Fun with definitions.
Feb. 6th, 2007 09:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bloodsong1Braxton-Hicks contractions
WebMD Braxton-Hicks Contractions -- False labor pains.
Babycenter.com Braxton Hicks are sporadic uterine contractions that actually start at about 6 weeks, although you won't be able to feel them that early. You probably won't start to notice them until sometime after midpregnancy, if you notice them at all (some women don't). They get their name from John Braxton Hicks, an English doctor who first described them in 1872.
As your pregnancy progresses, Braxton Hicks contractions tend to come somewhat more often, but until you get to your last few weeks, they should remain infrequent, irregular, and essentially painless. Sometimes, though, Braxton Hicks are hard to distinguish from early signs of preterm labor.
Play it safe and don't try to make the diagnosis yourself. If you haven't hit 37 weeks yet and you're having four or more contractions in an hour, or have any other signs of preterm labor, call your caregiver immediately.
By the time you're within a couple of weeks of your due date, these contractions may get more intense and more frequent, and cause some discomfort. Unlike the earlier painless and sporadic Braxton Hicks contractions that caused no obvious cervical change, these may help your cervix "ripen": gradually soften and efface, and maybe even begin to dilate a bit. This period is sometimes referred to as "pre-labor."
So, yeah.
That's what I've been having for, oh, about a week now. Had two while I was being examined today, causing the PA to become a little...concerned. My OBGYN, Dr. Kass, ran a swab test and checked my cervix. I'm currently at 28 weeks. The swab test, designed to show positive/negative, has one purpose. If positive, I've got a 50/50 chance of going into labor in the next two weeks. If negative, everything's fine. The exam revealed I'm a little "soft" and a tiny bit dilated, which isn't uncommon in a second pregnancy. The ultrasound looked really good and I'm not showing signs of dehydration or infection. Course, that was probably the 12 ounces of yucky glucose soda I had to drink for my diabetes bloodwork an hour prior.
The text came back negative.
What does this all mean?
Keep taking it easy, keep watching for other signs; cramping, bleeding, lower back pain or painful contractions and a sudden increase in discharge (read: mucus plug or water breaking), and drink more liquids.
I've been trying to ignore the bloody tightening, as thinking about it will only make me freak out. Wog is still happily squirming around, she loves to start punching me when I lay on my left side. Another appointment in two weeks, they'll do another cervix exam and proceed from there. On a much more positive note, I'm up to 108. Whoo.
WebMD Braxton-Hicks Contractions -- False labor pains.
Babycenter.com Braxton Hicks are sporadic uterine contractions that actually start at about 6 weeks, although you won't be able to feel them that early. You probably won't start to notice them until sometime after midpregnancy, if you notice them at all (some women don't). They get their name from John Braxton Hicks, an English doctor who first described them in 1872.
As your pregnancy progresses, Braxton Hicks contractions tend to come somewhat more often, but until you get to your last few weeks, they should remain infrequent, irregular, and essentially painless. Sometimes, though, Braxton Hicks are hard to distinguish from early signs of preterm labor.
Play it safe and don't try to make the diagnosis yourself. If you haven't hit 37 weeks yet and you're having four or more contractions in an hour, or have any other signs of preterm labor, call your caregiver immediately.
By the time you're within a couple of weeks of your due date, these contractions may get more intense and more frequent, and cause some discomfort. Unlike the earlier painless and sporadic Braxton Hicks contractions that caused no obvious cervical change, these may help your cervix "ripen": gradually soften and efface, and maybe even begin to dilate a bit. This period is sometimes referred to as "pre-labor."
So, yeah.
That's what I've been having for, oh, about a week now. Had two while I was being examined today, causing the PA to become a little...concerned. My OBGYN, Dr. Kass, ran a swab test and checked my cervix. I'm currently at 28 weeks. The swab test, designed to show positive/negative, has one purpose. If positive, I've got a 50/50 chance of going into labor in the next two weeks. If negative, everything's fine. The exam revealed I'm a little "soft" and a tiny bit dilated, which isn't uncommon in a second pregnancy. The ultrasound looked really good and I'm not showing signs of dehydration or infection. Course, that was probably the 12 ounces of yucky glucose soda I had to drink for my diabetes bloodwork an hour prior.
The text came back negative.
What does this all mean?
Keep taking it easy, keep watching for other signs; cramping, bleeding, lower back pain or painful contractions and a sudden increase in discharge (read: mucus plug or water breaking), and drink more liquids.
I've been trying to ignore the bloody tightening, as thinking about it will only make me freak out. Wog is still happily squirming around, she loves to start punching me when I lay on my left side. Another appointment in two weeks, they'll do another cervix exam and proceed from there. On a much more positive note, I'm up to 108. Whoo.
