What did your contractions feel like when they started?

Holly - posted on 08/14/2010

mine felt like menstrual cramps

Melanie - posted on 08/14/2010

I was having tons of contractions for about a week before I had my baby girl. But the night i went into REAL labor, my contractions changed from just tightening and some pelvic pain to all that AND back pain. My contraction would begin in my stomach/pelvic area and move towards my back. They weren't too regular but they were consistent. So they didn't come every 7 then 10 minutes but they were coming for hours on end and wouldn't stop. Then I fianly knew I was in labor when my water broke. But if this doesn't happen to you or you are just wondering when to call your midwife, monotor the pain and when you can't stand it anymore, then you make the call. I hope everything goes perfect for you! good luck.

Jenn - posted on 08/14/2010

They felt like bad cramps at first and got worse from there. I had them for about a day or so because I didn't know what it was. I went home from work went to bed and woke up in the morning and the cramps were so bad I was pacing the house, FYI that's when you need to go to the hospital! :) I was only dilated a few centimeters but it was perfect timing for an epidural. A little bit of cramps is normal but if they are getting worse and lasting for a certain amount of time and then coming back in a few minutes you need to go to the doctor or at least call. :) Congratulations on your new baby girl! Girls are the best!!!! So easy!

Katelyn - posted on 08/14/2010

This is called False Labor. Almost all women get it, but not all of us are blessed with feeling it... hehe, I was. Braxtin hix is just another way for your body to ready itself for actual labor. And your mucus plug can be lost multiple times. Don't worry yourself too much. Your little one will come when she is ready:) I feel for you with the done with being pregnant, there is only so much we can handle:)

I started to feel my contractions with our second (I was induced with our first) at about bed time. Was abale to fall asleep, thinking it was just false labor again (had it three times prior). I woke up at about 5am with really bad cramps, or so I thought. Went into a nice warm bath about 6:30am. That always helped me to relax. Then we headed out at about 7am to which was suppossed to my second induction, turns out I was in labor and I had her at 11:20am. It was great, no medication, no epideral. I had her over the toilet, one thing I will tell you... way better to push while you are squating, then when you are lying down:) For some though, ture everyone is different.... just makes more sense I think, gravity works! Good luck with everyting.

Sarah-Anne - posted on 08/14/2010

never felt a single contraction. was induced at 8 days late, had constant back pain and felt like i was constipated, caved after 25 hours and got a partial epidural (without narcotics), i had lots of pressure after that, daughter was born at ten days late with 38 hours of induced labor and 4 hours of pushing.

Nicole - posted on 08/14/2010

I guess it depends on the person. My first son was a still born at 24 weeks and I felt like I was being ripped in half. My second son was 7lbs at 35 weeks and I didnt even know I was in labor. I didnt feel any pain until I started to push and the pushing only lasted 40 mins. You should probably call your dr if you notice the tightening of your abdomen happening every 3-5 minuets for more then an hour.

Paulina - posted on 08/14/2010

It started off for me feeling like I had to go to the bathroom at 2am (which I was used to at this point anyway! lol). It continue thru the rest of the night. By 6am my husband woke up and said what's wrong. I told him my stomache had been bothering me all night. He said your probably in labor and started freaking out! lol Once we sat back,we noticed that we could time the pain/contraction which were 7 minutes apart at that point. I had no idea that I was in labor...my hubby actually figured it out! From there, the pain gets worse. Anyone who tells you it is like a period cramp is lying! It gets pretty bad...I had back labor as well which was just awful. Trust me when I say that it was worth all the pain and more! My little boy is 3 months old now and is my entire world!! Best of luck to you!!

Rachel - posted on 08/14/2010

I didn't even feel my contractions at all until they were 45 seconds long and 90 seconds apart. It was insane! (not to freak you out or anything) My husband and I laid down to go to sleep and all of a sudden I had a sharp pain like a menstrual cramp times 100. I stood up and walked around and had no idea it was a contraction, so I laid back down once it subsided. Another one came on very soon after that, so we called the doctor. She said to wait about an hour to make sure they were regular, because my water still had not broken. She instructed me to take a warm bath and relax. I tried the bath, but it did not help at all, so we called her again and she said to go to the hospital!

Kirsty - posted on 08/14/2010

mine felt like really bad cramps and stomach felt like like it was being pulled tight like i was wearing a corset

Olivia - posted on 08/13/2010

i had a lot of back pain and nothing in my stomack till i was dialated to about 5 cent. but the back pain was much worse. it felt like i was being stabbed in the hips. thank goodness for the epidural.

