32 weeks and braxten hicks hurts now!!

[MrsHollyberryw2]

I'm 32 weeks now. The braxten hicks are picking up in frequency and are actually getting painful in my lower ab and even vaginally and in my back. Yesterday, there were 3 in a row 10 min apart and then with laying down on my side, they went away. I read they will start hurting some. This is my 3rd full term pg, and I don't remember this ( youngest is 7 yrs). wondering if I need to call dr? they happen all day, but don't keep a pattern and I have had more thinner mucus. baby is moving regular and a lot. also somthing else werd...............that 1st trimester exhaustion has returned. there are times with shopping or just working around the house or doing my hair that my legs just get so heavy and tired like weak and feel woozy in the head. like all the blood is dropping to my legs. I sat at walmart 5 times last week!! the blood preassure monitor there said my bp was 107/73!!! I wonder if my bp is dropping with the weight of the baby?? or is it low iron or low blood sugar. I take metformin and my blood glucose came back low at 88 for the 1 hour test and my iron is low. normally my bp is higher, about 123 to 130/80. maybe its just cause im 40!!! who knows. i see dr next week. thanks for listening. getting a little worried

[superclam]

MrsHollyberry - I would call your doctor right away. I may be mistaken, but I thought that braxton hicks are not supposed to hurt, and are not supposed to be rhythmic (as in every so many minutes). If you are having painful contractions every 10 min, you may be in preterm labor. I don't want to alarm you, but a call to the dr's will clear up the matter. Play it safe and don't take a chance. In the meantime, when you have the contractions, lie down on your side and drink 3 large cups of water until the contractions stop. That should help.

In my last pregnancy, I was having similar contractions to what you are experiencing beginning at 28w. I had a very incompetent NP overseeing my pregnancy and she dismissed my contractions as braxton hicks, even though everything I read about them told me that I was not having braxton hicks contractions. But I would lie down and rest and the contractions would go away, and there was no pattern on what would set off the contractions, so I figured everything was fine. At 30w my contractions worsened and I called my hospital and they told me to come in. I was having 3 contractions within 15 minutes. I was on preterm labor. Again, due to a mistake by the resident who discharged me, I was discharged to resume light activity. At 32w, at our regularly scheduled OB appt with the NP, I was still having these frequent contractions. She didn't know what to do, so she switched me to an OB, who reading my chart, said that I was on preterm labor and was supposed to have been on bedrest since the hospital discharge (2 weeks that I continued to hike my way to work).

I was believe it or not, effaced and 1 inch dilated, and had already lost my mucous plug. Anyhow, moral of the story is to not take chances. If you believe something is not right, pursue it. And what I learned from the Labor & Delivery nurse and the preterm labor prevention nurse is that you should lie down on your side when you are having these contractions, and drink at least 3 large cups (12oz each) of water. That helps slow or stop the contractions. If your contractions don't stop and speed up to 3 contractions in 15 min., you need to go in. For me, sometimes drinking water would not help, and I had to go in to the hospital where they would give me fluids via IV to stop the contractions. Fortunately for me, that would always do the trick and they never needed to give me any anti-contraction meds to stop the labor. I was able to last to 38 weeks and gave birth to a full term baby. But I owe it all to the weekly monitoring from the preterm labor prevention nurse. I had to lie down for an hour a day and do nothing but time my contractions, write it down on a booklet they gave me, along with how much water I drank. Then weekly, a nurse would call me and I had to report that week's count. Granted I was already doing nothing since I was on bedrest, but it forced me to remember to drink my water and to pay attention to my contractions closely.

I am 40 too this time around and feeling woozy and tired all the time. I tested slightly anemic at 10w so I am attributing my wooziness to the anemia. You should have had a blood test for glucose and iron at the beginning of your 3rd trimester, no? Most women get anemic in the last trimester. And iron supplement or iron-rich foods should do the trick. And remember to eat small meals/snacks throughout the day. Good Luck!

