Period-like cramps at 26 wks - normal?

[Anonymous]

I am 26wks with pg #2, so I feel like I should know what is normal and what is not. I am having very different symptoms with this pg versus with my DD 3years ago.

If I walk a fairly short distance - from the dr's office to my car, or from my office building across the street to grab a bite to eat - I get some fairly strong period-like cramps. They subside when I sit down and rest, but the distance that it takes to cause these cramps is decreasing and making me nervous.

I also keep getting tightness through-out my whole belly, which I would describe as what I thought were Braxton-Hicks with the last pg, but it seems too early to be feeling these so strongly. It happens mostly in the late afternoon/evening after a day at work and an early evening with handling my toddler. They don't seem regular and go away after I rest.

I'm going to call the dr later, but just thought I see if anyone else has had this and it was normal. Could this be pre-term labor? If so, how do they tell?