Natalie - posted on 08/13/2010

That really rock hard feeling in your abdomen is a contraction, they are just irregular at the moment. For me contractions felt like a big fat person was sitting on my tummy, lots of pressure but not painful like everyone claims. I found it very easy to walk around and pause every 3 minutes and wait for the contractions to pass. I tend to think that if you syke yourself out and stress too much about it, your body tightens up and makes it harder to let nature do its thing. I was disappointed that they broke my water at 3cm. My contractions were strong but manageable and I think I could have gone to 6cm before they had to intervene, but such is the process or birthing. Unpredictable at times and a totally fabulous and rewarding experience. I ended up needing an episiotomy and forcep delivery, but I was tired so rather than fight I got some extra help.

Don't be afraid of the phases your body is going through, they all serve to prepare your body. If you can lay back and watch your belly when you are having that rock hard sensation. If it is a contraction as I suspect you should be able to see your muscles rippling and you'll feel some pressure at your vagina as the movements move down your torso. Its really neat to see!

Krystal - posted on 08/13/2010

My contractions felt more like period cramps but i had horrible back labor. Depending on the person just depends on how your contractions feel to you. I didnt even realize i was in labor with my daughter til my water broke lol.

Rhian - posted on 08/13/2010

I didn't have braxton hicks contractions but I knew from the very first contraction what it felt like because I was hooked up to monitors at the hospital at that time. As I went into labor, the contractions showed up on the computer. They were like bad gas pains but fortunately don't last as long in the beginning and you have more time between them to get used to it.

Charlena - posted on 08/13/2010

Thanks for asking this question , Im due on aug 25th and i was wondering the same thing , i have a 3 year old but you tend to forget about the pains and contractions and what not lol but i guess what ive been having lately are contractions because i feel my stomach get really hard and then a few secs later it will relax , now that i know i can watch for when they are more frequent .

Jessie - posted on 08/13/2010

I had back labor and I didnt realize it at first thought it was just bad back pain. it was like sharp twinges in my lower back to by tailbone area. eventually I couldnt move around well or talk during the contractions and they got closer and closer together ( I was in labor for about 29 hours) Time them with a stop watch or something. I used the stop watch on my phone so I could see the last 20 or so times and figure out how far apart they were. I also spent a good portion of time the night before he was born on the toilet. it felt like I had bad diarrhea but actually it was my contractions pushing everything and making me feel like I had to go when most of the time I really didn't. Sorry, that was kinda gross there.

Melanie - posted on 08/13/2010

Well with my first theywere really unconfortable. I knew i was in labor. with my secong it felt like i was having a gall stone attack. I had to have my gallbaldder out 6 weeks after i had him. when i went in to get something for the pain i found out i was 5 cm dialated. they are different for each person but your tummy gets hard and sometimes its hard to breathe

Sam - posted on 08/12/2010

I did not have a contraction until my water broke, then really bad back labor. My water broke at 3:30 and my son was born at 7:30 and we live about an hour and half from the hospital. He is my first!

Laura - posted on 08/12/2010

I was lucky when i went into labor it was real labor. it felt like very strong menstrual cramping. oce my contractions started they were regular about every 10 minutes, then 7 minutes. but that was only the early labor once my contractions got to be every 5 minutes i also started to have very terrible back pain. that is when i knew i had to go to the hospital and when i got there i was 6 cm dialated. however your labor may be different the best advice that i got about labor was "stay home until you absolutely can't stand the pain anymore." otherwise you may have a very lenthly and uncomfortable hospital stay with no food or drink. I hope this helped good luck with your Labor and congratulations on your baby girl!!!!

Filomena - posted on 08/12/2010

pain felt between very bad period pain and stomach pain

Shannon - posted on 08/12/2010

i woke up at 7 am and it felt like terrible period cramps that were coming in waves, i would be crying in pain, then fine, and continued to do that... im pretty sure thats what they feel like for most women, but honestly, you'll know when its actually coming... good luck with your labour and your new baby! :)

Deonna - posted on 08/12/2010

To me, contractions felt like serious cramps. Some really bad ones, but cramps none the less.

Kathi - posted on 08/12/2010

I just had my third son 2 wks ago and we have a running joke in the family at the poor baby's expense. I was constipated for the last month of my pregnancy so I finally gave in and took some milk of magnesia @ about 9 pm the night before he was born to help "move things along". I woke up around 2 in the morning and thought I finally was going to go to the bathroom. I sat on the toilet for about an hour and a half thinking I was going to go to the bathroom. Turns out what I thought was constipation cramps was actually labor pains. I had waited until my "cramps" were about a minute or so apart before I finally woke my husband and two older boys to head off to the hospital. I ended up delivering a 9 lb 3 oz baby boy sunny side up (which explains the kind of pressure I was feeling). My MIL and husband now joke that he was the biggest poop that I will ever take.