[MrsHollyberryw2]

Hi Clam!
you have been very helpful. It's been 7 years since my last baby, so I have forgotton some stuff. I knew about the water thing. I had been up when the contractions started and they kept coming actually longer than I timed them now that I think of it!!! I should have called. I laid down on my left side and started timing them and they kept coming. I knew it was 10 min gone by cause I would start getting another contraction. I would look at the clock, and sure enough, 10 min on the dot!!!!! I got up and drank a huge glass of water and they spaced out and finally went away. I am bad about eating, so I have her and my husband on me now. I have only gained 8 lbs as of yesterday with this preg as of 33 weeks!!! I;m heavy ( now up to 219 lbs) but had lost 70 before getting pg and was down 207 before getting pg that month and gained my usual 4 lbs of pms that never went away cause i was pg.LOL. That is awful that your nurse did that!!! She should know better. I knew somthing was not right, either. I had told my husband if after laying down and drinking that water if I had that 4th contraction in a row at 10 min apart that I was calling the dr. I was tested for anemia in my 7th month and my iron was low. so Have added more spinach and beef ( I;m not a beef person) and my sugar was low. I had gestational diabetes with my last pg, so I have been watching that anyway, but now its been too low!!! some of the dizziness has been that, but now she is saying when I described my legs feeling so heavy like the blood dropped to them in my calves and feeling weak etc, taht it sounds like potassium being low. I dont know why she did not do a blood test to check. I came home and googled and found I fit the symptoms as well as it can cause leg cramps ( which i don't have, but have had some in my feet) the depression and constipation taht I had forgotton to tell her about. I would love to hear what you find out about it as well!!!! Thanks!!!!!

[superclam]

Hi Holly, I am glad you remembered what to do!
Frankly, if my last pregnancy hadn't been such an ordeal to keep DS inside my womb as long as possible, I would not remember any of it, and that was only 3 yrs ago!

[carolsue]

I have a question for you ladies, how do you tell the difference in preterm labor as far as back aches go? Mine hurts if I stand or walk too long and I have degenerative disc disease, arthritis, and a herniated disc all in the same area. My uterus aches low all of the time b/c the girl is laying low and I am scared I won't be able to read the signs and I so want these babies. My OB will start seeing me every 2 weeks after my next appt which is 11/24 for a cervix check

Thanks

CS

[whitley]

Having been a victim of PTL, I can say it's VERY hard to tell for a first timer (which I assume you are). I had no idea my back labor was actually PTL. But if it helps any...it felt like period cramps. (This doesn't help some people because there are actually folx out there who don't experience cramps during AF. I was amazed by that. ) Anyhoo, the rule of thumb I heard (after it was already too late and my son was gone) is that if you think it's PTL, drink a large glass of water and lay down on your left side. If the feelings subside then you are probably okay. If not (contractions DON'T go away I'm told) then you should to str8 to L&D do not pass go and do no collect $200! I spent a lot of time in and out of L&D last pgcy (this pgcy thankfully only twice and for nothing nearly as serious). So don't be afraid to go in WHENEVER! That's what they're there for!

(Incidentally, I canNOT believe you are pregnant with twins and haven't been seen every other week from the start! You must not be seeing a high risk OB and definitely must not have a PERI because they would have demanded it.)

[carolsue]

Whitley-Yes, these are our first, my OB is a high risk and they do have a Peri in the practice but Ihave not seen her as of yet. I got for my next appt 11/24then she will see me every 2 weeks which will make me feel better and it was at my request, she would have done it starting 5 months but I figured we would wait. I do/did have cramping w/ AF but the girl is so low in the pelvis that I ache down there too, like all of my "stuff" is gonna fall out. I'm curious when and if they will take me off of work.

Thank you for sharing your experience w/ me, I have also heard of drinking lots of water and laying on your side. I am trying to get better at drinking water.

CS

[whitley]

Oh I understand completely the sensation of your "stuff" falling out. I have a low lying uterus and low hanging bladder due to fibroids that lived and grew in the ol' ute for about 6 years before I had a myomectomy to remove them (and I see from your hx you've had one too). Didn't know anything about how low the fibroids had caused my ute to fall until they put in my cerclage in June and nicked my bladder. Long story short...a low lying ute can also cause the sensation of your "stuff" falling out when baby is low. Not sure if this may contribute to what you're feeling but since you've had fibroids (don't know if they were as many as I did) it could very well be the case. Just an extra FYI...

I have been off work since 18 weeks with a singleton because I am high risk...I have heard from friends with twins they take you off around 28ish (although I know a couple girls who worked through 32. )

[carolsue]

I don't think they will take me off of work unless some complications arise. I do wonder if it will be due to being uncomfortable b/c of my size. I am not super huge yet but am big and wonder how much more I can take, I am working 40 hrs weekly in a medical office. I have what is supposed to be a desk job but I am up all of the time walking around.

As far as my surgery goes, I did have 1 adenomyoma removed, it was in the uterine wall and I was bleeding right in the middle of an IVF cycle and we had to freeze the eggs, there was another one but they left it b/c they couldn't actuallu see it during surgery.