cramps vs contractions?

[Anonymous]

I'm 39 weeks and having lots of cramping, which ranges in intensity, but only some of the time is the cramping accompanied by a hardening of my uterus (which I guess means not all of the cramping is linked to actual contractions). Should I treat the cramps as being a sign of the onset of labor, or should I disregard them unless they go along with a real contraction?

[Anonymous]

I've always heard that these type of cramps are not a predictor of the onset of labor. When I was pregnant, it was explained to me that this is your uterus "practicing" because it is only contracting certain quadrants of the uterus instead of the whole thing. Not to say that labor isn't right around the corner; it could be but these practice cramps aren't necessarily a guarantee. Good luck and congrats! Either way, you are almost there!

[Anonymous]

As someone who never really felt contractions until I was 3/4 way through labor at 39 weeks I would consider anything that includes a hardening of the uterus - as potential signs on labor. That being said you can have these for days - pay attention to anything that increases in intensity and /or comes regularly....I am assuming you also spoke to you OB about this or will soon.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

My labor started with what seemed like menstrual cramps at 37 weeks and 1 day. More specifically, the really bad menstrual cramps I remember from when I was a teenager. I woke up with them and really really wanted to stay home but convinced myself my uterus was just "practicing", and went to work. The cramps started coming regularly (about every 8 min.) so I called my midwives, who said it might be the beginning of labor...or it might not. They said to go home if I felt like it and stay at work if I preferred to be at work. I went home. But I didn't have what I considered to be "real" contractions until 8pm. The baby was born an hour and forty-five minutes later. Trust your instincts. If you feel like being home/going to your birthing place of choice and/or are convinced the baby is coming, it's probably labor. If you're just having cramps, you're just having cramps.