Lisa - posted on 08/12/2010

With both my pregnancies I had braxton hicks for over a month and they even kept my up most of the night. Im am due with my second baby on Aug 22 and Ive been 2 cm dilated since Aug 5 and the braxton hicks are so storng at times I can cry

Lisa - posted on 08/11/2010

My contractions felt like a period cramp, but worse. They make u actually stop what u are doing and concentrate on breathing in and out until they are gone.

Good luck!!!

Casey - posted on 08/11/2010

my contractions felt like cramps..never had braxton hicks just cramps..cramps started on thursday and was in the hospital friday morning 9am..i did lose my mucus plug early friday morning but my water bag never broke

Danielle - posted on 08/11/2010

For my first pregnancy, my contractions felt like bad period pain. For my second pregnancy, I went straight into contractions every 5 minutes lasting 30-60s and these felt like really bad period pains in my stomach but at the same time knives in my back.

Fleur - posted on 08/11/2010

i had cramps and stomach tightening the whole week leading up to having my daughter pretty much from my due date until i had her 7 days later.. so new years eve i had really bad pains and was in tears thought it was the start of the process but got to the hospital and was only like 1cm so was sent back home.. 24 hours later with NO cramping at all, my water broke and it was off to the hospital. It wasnt untill we got in the car that i started having minor contractions.

Kimberly - posted on 08/11/2010

Mine felt like gas pains. I thought I had a belly ache and needed to you know...

Sadie - posted on 08/11/2010

alot like menstrual cramps, only alot sharper. a few made me double over and lasted 2 to 3 mins per contraction

Cassie - posted on 08/11/2010

I have to say mine were bearable. They started as a sharp, achy pain that would begin low then move outward. I could feel them coming on so I would count to myself and take deep relaxed breathes though the nose. The key is to stay relaxed and this helped me feel a little more in control and that helped me to relax. Good Luck and Congratulations!

Katie - posted on 08/10/2010

I had braxton hicks every day for 2 months prior to labor the night before I went in to labor they stopped! lol Should have been my sign...The next night at exactly 11:00pm I got a really intense contraction, and it felt exactly like a menstrual cramp only way more intense. At the hospital I was told if I were induced they would have to turn it down b/c my contractions were so strong. Eeeks! Anywho 10:47am the next day I had a beautiful baby girl :) Every second was worth it! Good luck to you, I hope all goes well!

Nicole - posted on 08/10/2010

My contractions were not bad at all i could barely feel them the only reason i knew i was having them was because my stomach would get really hard then my husband made me go to the hospital because it was getting hard every 5 min and lasting a min. i went to the hospital and was 5 cm in labor and i never felt one contraction.

Sarah - posted on 08/10/2010

They did that to me with my third child. Its normal what has happened so far. They say it could help but I was close to my due date so they wanted to try that to see if it would work so they wouldn't have to induce me. I went to the doctors thursday and had her Saturday night. At first when the contractions start it not too bad but they get worse and more consistant. Because it is your first its hard to tell if its real or not. I was miserable too especially with my first daughter because it was like the hottest summer ever and I had her August 14th. Good Luck to you!

Umu - posted on 08/09/2010

I was induced and before the labor set in I had the epidural. I was afraid that I wont have the energy to push after going through the whole labor process. so i decided 'i'll instead have the epidural now than later since I was goin to have it anyways'. I really dont know how it feels like. i was in "labor" for 14 hrs and I actually slept through the whole labor. when the time to push come, i was very strong and not tired at all. with 20 mins pushs baby comes out.

I hope you have an easy one. Good Luck

Krista - posted on 08/09/2010

The beginning felt like really really bad gas pain, and then quickly turned into fairly intense menstrual cramps, then it turned to back labour. Wishing you the best of luck!

Brooke - posted on 08/09/2010

i woke up at 6 in the morning already having cramps (no idea what time they started), i first thought i needed to go toilet but that wasn't the case, eventually they were happening every 15 mins then 10 etc... apparently once they are regular intervals apart and about 4 mins apart you should go to hospitle (well thats what i was told) if u have any worries call your midwife anytime thats what she is there for :)

Katherine - posted on 08/09/2010

My little guy tried to come at 32 weeks so I had to go to the hospital for every little pain or cramp after that because I didn't know what the crap labor felt like! And we couldn't risk me actually going into labor so early, it was so frustrating! I was lucky because my water broke so I knew I was in labor. But once the contractions started getting serious I finally understood what labor was about. My whole core would tense up and the pain was like period cramps only intensified by about a thousand. Like this deep throbbing pain you can't escape from (sounds fun huh!) When they start coming closer together they get really hard to breathe through, at least for me they did. I decided to get the epidural when they were coming so close I couldn't recover long enough before the next contraction started and I started to panic a bit because I couldn't breathe. Oh man, that epidural was a gift right from God to me!
If you start feeling like things are moving along, call the hospital or head in and have them check you out. Worst case scenario...you aren't in labor and they send you home, the nurses are used to it and never seemed to mind when I had to go get checked pretty much every other day. Good luck! I hope baby comes soon and you have a nice quick labor!

