How do you know you are having contractions?

Bethany - posted on 05/01/2009

I'm in the "it felt like menstrual cramps" camp. Mine started very lightly 2 days before my due date, in the evening. I went to bed without any trouble, but woke up around 5am with the cramps being stronger. Decided to time them, and realized they were around 5-10 minutes apart. Got to the hospital, and they got a LOT stronger once I was put on an Oxytocin drip. To be honest, a horrible feeling but it has to be said - who has babies because it feels good? Trust us all, though, when we say - IT'S WORTH IT (and once it's over with, you may well have a hard time remembering much about the birth - probably a good thing ;)) Good luck!

Melissa - posted on 05/01/2009

For me I never had abdominal pain because I had all back labor. The only way that I really knew it was labor was because the pains kept coming and I couldnt get comfortable or fall asleep. Something just didnt feel right. I then started timing the pains in my back. After a few hours of them being 4-8 min apart I called the doctor and they said to come in , and then I started to feel very sick and started vomiting. I think it is different for everyone. Every body told me oh you will know, it will feel like period cramping , but mine never did. Luckily I had a friend who had a similar experience when she had her child and she told me that she never had the abdominal cramping either she just started not to feel right and couldnt get comfortable, so thats how I knew what I was feeling.

Kiera - posted on 05/01/2009

Yeah you def know I always hated that reply but really you do, mine started out like gas pains then turned into period cramps that really hurt.

Tara - posted on 04/30/2009

For me it was also like period cramps. I had no idea what was going on and thought it was strange. I started getting them when I was at 35 weeks so I went to the doctor and he checked me and said I was in pre term labour and it could happen at any time. I had already started to dialate. I was also on bed rest. Well this went on for 4 weeks and once I was passed 37 weeks I was so ready. Just imagine having period cramps that long lol. I was also afraid because of it I wouldn't know if I was in real labour or not! Then one night I woke up to a slight bit of more pain. It just felt different and then I counted my contractions and was pretty sure that was it, went to the hospital, the contractions slowly got stronger and closer together and sure enough I was 4 cm and progressed fast.
Everyone is different, some contractions come on very strong right away and I have heard the 'period cramping' from a lot of others.
Hope that helps!

Brittany - posted on 04/29/2009

I had braxton hicks contractions for a while before i had my daughter, but the real ones not only made my stomach hard, they made my lower back hurt and it went away when the my stomach pain and hardness did. They weren't bad at first, i thought they might be braxton hicks until i noticed they were getting stronger, i drank water and laid on my left side, it didn't help. i took a warm bath, it didn't help. That's when i started timing them and they were regular... 14 minutes apart.

Kelly - posted on 04/29/2009

With both kids, it started like period cramping. It was very faint with the first and I wasn't sure it was contractions until about 12+ hours later. With the second I had a stretch and sweep and it felt like waves of strong period cramps starting during the stretch and sweep. You might not have had noticeable contractions yet last time. Everyone is different and each labor is different too. I almost didn't make it to the hospital on time with my second because I was expecting it to progress at the same pace as with my first. With both my kids, my waters broke as the baby's head started to crown.

Emily - posted on 04/29/2009

Trust me when i say...you just KNOW :)

Elizabeth - posted on 04/28/2009

Thanks! With my first my water broke and I didn't feel contractions until 12 hours after so I'm afraid that I will miss the warning signs with this one. Thanks for the luck!

Sabina - posted on 04/28/2009

Mine felt like cramping in my lower abdomen area which would come and go... no matter what you did to stop it, the feeling was constant. I knew it had to be contractions. Good luck!