inward focused. Some similarity to menstrual cramps, but different as well. I have a high pain tolerance and, as intense as labor was, the inward focus was the most notable part of the experience in many ways.

[Anonymous]

Mine didn't feel like cramps at all. It started off feeling like the baby was moving her head hard against my pelvic bone (in fact that's what I thought it was, the baby moving) and then later it was like pressure waves as well (but by then I was at the hospital on pitocin). It's difficult to describe, but I am only posting to add to what the PP said - for some of us the pain is different than cramps and at least in my case, at first I didn't realize that I was having contractions. Of course I eventually would've figured it out (went to the hospital when my water broke before contractions became regular so never really had to time contractions and guess whether "this was it"), but I can definitely see how it can be confusing. Also, mine didn't hurt until I got on pitocin (and then it hurt really bad!).

OP, good luck. Sounds like things are on their way. Easy labor and delivery to you.

[Anonymous]

They started like bad menstrual cramps in the front, and then worked around to the back like bad gas. Fun, fun!

[Anonymous]

I'm 38+ weeks and I've been experiencing a very strange pain low in my abdomen. It feels as though DS is pressing his head against my intestines or something. It's very painful, comes in intervals and then goes away. I dont know if I'm having contractions or just some other kind of pain. No idea.