Coco - posted on 08/09/2010

Before going to bed I felt tightenings mostly on the top of my belly. It wasn't regular or even painful, I thought it was those braxton hicks (because I never had those before, and I was 38 weeks) So I went to bed, no problem sleeping. And they were there in the morning also. Thought I would take a shower to relax, lifted my leg up to take my pants off and my water broke. Again at that point I wasn't so sure it was it. After shower, it was still leaking.
I had to go to the hospital right away because I was group-b strep positive. And they confirm that my water broke and that I had started labor slowly through the night...
I'm 36 weeks prego with second and even now I'm not quite sure what to expect because every pregnancy and delivery is different.
Good luck!

Maggie - posted on 08/09/2010

I woke up at 430am and I had major back labor because he was facing the opposite direction, which was fine. By 326pm he was out. And this was my first baby, he's 9 months old now. They say you can't talk through contractions but I was able to. So I can only tell you what the back labor felt like and it just felt like a backache intensified by like 20. But as soon as I got an epi I was in heaven, til the nurse broke my water thennn my son started coming out. Just remember to breathe and you'll do fine! It'll be over before you know it =)





Oh and one sign that you might be in labor, I've heard from many of my friends and myself, is you may have a constant bowel movement cleaning everything out and that's when I lost my plug too... Everyone is definitely different =)

Tiffany - posted on 08/09/2010

You are probably having braxton hicks which are completely normal. It's your body practicing for real labor! Fun, huh. When you get into the real contractions you will definitely know sweetie. There is no denying those things...lol... My first child will be a year old on Saturday and I still remember them. I was in labor with my child for just over three days. You'll know when it's a real contraction! Don't worry about it!

Hannahsmommy - posted on 08/09/2010

I woke at midnight feeling like I was having really bad gas or needed to go the bathroom really bad. Everybody says "you'll know when your in labour" but the times I thought I was I actually wasn't and when I was I thought I was just having extreme bowl problems. Everybody's different and everybody explains it differently.

MamaTo2 - posted on 08/09/2010

My contractions, Braxton Hicks as well as labor contractions all felt like the hard, tightening everyone else has mentioned. My whole stomach would get rock hard and it almost felt like it was shrinking, like the baby was way too big for my uterus for a minute. Sometimes the tightening was so noticeable that other people standing in front of me could see it because whatever part of the baby was in front would protrude and just freeze there for a minute. For me the big difference between Braxton Hicks and labor contractions was that my labor contractions (both pre-term and at the end) were accompanied by severe cramping in my lower abdomen and lower back, and a sudden feeling of pressure on my pelvis. But I think this varies from person to person so what any of us describes may not be exactly what you experience. But you will probably know. As others have said, no matter how strong or "real" it feels (or not) the thing to look at it frequency.

Belinda - posted on 08/09/2010

You will know when you have lost your mucus plug because its quite big and grose. It started loosening up for me a few days before too so it could be a sign its gonna happen soon. I went into labour as soon as i lost my plug like literally within 10 mins and they feel just like period pains. You will know when they are contractions because they will be regular. People try to explain it as tightenings etc but that was so confusing for me i didnt know what a tightening would feel like. So yea just like period pain but regular.

Lady Heather - posted on 08/09/2010

That sounds like what my Braxton Hicks felt like. I had them literally all the time for the last half of my pregnancy - like 5-10 times an hour. Ha. When I went into labour, I didn't really notice at first because it was like my regular BH just got stronger. But then they were every two minutes apart and figured that probably wasn't a coincidence so we went to the hospital. Baby came 2.5 hours after that.

So I guess contractions feel like what you are feeling - painful cramp and rock hard gut that sticks out in a point and the like. Regular intervals generally signifies that things are underway. I agree that it's kind of like doing sit ups because those also involve muscle contraction and in the same general area. Sit ups plus cramps.

Monica - posted on 08/09/2010

During my entire labor, my contractions felt like I was doing situps. Think doing situps where your muscle gets all hard, and then maybe burns slightly just because your muscle is getting tired. They should start out pretty far apart, but I think once they get to be about 30s in length and 3-5 min apart (from start of one to start of the next) you will be well on your way to baby! Good luck!

Crystal - posted on 08/09/2010

I had a lot of Braxton Hicks the day before I had my daughter. They weren't really painful, but my whole uterus got rock hard and it was very uncomfortable. But that night, I was awoken by very strong, painful contractions. And they were very regular. I think regularity is something to look for. But then before I had my son, I had very regular, but very weak contractions for about a week. Then they got very close together and very painful, very quickly. My doc had ruptured my membranes with that pregnancy in hopes to move it along, but it didn't work. Good luck, I hope you have her soon!