You'd think I hadn't done this before....preg. ? please

[Clarity]

I'm 32wks pregnant with #2. I never had Braxton Hicks with dd #1 so I'm not sure if that's what I'm experiencing today or not. I woke up this morning with dull but persistant menstrual-like cramps. It's just a constant mildly crampy feeling in my sacroiliac area. I'm not noticing tightning across my abdomen so that's why I wasn't sure. Is this what Braxton-Hicks feels like?
(I feel so silly asking this! LOL)

[Melaine]

Mine just felt like tightness and difficulty in breathing, so I'm not sure about the crampy feeling.

sorry that wasn't too helpful...

[ThreeofUs]

I think I felt more tightening in my abdomen.... I think that can be what BH contractions do, but it's all so individual, who can say for sure?

[MontrealMum]

I had Braxton-Hicks on and off throughout my pregnancy, but I was never just lying there while they happened. I always got them when exercising. They were cramp-like, but more towards the front as Ivy described. I don't know if exertion is a necessary component or not.

[pb&j]

Towards the end, I had a LOT of B-H ctx, that were usually just tightening, but sometimes a little crampy as well. I would get several during the day, independent of activity (ie I could be walking around or just lying in bed), but I'd usually just have one or two and they'd be gone after 5 min or so.

[saschalicks]

Do not feel bad. I was in my OB appt at 38 weeks w/DS2, and told them I was having a weird twinge on my right side right above my thigh. It kept coming and going. They hooked me up and guess what? They were contractions. I kept saying they were nothing like they were w/DS1. They laughed at me. Apparently, the pain is different every time for some. Who knew? I had DS2 that evening.

It sounds like BH to me, just keep an *eye* on it. If it feels weird call your OB.

[caheinz]

The main difference between BH and regular contractions is that BH ones go away (especially if you drink water to rehydrate and lie down).

If you notice it happening regularly (eg, every 5 minutes for an hour, even if you lie down), it's not BH any more.

BTW, with twins, I've been instructed to call the doc asap if I feel more than 4 contractions of any sort in an hour. (The other problem with twins is that if they both stretch out at once, it can make my uterus tighten in a way that's very hard to distinguish from a contraction... )

[Clarity]

I'm a work today and have been feeling a bit better this afternoon; the crampiness subsided around lunchtime. I did notice that my abdomen was actually tightning when I stood up from my desk so maybe this is just my uncomfortable version of BH. With dd#1 I never had any discomfort and she never even dropped before I went into labor, so some of this is still relatively novel!
Reading your responses (none of which included "call your OB, FAST") made me feel much more relaxed about coping with this new discomfort. Thanks!

[o_mom]

With DS2 and DS3 I had BH for weeks before. I had hardly anything prior to labor with DS1 so it was very different the second and third times. The OB said something like call if they are more than 10 per hour or they don't go away when you lie down/drink water. ETA: They were pretty regular at times - every 15-20 min for a couple hours, but never to the frequency or intensity of labor.